Gargoyle Pie

All contributions gratefully received, on any subject, e.g. history, local names, recipes, pictures, videos, songs, poems, traditions (local or family), personal anecdotes, etc.

pace

A 'pace' is an obscure English unit of length equal to the length of a person's 'full' pace, that is, the distance between two successive falls of the same foot, thus one pace equals two steps. A pace is 60 inches (a step being 30). This is 60,000 inches which is equal to 1,666.66 yards.
One thousand Roman paces was known as the 'mille' (1,617 yards, 1,479 metres) which evolved into the mile (of 1,760 yards).

pace egg / peace egg

3

The Pace Egg plays are traditional village plays, which used to be common throughout the Pennines of North and East Lancashire, West Yorkshire and Cumbria, at Easter, usually on Good Friday. Performed for hundreds of years the scripts have evolved in each location but they all contain common or similar characters from life, history and mythology, and the general theme of the play is good triumphing over evil, with 're-birth' and fertility mixed in there too (a common theme at spring time). St. George is the central figure but there is a wonderful blending of pagan and Christian beliefs.
It is thought that 'pace egg' plays once occurred throughout England but they are now confined to only a few locations, however the play is undergoing a small but enthusiastic revival in several locations particularly in the Upper Calder Valley of West Yorkshire. Here it can be seen on 'Good Friday', in up to eleven towns and villages throughout the day. In one of the versions a character called 'Toss-pot', will hand out eggs for kisses. Should you accept the egg and give him a kiss you will become pregnant in the following year. That's proper sex education!

Lane's Extinction Grading: Unsafe/Decline

1. Still enjoyed by the older generation in one area.
2. Enjoyed by dwindling numbers (shunned by pretentious people and kids).
3. Sucessfully revived in small pockets for a few families.

packed lunch / labourers lunch

Uncooked or pre- cooked food eaten cold and most often by people who have no cooking facilities at lunch time.
Though there are many traditional, regional lunch foods (e.g. Cornish pasty, Pies, Bedfordshire Clanger, calders, etc.) the mainstay of most packed lunches today is bread, usually in the form of sandwiches, but in these health conscious, weight watching days a packed lunch could contain anything, but is usually accompanied by fruit.
Lunches were once wrapped in cloth, then they were carried in tins or brown paper, then wrapped in greaseproof paper, then tinfoil and 'Tupperware' boxes, next sandwich bags appeared, and finally we have 'cling film'.
Packed lunches were not only a convenient solution but a cost effective one and once upon a time, and not so long ago, the concept of buying a sandwich would have been laughed at, and still is by those of us that think that buying pre-made sandwich costing more than a proper meal is an astounding financial strategy. If you can't make a sandwich there's no point watching cookery programmes.
Meal names: 'pack-up', 'bait' (NE England and Kent), 'pieces' (Scotland), 'allowance' (Yorkshire), 'snap' (Yorkshire, Lincolnshire & Derbyshire), 'dockey' (Norfolk), 'baggin' (Yorkshire and Lancashire), 'croust' (Cornwall), 'beavor/bever/bevor', 'nuncheon', 'progger and 'tommy' (Kent).
Container names: 'bait poken' (poke = bag), 'bait tin', 'snap tin', 'nose bag', 'piece poke', 'sandwich box', 'dockey bag'. 'hoggan bag' (Cornwall).

packhorse

5a

Packhorses (horses with bags (packs) slung across each side) were the favoured form of transport for goods up to the introduction of the 'Turnpike' roads (the first one appeared in 1555). Long packhorse trains were the 'juggernauts' of their time and carried food and other goods across Britain and Europe.
Old and distinctive packhorse trails and bridges can be found across the country and packhorses were still being used right up to and including the second world war.
Pack horses were able to cross difficult terrain and can easily tackle steep slopes and so well established routes, often paved, developed between centres of populations, markets, ports, industries, salt mines, etc. and often took a direct route across mountains and moors. These trails were peppered with narrow packhorse bridges and Packhorse Inns (which to our eyes often seem to be sited in odd places). Indeed many pub names throughout Britain indicate their historic position as an overnight stopping point for pack horses and their drivers and there are many 'Pack Horse's' and 'Pack Horse Inns'.
Towns and markets sprang up where packhorse trails met or where bridges were built over rivers and gorges to carry the packhorse trains. The early packhorse bridges, were funded by individual villages or collections of villages in order to ease the transport of goods, to and from their businesses, particularly during winter. Many of these bridges gave rise to new towns which sprung up around the crossing point, or at one end of it. A fine example can be found in Hebden Bridge (Yorkshire) where the 500 year old stone packhorse bridge still stands in the middle of the town and has just been celebrated (2010) by the inhabitants.
The demise of the faithful packhorse came with the industrial revolution when roads were greatly improved enabling a greater use of horse drawn wheeled vehicles, and of course their fate was sealed when the canals and then the railways appeared.
Pack horse drivers in Lancashire, Yorkshire and Derbyshire were known as 'Jaggermen' or 'jaggers' after the type of horse they used, the 'Jaeger'.
See also: 'packhorse bridge' and 'clapper bridge'.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Extinct

Extinct but a useable recipe, knowledge or appropriate experience exists.

packhorse bridge / jaggerman's bridge

Packhorse bridges occur all over Britain but have survived mainly in remote hill country, where they were forgotten by all but the locals. Some survive in the centres of old market towns where they continued to give good service to pedestrians (most were too narrow or too steep to allow the passage of carts).
The majority of these packhorse bridges, particularly the smaller ones, when first built either had no parapets or had extremely low ones to allow the heavily loaded packhorse trains to pass over without hindrance.
Whilst some were built with high arches over great spans the smaller ones, built over fast flowing streams and becks were constructed from huge slabs of rock spanning the stream in one go. These were known as 'clapper' bridges and most, until recent times, had no parapet, and many still don't.
Packhorse and clapper bridges can be found in the strangest or the remotest of places, seemingly underused, but remain as an indicator of an ancient trade route which was once important to the commerce and development of the country. These bridges were built to last and many are around 500 years old.
In Yorkshire and Lancashire packhorse bridges were known as 'jaggermans' bridges.
See also: 'packhorse' and 'clapper bridge'.

