More to do!

We've been busy for a while. First it was the experiments, then Pennsic, then we got on a boat and traveled from Boston to Montreal and back. We are finally home for a while, but Cynthia wants to enter an SCA Arts and Science Competition, so has a deadline to get that together. In addition, since we got married, while at Pennsic, there's all sorts of name changing stuff to do!

So Cynthia needs to decides the format of the submission. We've decided to bring the pots, the two querns we have, a "faux" barley bundle from our kit. The pots as well as the imitation barley are obvious, but why two querns? 

Amazon purchased quern
The Amazon purchased quern, showing how many times grain needs to be ground to become flour. At top left, is the whole grain hulled barley. Then, left to right has been passed through the quern, once to five time to become finer. Just below the fifth, is the sixth, which is a reasonable flour. Also pictured is a bone spoon.

I also have a reproduction quern, purchased from a reenactor. It's much larger. The grain goes into a central hole, rather than one offset, like the above. I believe this would allow longer contact of the grain with the grinding area, before it moves off.

I think what I'll do, is allow people to use the small one, and have the reproduction open to show the grinding area. This is in preparation for the next phase of experiments. GROUND barley as the start. Because the definition of porridge includes the term "meal" indicating a grinding process. “Porridge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/porridge. Accessed 11 Aug. 2025. Derp. 

Even the RECIPE for Traveller's Porridge, in An Early Meal, by (Serra and Tunberg, 2013) indicates crushed or lightly ground. (oops, I missed that...)

Recipe for Traveller's Porridge 
So while it's not CRUCIAL to grind the barley, I think it'll help actually create porridge. It'll speed cooking time, which ought to decrease time on the fire. I am also curious about using any leftovers for a fry bread.

Future Directions!

This submission needs to be short and sweet. I ran across the 3 minute thesis. In the 3MT, the presenter has ONE slide and 3 minutes to get across the gist of their research thesis. I am going to work along those lines. One of the pictures I'd consider is this one!

Research is hard!
Working "above the fire" is difficult! Sadly, it doesn't meet the stated goal of the experiment, but it IS part of the chaîne opératoire of making a meal during the Viking Age. It's a LOT of work and not easy. There's a whole lot going into it. I want to start researching 'Before the Hearth'... The goal being to help people realize what the chaîne opératoire, or chain of operations, of making a meal was, during the Viking Age.

So, ideally, short, less than 5 minutes, focus, distill to a few slides. Maybe put some conclusions to the pots on index cards, so the experimental pots, speak for themselves? 

Experimental Pots on the fire

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