The Rustic Kitchen

A well-stocked larder was essential to the Peasant household, particularly during the winter months when fresh food was scarce. The larder would usually be protected by a door and a lock, or be safely tucked in the cellar under a heavy flagstone so that its contents could be defended against Marauders. Most of the contents would have been home produced, with the few extra essentials such as salt, spices,and more recently, tea, coffee and sugar.

All would be bought with the Housewife’s small cash crop -perhaps from the sale of eggs or the nurturing of a crop of silkworms. Pepper was a particularly important ingredient in preserving meat; because of its great popularity, this was imported in bulk and sold reasonably cheaply.