pale ale

Since 1830 the term 'pale ale' has been synonymous with 'bitter' and I don't care what happened before that because two words meaning the same thing is easy to remember. The brewing industry tends to use the term 'pale ale' whilst the paying public use 'bitter', a much more logical way of differentiating it from 'mild'. I wish the brewing industry would stick to one or the other because it just causes confusion and distressing delays at the bar when people start asking about the difference.
See also: 'India pale ale'.

palm

A 'palm' is an obscure unit of length equal to 3 inches (the approximate distance across the palm of an adult male).

pan haggerty

The north eastern English equivalent of the Scottish 'stovie'. Made from leftover meat, potatoes, onion and dripping.

panackelty

Sunderland's roasted dish of corned beef and root vegetables, left to bake all day. Traditionally eaten on a Monday with leftovers from Sunday dinner. Not to be confused with another north eastern English dish 'pan haggerty' which is also made form leftovers.

pancake

Pancakes are usually a batter mixture, poured into a pan or onto a griddle and cooked on both sides into large, flat discs (sometimes floppy, sometimes not), though suet pancakes are made from dough disks of suet and flour.
British pancakes tend to be substantial, unlike the French variety which use more calories in the making than you gain from eating them. Two British pancakes should subdue the average adult male (three for a 'prop forward').
It has always been traditional to toss the pancake when turning it, creating drama and humour for children and adults alike. and stories of rogue pancakes abound.
Pancakes are traditionally eaten on 'pancake day', also known as 'Shrove Tuesday.
Many people eat pancakes with jam or treacle, and some with lemon and sugar. Many eat them with gravy, like Yorkshire pudding.

Child's skipping song:
Mix a pancake, stir a pancake, pop it in a pan.
Fry a pancake, toss a pancake, catch it if you can.

See also 'pancake race', 'collops' and 'suet cake'.

pancake day / Shrove Tuesday / pancake Tuesday

Pancake day is on Shrove Tuesday, an annual event which is on the last Tuesday before Lent. As Lent begins 47 days before Easter Sunday it can occur anytime between the 3rd of February and the 9th of March (depending on when Easter is). In 2011 it will be on the 8th of March.
During Lent certain foods were forbidden and traditions of feasting on these foods, as a way of using them up, evolved on the last days before Lent. Pancakes were eaten on Shrove Tuesday, to use up butter, cream and eggs. The day before, on 'Collop Monday', meat was eaten.
See also pancakes', 'pancake race' and 'collops'.

pancake race

Pancake racing, on or near 'Pancake Day', was common when I was young. This involved running whilst tossing your pancake.
Its a sort of adult sports day, and is another ancient tradition which is being killed by local authority health and safety regulations.

pancheon

A 'pancheon' is the name used in northern England, particularly in Yorkshire and Cumbria, for a ceramic creamer used in small dairies. The inside of the pancheon was usually coated with a layer of brightly coloured 'slip' (liquid clay).
The narrow based, flared bowl would probably be identified by most as a large mixing bowl.
Beekeepers of old used an upturned pancheon as a waterproof roof to protect a skep from rain and to keep it from blowing over.

pannage

A commoners right to turn pigs out onto common land in order to eat 'mast' (beech mast, acorns, etc.).

parched peas

Otherwise known as 'black peas' and boiled until they went mushy.

parching

An old term which meant long, slow boiling, as in 'parched peas'.
alt: It is possible for a human being to be 'parched', not boiled until mushy but simply hot and thirsty.

parkin

2

A soft, moist and sticky cake made from oatmeal, molasses and ginger, though in some areas of Yorkshire, the 'parkin' is preferred drier and more biscuit like, and I remember parkin 'pigs' as a child, a biscuit in the shape of a pig, and Yorkshire's version of a 'ginger bread man'. But traditionalists prefer the 'parkin' to stick annoyingly to the roof of the mouth, so much so that it has to be prized off with the index finger. Originating from the Leeds area, it is still popular in the north of England and in the Midlands where it is also a traditional bonfire night food. In Yorkshire it is produced on a commercial scale to several recipes and consistencies. The softer versions could, during an emergency, be used to plug small holes in dams.
See also: 'parkin pig'.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Stable

1. Stable in one or more areas/regions, but not growing.
2. Still enjoyed by a number of families in one area.
3. Successful recent revival with natural local growth.

parkin biscuit

2

Like ginger bread men but without the human shape. Once parkin biscuits were always pig shaped and known as 'parkin pigs', but I've no idea why.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Stable

1. Stable in one or more areas/regions, but not growing.
2. Still enjoyed by a number of families in one area.
3. Successful recent revival with natural local growth.

parkin pig

4

The parkin pig is a pig shaped biscuit which was available all year round from some Yorkshire bakers, but only on bonfire night in other parts of Yorkshire.
The association of pigs with November goes back centuries as it was the traditional time for slaughtering pigs and often a time of celebration, knowing that you had enough food to survive the winter. The pig often occurs as an icon associated with November and it is not unreasonable to believe that pig shaped biscuits might be made for these occasions. Perhaps the parkin pig was a remnant of these celebrations which migrated to bonfire night, the only November celebration to survive. I don't know. I only know they were lovely and that they seem to have disappeared.
When I was at school anybody with the surname of Parkin was taunted with "parkin pig".

Lane's Extinction Grading: On the brink.

1. Difficult to find, on the brink of extinction.
2. Revived by an individual or by a few culturally unconnected individuals.

parsley

A herb which is used green and traditionally associated with fish in Britain (e.g. parsley sauce, liquor, fish cakes). No 'sit down' fish and chips would be complete without a sprig of parsley balanced on top of the fish, it's what you pay extra for. But what's that lemon thing all about, where did that come from?

parsley sauce

Made with parsley, flour and butter. Parsley is a traditional garnish for fish in various forms. See 'liquor'.

parsley soup

Reputed to be the last meal of Thomas Hardy (novelist and poet), requested by him as a reminder of his childhood. Parsley is boiled in water (not stock) and lumps of bread are floated in it.

parsons nose

The flap on a roast chicken which once covered the chicken's anus, the tail of the bird.

party seven

The 'party seven' appeared in the 1970's and was a giant tin of beer holding seven pints. Why seven and not eight (a gallon), has always puzzled me and I wonder if it was because a smooth seven pint tin can was the maximum size and weight an already inebriated person could confidently carry. The beer in them bore little resemblance to hand pulled beer, both in flavour and liveliness, but this was the era of the the big breweries, and poor quality, and I think this type of product further contributed to the downfall of some larger breweries which once had a respectable reputation (e.g. Watneys) but who had decided to concentrate on volume rather than quality, on profits rather than reputation.
The cheapness of the contents fit in well with the lifestyle of less discerning beer drinkers of the time, and was therefore commonplace at teenage parties where even there they had a reputation for poor quality and the word 'rank' seemed particularly popular at the time. It was common knowledge that you had to have already drunk several beers before you attempted to tackle a 'party seven'.
The 'party seven' was the equivalent of a modern day 'six pack' and it was quite acceptable to turn up on a friends doorstep with one tucked under your arm. It was also normal to find half full cans littering your house the morning after a party because they were often bought in the hope that someone else would drink them while you drunk their nice beer or spirits.
The can was opened by piercing with a normal, diamond head shaped can opener (ring pulls hadn't been invented then) which meant that when the huge can was tipped the large volume of beer would come out of the resulting small hole at great speed causing even the most sober pourer to overshoot a glass by at least a foot, dousing the wallpaper or the genital area of any innocent onlookers. Even greater fun could be made by dropping the unopened can on the floor and placing it back on the table to await an unsuspecting party goer. Half the contents of the foaming can would end up on the kitchen ceiling or on the people within, often shorting the electric light above or causing a soddened girl to storm out in tears whimpering about her new or borrowed dress. Happy days eh?

paste

Another name for 'potted' meat but especially applied to those made from fish or crustaceans e.g. salmon paste, shrimp, crab paste, etc. The Victorians enjoyed a far greater range of marine organism based pastes than us and even made one from the insect which scuttles about the coastline and is a large relative of the wood lice.
Pastry was once called 'paste'.

pasteurised

The process is named after Frenchman Louis Pasteur, and involves the heating of a liquid to stabilise it micro-biologically in order to prevent sickness, originally from milk and wine, though the process nowadays is applied to many liquids (e.g. apple juice).
The pasteurisation process modifies the nutritional value (it destroys vitamin 'C') and also the taste. Though pasteurisation removes harmful bacteria in milk it also removes useful bacteria and enzymes which give milk and milk products flavour. If you don't believe me just try some milk straight from the a goat or cow. Un-pasteurised milk has recently become known as 'raw milk' (it used to be just called 'milk') and is used increasingly by traditional cheese makers.
I can't think of this word without Benny Hill popping into my head and singing:
"He said do you want pasteurised coz pasteurised is best?"
She says Ernie I'll be happy If it comes up to me chest"
From 'Ernie (the fastest milkman in the west)' - 1971

pastry / paste

When used alone usually means 'shortcrust' pastry, as opposed to 'hot water' pastry or the more faffy or foreign varieties. Shortcrust pastry is a whole subject in itself but involves flour, butter/lard and water.
Pastry used to be known as 'paste'.
See also: 'hot water pastry' and 'suet pastry'.

pasty

A parcel of filled short crust pastry. Though we all associate this type of food with the Cornish this was not always the case and 'pasty' actually describes a pie like product made without sides, or without a mould and the Cornish pasty is actually an unusual variation.
It is possible that many regions had their own version of pasty with varying ingredients, though documented evidence is scarce. In Yorkshire a savoury pasty (meat, potato and vegetables) made from of a circle of folded pastry can be found on sale from butchers and bakers in several locations throughout the county. Yorkshire is also the home of the 'mint pasty' and the 'onion pasty', both of which are now rare.
See also: 'pasty shop', 'mint pasty', and 'jam slice'.

pasty shop

1

The 'pasty shop' is a shop dedicated to the selling of Cornish pasties and is common in Cornwall where they can occur in large numbers even on one street, particularly in tourist areas. They are a bit of a novelty elsewhere in the country but pasty shops have found their way into many towns and cities throughout Britain.
In Cornwall they take a lot of pride in creating high quality Cornish pasties for their shops but they also produce non-traditional pasties too.
Due to the abundance of pasty shops in Cornwall, the occurrence of pie shops is relatively low compared to other regions of England, which is a shame because Cornwall has a fine history of pie making.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Safe

1. Nationally produced and/or consumed
2. Very strong traditions in one village, town, county or region.

patch

1

A 'patch' is a small area, of indeterminable size, often square, and dedicated to the growing of a single, low growing, and edible plant species e.g. cabbage patch, strawberry patch, etc. You will never come across a potato or tomato patch, perhaps because they are tall and grown in long thin rows.
'Patch' used to mean any small piece of anything and is still used throughout the English speaking world in this context e.g. patch of ice, patch of fog, patch your trousers, etc., however the application to small pieces of cultivated land seems to be uniquely British because the definition above does not appear in most online dictionaries.
Patches are only found in well kept gardens and allotments.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Safe

1. Nationally produced and/or consumed
2. Very strong traditions in one village, town, county or region.

patty /pattie

A patty is not really a food, but the result of a food making process involving the hands. It can be a small flat portion of either mincemeat or mashed potato, with other ingredients added, squeezed and flattened by the hands (presumably by patting) and then the 'patty' is fried or deep fried.
Sadly, in the mince meat world the word 'patty' as now been displaced by the word 'burger' (a burger is just a thin patty), and what would once have been a 'patty' is now a thick burger. However the word is not completely gone and it still survives in the following ways:

A - mince - The 'Orkney patty' is still made from mincemeat, with mash, onion, pepper and deep fried in batter. In Orkney it is possible to buy a 'pattie supper' (pattie and chips).

B - potato - The mashed potato patty survives with cheese, and in the north east of England where it is served as mashed potato with sage, deep fried in batter, and served by chip shops. And one of the two types of 'fishcake' we eat is actually a 'patty'.

C - confusion - The word can occasionally be found used in conjunction with small pies or pastries and somewhere in the past I suspect there was a bit of a mix up between patty, pasty, pastry and paste (old name for pastry).

patum peperium

The alternative name for 'Gentleman's Relish'.

pea and ham

Pea and ham, are traditionally linked, in various forms, particularly in England. Pea and ham soup is the obvious one but then there's pea and ham shank with dumplings, and also 'pease pudding' baked with ham and spread in ham sandwiches. See also 'London particular'.

pea shooter

5a

A tubular toy/weapon much favoured by boys for centuries. Dried peas (and spit) are blown, at speed, through a short tube.
Manufactured pea shooters were made from tin tube with a plastic mouth piece but originally they were made from the stems of hollow non-poisonous plants (and still can be). A mouthful of peas allows for 'rapid withering fire'. Getting overly excited, whilst out of breath, during a fire fight, can cause a mis-fire resulting in watery eyes, hilarious choking and temporary cessation of hostilities whilst the opposing forces compose themselves.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Extinct

Extinct but a useable recipe, knowledge or appropriate experience exists.

pearmain apple

The White Pearmain apple is thought to be the oldest known English cultivated apple (approx AD 1200) and was popular in medieval times. Being sweet and aromatic it made an excellent dessert apple. It is green but sometimes blushed red on one side.
The first written record of a specific apple variety (Permain) occurs in England in 1204, in tax payment records.

pease pudding

1

'Pease pudding' is made from baked or cloth boiled peas (yellow split variety), and spices, and associated with bacon, gammon or ham, with which it is often cooked to a thick, yellow, mushy consistency.
Originating in the north east of England where it is served with 'stottie cakes', hot or cold, but available nationally (in tins). Traditionally eaten in ham sandwiches and still is. Whilst pease pudding has thankfully remained strong in the north east other traditional peas, such as the ‘carlin’ have almost died out.
Nursery rhyme: "Pease pudding hot, pease pudding cold. Pease pudding in a pot, nine days old".
Sometimes known as 'pease porridge'.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Safe

1. Nationally produced and/or consumed
2. Very strong traditions in one village, town, county or region.

peck

A 'peck' was a unit of volume, equal to 2 gallons (9 litres).
Two pecks make a 'kenning' and there are four pecks to a 'bushel'.
Alt: It is claimed that "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper".
[US]

penny bun / loaf

1 - A miniature loaf of brown bread (approx- 3in (7.5cm) long, 1.5in (4cm) wide and 2 in (5cm) high) which, for decades, cost a penny. I was heartbroken when, as a small boy, they went up a ha'penny, but was still called a 'penny bun' (and still is). I wonder if this irritates Brussels? Also known as the 'penny loaf'.

2 - 'Penny Bun' is also the English name for the edible woodland fungus (Boletus edulis) which is also known as the 'Cep'.

penny gaff

5a

The 'penny gaff' was a Victorian drinking establishment for the lower classes which also provided entertainment, often of a bawdy nature. The entrance fee was one penny. The 'penny gaff' evolved from street entertainment and continued to evolve into the Victorian music hall.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Extinct

Extinct but a useable recipe, knowledge or appropriate experience exists.

penny lick

5a

Before ice cream cones and wafers were invented ice cream was served in a glass called a 'penny lick'.
See also: 'ice cream cone'.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Extinct

Extinct but a useable recipe, knowledge or appropriate experience exists.

penny tray

All sweet shops used to have a penny tray and some even had a ha' penny tray. For young minds the presentation of everything you could afford on one tray made selection easy for a busy shop keeper.

Pennyroyal mint (Mentha pulegium)

Pennyroyal mint has long been famed for its culinary and medicinal uses. It has been used in Britain for centuries and before that by the Romans and Greeks. It was popular in British kitchens up to the Middle Ages but has gradually faded away.
It has a very strong fragrance similar to peppermint but its flavour is less agreeable than peppermint or spearmint.
An infusion of the leaves, known as Pennyroyal Tea, as well as being a refreshing drink, is an old remedy for colds and menstrual problems. High concentrations of Pennyroyal have been taken in times past to induce abortions, sometimes with fatal results. The dangerous constituent is pulegone a highly toxic compound making high concentrations dangerous to health.
Pennyroyal's flavour, and its reputation for being good for your health, have resulted in it being used in many drinks and recipes. It was once used as a popular ingredient in hogs puddings hence one of its alternative names which is 'pudding grass'. It was also used in stuffings particularly with mutton, which is why perhaps we still like mint sauce with lamb. In Yorkshire they still eat mint pasty, a type of currant slice but with fresh mint in it too.
It is also reputed to drive away fleas, ants, mice and other pests and is still used by herbalists as an ingredient in natural insect repellent. Pennyroyal oil was, and still is, used in soaps and scented goods.
Pennyroyal is often found in old cottage gardens and allotments, in the wild, and also pops up now and then in garden centres and nurseries where it may appear as 'Creeping Pennyroyal'.
See also: 'mint".

perry / pear cider

'Perry' is a traditional English drink made from fermented pear juice using the cider making process. Perry is made from specific perry pears. Perry was originally 'still' but a a modern taste for a sparkling version has led to a the new name of 'pear cider' to differentiate from the two varieties.
Mainly associated with Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
Perry is making something of a comeback but the length of time it takes for a perry pear tree to mature (20 years) makes it difficult for traditional growers to respond to our "I want in now!" approach to food. Perhaps if we hadn't all been so enthusiastic about demonstrating our fabricated sophistication by spouting our knowledge of foreign drinks then our unique cider and perry industry wouldn't be in the state it is in now.
Local wisdom, reflecting the different investment times of fruit tree planting, states: "Plant apples for your self, and pears for your children.

picalilli

1

Piccalilli is a chunky, yellow coloured pickle which invariably contains cauliflower but will often be accompanied by other vegetables, and in some recipes you may find dried fruits. The yellow colour comes from turmeric and mustard. Modern commercial piccalilli seems to taste mainly of vinegar but traditional home-made versions are much richer, less fierce.
Piccalilli was originally an Indian pickle containing Asian ingredients but has been adapted to British produce such as cauliflower, cucumber, etc. Some of the main ingredients which are common to both versions are onions, gherkins, carrots, beans and cabbage.
See also: 'cauliflower' and 'British Raj'.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Safe

1. Nationally produced and/or consumed
2. Very strong traditions in one village, town, county or region.

pickle

A 'pickle' is any preserving mix, wet or dry, but these days we associate the word 'pickle' with vinegar, or any food preserved in vinegar (which actually takes its name from the pickling process).
We 'pickle' foods in order to preserve them, to slow down or stop the decaying process, but the word is also used by metal preservers (galvanisers, chromers, etc.) to describe the cocktail of chemicals in which the metal is dipped or soaked, and the people who are engaged in this activity are still known as 'metal picklers'. And when a new wooden boat is put into the sea it is also referred to as 'pickling', and a pickled boat lasts much longer than one left on land.
But when we are talking about food the two ingredients of vinegar and salt are the two main substances used for culinary pickling purposes, but not the only ones.
Alt: It is also possible for a person to 'be in a pickle' which means that they would be in trouble.

pickle fork

4

A Victorian, long handled, finely pointed, and sometimes barbed fork for stabbing pickles, especially onions.

Lane's Extinction Grading: On the brink.

1. Difficult to find, on the brink of extinction.
2. Revived by an individual or by a few culturally unconnected individuals.

pickled eggs

An easy way to preserve eggs. Once huge jars of eggs pickled in vinegar were common on counters in chip shops and on pub bars but they have seen a decline.
Watching someone retrieve the last pickled egg from the bottom of one of these enormous jars could provide several minutes of amusement, particularly if the retriever was short.
But vinegar is not the only pickling agent and raw eggs, still in their shells, were once pickled in lime and water, where they could last for months.

pickled onions

Still popular but can vary in intensity between vinegar flavour to raw onion flavour and I would guess that the middle ground is where most people like their pickled onions. There always seem to be a half eaten jar of them at the back of a kitchen cupboard, waiting for Christmas. Stabbing pickled onions with a fork can keep an individual occupied for some time and it's a good way to keep a small stubborn child quiet for several minutes. The Victorians had special pickle porks with long, thin barbed tines.

pickled red cabbage

Pickled red cabbage is still a traditional partner to pies, to mashed potatoes, hot pots, steamed puddings, faggots and to bubble and squeak though it was once more popular than it is now.
The colour of pickled red cabbage is amazing.
Pickled red cabbage matures in the jar creating a much more subtle flavour after a couple of weeks and though it will keep for months it begins to lose its crunch after about 6-8 weeks. Fortunately the red cabbage is very hardy and can be harvested almost all year round and so nobody need go without their crunch.
See also: 'red cabbage'.

pickled trout

A way to preserve fillets of trout or whole small trout which is similar to soused herring but the fish goes firm, not soft. The fish will be good for about a month but are so good that they are unlikely to survive that long.
I learnt about this through an old English recipe taken to New Zealand from emigrants from Blyth (Northumberland) around the 1900's where it has been in continuous use in the family who pickled small local 'brook' trout. The recipe returned to England with a friend of the family.

pickling spice

'Pickling spice' is the name given to any combination of ingredients (solids) which are intended to be added to to a pickle (liquid) for the purposes of preservation and taste.
Most people add something to vinegar when pickling and that something can be referred to as 'pickling spice' regardless of how simple or elaborate.
Common ingredients found in traditional British pickling spice are cinnamon, sugar/molasses, mustard seeds, peppercorns, salt, cloves, allspice, juniper berries, mace, dill seeds, bay leaves, dried, ginger and coriander seeds, but the list is endless. Some items are left whole whilst others are crushed.
Pickling spice can be bought ready made but many families have their own recipes, handed down from mother to daughter over generations.
The spices can be used in different ways. They can be added to the pickling fluid and left there, or they can be boiled in the fluid and removed prior to the fluid receiving the items to be pickled, or they can be boiled in a bag in the fluid and removed after.
See also: 'spice', 'pickle', 'curing', 'allspice' and 'smoking food'.

picnic

A meal eaten outside, be it in your garden or further afield. Usually more elaborate than just a packed lunch but a packed lunch can become a picnic, it all depends on where you are, who you are with and what mood you are in. Picnics have changed in form and content over the centuries but for most of us it involves cold food, and most will remember sandwiches garnished with real sand, sausage rolls, ants, pork pie, flies, pickled onions, hard boiled eggs, grass stuck to butter, pop, and insects doing the back stroke in a plastic tea cup from the top of a flask. Posher picnics would feature cucumber sandwiches and Victoria sponge but most of ours consisted of foods which would survive basic transport followed by rough handling across open moor or sand dunes, by disgruntled children pressed into hard work. Nearly all picnics end up with a ball of some kind landing in the middle of them.
Picnics involving freshly cooked food are generally known as 'barbecues'.

pie

The English are, and always have been, the most enthusiastic and imaginative maker of pies (and have even put live birds, animals, people and whole bands into them), but it is a food type we all eat in one form or another. The Cornish in particular have endless types of pies and there is a Cornish saying that the devil will never go to Cornwall because he's afraid he might be baked into a pie.
Though initially quite a simple idea any attempt to quickly explain what a 'pie' is can land you world of contradictions. An obvious definition might be 'a baked filling surrounded by a pastry crust', with the filling being savoury or sweet, and with no limit to what you can put in it (or what you can have sticking out from it). But the word 'pie' is sometimes also applied to a baked dish which is lined with pastry, but not covered, and though technically correct I consider this application of the word to be mildly fraudulent. In such cases the term 'open pie' is less likely to cause distress, or you can use 'tart', an older term. And what about a dish of something with a pie crust lid? This used to be called a 'pot pie'. And what about 'cottage pie'? For more pie ramblings click the archive button.
Micro-waved stew, in a bowl, with a piece of tasteless pastry obviously floated on top, just before it leaves the kitchen of a pub or restaurant, like a deserted life raft, is laughingly called a pie by those without skill, pride or sense of tradition. A pie comes from an oven. If it comes from anywhere else then it's not a pie (e.g. box, microwave, freezer, France).
Pies were once 'Pyes' in England.
Pies have long been the favoured 'terrace' food at sports events.
Alt: It is possible to have your pie in the sky which means that you are hoping or planning for the impossible. And according to Mary Poppins you might make a 'pie crust promise' which is "easily made, and easily broken!"
English nursery rhyme (or non rhyme):
Simple Simon met a pieman going to the fair;
Said Simple Simon to the pieman "Let me taste your ware"
Said the pieman to Simple Simon "Show me first your penny"
Said Simple Simon to the pieman "Sir, I have not any!"
[Aus-NZ-US-Can-SA]
See also: 'coffyn pie', 'stand pie', 'open pie', 'pork pie', 'plate pie', 'pie funnel', 'half time pie', 'Saturday pie' and 'pot pie'.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Very Safe

Culturally exported so globally produced and consumed (i.e. its fate does not rest soley in our hands).

pie and peas

2

When the words pie and peas are used together it means 'pork pie' and 'mushy peas' but only in the north of England where both are served together, hot, with mint sauce (normally pork pies are eaten cold). It is a favourite pub and club games night food and at other popular social events (but never at funerals). Apparently Kate Winslett had pie and peas at her wedding, but the marriage didn't last, and it's not clear if the two events are connected (maybe they didn't have mint sauce). Pie an pea suppers used to be very common and still pop up now and then. Pie and peas are also a traditional bonfire night food as well.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Stable

1. Stable in one or more areas/regions, but not growing.
2. Still enjoyed by a number of families in one area.
3. Successful recent revival with natural local growth.

pie funnel

Proper big pies often required the use of a 'pie funnel' which is a simple piece of ceramic designed to hold up the pie crust until it hardens, and it also allows steam to escape. The design of pie funnels was interesting, and fun, but they all seem to have vanished.

piece

Synonymous with 'sandwich' in Scotland and in the north east of England. And the word 'pieces' may be use in the same way as 'bait' or 'snap' elsewhere. See also 'jeely pieces'.

pig / hog

They say that you can eat every part of a pig, except for the squeal and for many centuries they have been an essential part of a winter food supply. Consequently they have an association with November, the traditional pig slaughtering season.
Other commonly used names for a pig, past and present, are 'porker', 'hog' and 'swine' (Saxon 'sween'). A keeper of pigs may still be known as a 'swineherd'. The word 'hodge' is still associated with pigs, often in a specialist way in some regions and I think that it may have been the origin of the word 'hog'. I'm sure Dickens or Shakespeare must have mentioned it somewhere, they've mentioned everything else between them.
Our attitude to pigs has changed over the centuries. In times past the pig was considered loathsome, even a carrier of evil, but also necessary as a good winter food, and therefore important for survival. But slowly our attitude had changed and these days we are quite affectionate towards them, and even have pig toys and ornaments, with some people keeping them as pets.
Pigs are the ultimate green machine being able to convert low quality waste into high quality meat even, in times past, even disposing of human excrement. An old saying is "if you sit still for long enough a pig will eat you!".
Despite our affection towards them the old symbols of greed and filth have stayed with us and "greedy pig" and "dirty pig" are still common insults, and an untidy person may be described as" living like a pig" or as having a house or room "like a pig sty". Someone may also be described as being "as happy as a pig in muck". The word 'swine' may be substituted in these insults or may even be used on its own as in "you swine!".

Nursery rhyme:
This little piggy went to market,
This little piggy stayed at home,
This little piggy had roast beef,
This little piggy had none.
And this little piggy went...
"Wee wee wee" all the way home......"

From a song about going to market:
To market, to market to buy a fat pig;
Home again, home again, jiggety-jig.
To market, to market, to buy a fat hog;
Home again, home again, jiggety-jog.

The meat from a pig is known as pork, a word of Latin origin (porcine).

Quote: “I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals." - Winston Churchill
Alternative uses: A pig of metal is also the name of an elongated block, or ingot, of raw metal before it is worked by a blacksmith or foundry.
Sayings: A person may state that "and pigs might fly!" if they find what you are saying is fanciful, or they might point to the sky and say "Is that a pig?" after you've made a bold statement of intent which they didn't agree with.
If you "go the whole hog" you will be taking full advantage of an opportunity.
Many people sleeping together in a bed was once known as 'pigging'.
"Living high on the hog" is a phrase which comes from the fact that the best cuts of meat on a pig come from the back and upper leg and that the wealthy ate cuts from 'high on the hog', while the poorer people ate lower meat such as belly pork, offal, hock and trotters.
In Cornish dialect a '"sowpig" is a woodlouse.
See also: 'pigs ears' 'parkin pig', 'rare breed pork', 'blodmonath', 'bacon', 'macon' and 'salt pig'.

pig bag

3

The stomach of pig, prepared and served in a similar way to tripe. North of England and Midlands. An alternative name to 'pig bag' is 'hodge bag' a name still used in Derbyshire.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Unsafe/Decline

1. Still enjoyed by the older generation in one area.
2. Enjoyed by dwindling numbers (shunned by pretentious people and kids).
3. Sucessfully revived in small pockets for a few families.

pig bins

Up to the 1950's communal big bins were placed in the street for everyone to put their food waste in. The bins were periodically emptied and fed to local pigs.
See also: 'pig swill' and 'pig clubs'.

pig cheeks / chaps

Pig cheeks can be cooked and served like ham or roasted whole. May be known as 'chaps' or 'cheps'. Otherwise the pig cheeks contribute to the making of 'brawn'.
See also: 'Bath chaps'.

pig clubs

Food shortages of World War 2 led to many innovative ideas and 'Pig Clubs' were just one of them. Groups of people would form clubs to purchase, feed and care for one or more pigs. The pigs were fed on leftovers from homes or elsewhere (scavenged by club members) and the government allowed a grain ration for the pigs. The pigs would either be consumed by the club members or sold to the government, or both. The value of pig clubs went far beyond a cheap meal. The first pig club was in Wiltshire and its first birthday was celebrated by the Farmers Weekly in 1942. There were nearly 7,000 pig clubs.
See also 'dig for victory'.

pig swill

Pig swill is the name given to pig food and particularly to boiled waste food and trimmings.
See also: 'pig bin'.

pigeon pie

Pigeon pie is till eaten and 8-12 pigeons are required for a pie.
Pigeons were once a much welcomed source of fresh winter meat and therefore much more highly prized than they are now.
See also: 'dovecotes' and 'squab pie'.

piggin

A 'piggin' is a small bucket shaped container, with an upright handle, and was used as a dipper or a ladle, and were even used to bale out small boats. The piggin may be made from wood, metal or ceramic and ones made like miniature barrels will have one elongated stave to form the handle. The word was commonly used in the 18th century.
[US-Can]
See also: 'salt pig'.

pigs ears *

Once traditionally given to kids to chew on. Deep fried or boiled. In Spain I once had a wonderful 'tapas' dish of deep fried pigs ears, which was like eating crispy bacon, but in Britain you only see old, chewy, cured ones in pet food shops. Make your own, but get permission from the pig first.
Alternative: By 'making a pigs ear' out of something, a popular saying, it means that you made a mess of it or did a bad job (a phrase which apparently originates from the lead working industry). The same phrase, delivered as a statement or as an aggressive challenge (e,g, "In a pigs ear!) may also be used as a negative response to a proposal.
You may also be surprised to know that "You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear"!

pigs in blankets

Sausages, wrapped in bacon and roasted. Sometimes short 'cocktail' sausages are used but then you would have to eat loads of them to feel the benefit. An increasingly popular addition to a roast dinner and especially so with Christmas dinner, though they've been around since at least Victorian times. Originally 'pigs in blankets' were also baked into a pastry jacket hence the plural, 'blankets' but these days it's all pork and the sausage has to make do without its quilt.

pigs toenails

An informal name for pork 'scratchings'.

pigs trotters / pigs feet

3

A meal of boiled pigs trotters is just an excuse to eat lots of bread, because there's not much meat on them, but they are cheap, sometimes free. Or you can strip them down and use them in 'brawn'. Boiled trotters make good jelly.
You find them for sale mainly in markets where they may be labelled as 'pigs feet'.
See also: 'jelly - meats' and 'sheeps trotters'.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Unsafe/Decline

1. Still enjoyed by the older generation in one area.
2. Enjoyed by dwindling numbers (shunned by pretentious people and kids).
3. Sucessfully revived in small pockets for a few families.

pikelets

3

Pikelets are small, thick, sweet pancakes or can be like thin sweet crumpets. They are cooked on a griddle in the same way as an oatcake but vary in texture and content from maker to maker.
Pikelets are still obtainable from pikelet or oatcake shops which still exist in the Midlands (Staffordshire) where they can be bought plain or with dried fruit, commonly sultanas. But their consumption used to be much wider when oatcake makers were common throughout the north of England.
The pikelet survives in name only in Yorkshire where the word 'pikelet' is used instead of 'crumpet', certainly in Leeds and in Sheffield. This is possibly because crumpets and pikelets share the same origins, ingredients and cooking method and may have once been the same thing.
The name possibly comes from their resemblance to the thick circular pieces of wood which were once used to keep unused pikes upright, straight and dry, and easy to grab during emergencies.
[Aus-NZ]

Lane's Extinction Grading: Unsafe/Decline

1. Still enjoyed by the older generation in one area.
2. Enjoyed by dwindling numbers (shunned by pretentious people and kids).
3. Sucessfully revived in small pockets for a few families.

pilchard / pelchur / sardine

Pilchards have always been an important harvest on the Cornish coast and reached its peak in 1871 when 16,000 tons were caught. They were originally salted and pressed into barrels (hogshead) but later became consigned to the now familiar tin cans.
After the last war the popularity of pilchards declined further due to its association with war time rationing, but later generations, who have experienced pilchards as grilled fresh sardines, on their holidays abroad, have fuelled a small revival and grilled sardines are now often seen on restaurant menus. Many of use grew up with grilled tinned sardines known to us as 'sardines on toast'.
Pilchards and sardines are the same fish but officially a pilchard is bigger than six inches long. A shift in name has contributed to the revival along with the increasing awareness of the health benefits of these types of oily fish. As pilchards are only caught off the coast of Cornwall you may see them sold as 'Cornish sardines'.
Sadly the last sardine canning factory in Britain, the Pilchard Works in Newlyn, near Penzance, closed in 2005. At the time the factory was the oldest sardine canning factory in the world, but has been converted for residential use. The pilchards now go to France for canning. The traditional tools and equipment used in the pressing and canning of sardines, at the factory, has ended up in two museums, In St. Ives (Cornwall) and in Eyemouth (Scotland).
Dialect: The Cornish have many local or dialect words associated with the pilchard or 'pelchur' as they call them. Cured pilchards are 'fairmades' and a pilchard cooked over an open fire is called a 'scrowl pelchur'. A broken pilchard, not fit for salting is known as a 'pezzak'. Pilchard oil is called 'saime'.
See also: 'pilchard palaces', 'huers', 'bulk' 'bully stone', 'clapper board', 'stem' and 'chill lamp'.

pilchard palaces

Pilchard Palaces is the name given, by the Victorians, to the pilchard sellers or the processing sheds of Cornwall where the pilchards were salted and packed into wooden barrels. Properly processed the pilchards would last for up to a year.
Oil, a by-product of the processing was used in oil lamps and soap.
The fish were carried into the palace, by men, on hand barrows then stacked into a heap called a 'bulk' by the women and children
See also: 'bulks' and 'chill lamp'.

pink custard

Pink coloured custard. Periodically appeared with school dinner puddings, but nobody knows why, and though everyone is puzzled by this, everyone who has experienced pink custard also misses it, and it seems, would happily pay to eat it again.

pint

A pint is a unit of volume, a measure for liquids prior to metrication.
There are 20 fluid ounces to the pint, and 8 pints to the gallon.
The standard British Imperial measurement and which has survived in our spoken language specifically with reference to beer and milk.
Beer is still sold in pints, and intentions to drink beer described as 'going for a pint', and though milk may be packaged in litre and half litre plastic bottles they are still referred to as pints of milk. Shellfish at coastal ports are still sold by the pint in some places, not by weight. Stubbornly and heroically some milk producers still package in pint containers, plastic and glass.
Other words for a pint of beer are: 'jar', 'pot', 'glass, 'tankard'.
Alternative uses: a 'half pint' is a small person or child.
[US-Aus-NZ-Canada]
See also: 'Stirling jug'.

pipkin

A pipkin is an earthenware cooking pot (16th century) and is used for cooking over direct heat from coals of a wood fire. It has a handle sticking out from the side and three feet.
Later, post medieval pipkins had hollow tubular handles which allowed for the insertion of a stick so that the length of the handle could be temporarily extended when moving the pot around the hot coals, making it easier and safer for the cook.
See also: 'Dutch oven'.

piscary

A commoners right to take fish from common land.

Pitkaithly bannock

More of a shortbread. It is unusual in that the bannock dough, which is not a yeast dough, is kneaded. A bit too much detail for me. Also contains chopped almonds and candied citrus peel.

plant pot bread

Bread can be baked in a plant pot and makes for an interesting shape.

plant swap / seed swap

Plant and/or seed swaps take place from spring onwards, and throughout the summer. They are usually informal affairs and take place in church halls, sports clubs, community centres, etc. and are a great way to be introduced to new varieties, and to the experienced people who have already grown them.
Many seed packets sometimes contain too many seeds, especially for the grower with a smaller plot, so it makes sense to pass on the surplus to someone else. Also most of us grow more seedlings than we actually need, just to be on the safe side, and again it is a shame to see them go to waste. This is how plant and seed swaps came about.
As more and more people are returning to growing their own vegetables these informal togethers are becoming increasingly popular.
See also: 'potato day', 'seed fair' and 'home grown'.

plat

A 'plat' is the name for an orchard which contains 'cobnuts'.
In 1913 there were 7,000 acres of 'plats' in England, by 1990 it was down to 250 acres, but Kent cobnut growers are fighting back and today (2012) there are 500 acres and increasing. We could help them.
See also: 'cobnut'.

plate pie

A 'plate pie' is a shallow pie made on a plate (the filling is irrelevant). The advantages of this type of pie are that it is economical (has lots of filling pastry) and they fit easily between baking shelves that are close together (so you can bake lots of them at the same time).
Plate pies are as big, or as deep, as the plate you make them in and may be defined as large or small. Tiny, individual ones can be made using a saucer and may then be known as a 'saucer pie'.
Enamel pie plates can still be purchased.

plough Monday

When our country was predominantly agricultural minded Christmas was the biggest holiday, lasting for several weeks (from mid December), and taking advantage to rest and socialise during a period of harsh weather, hard ground and lack of growth.
In England work would begin again on 'Plough Monday' the day after the 'twelfth night', the first Monday after Epiphany, (6th January), when the ground was broken for the first time with ploughs, and the agricultural year began again.
In some areas of England (mainly the east side) there were celebrations which arose from this event and involved ploughs, beer, 'fools', blackened faces, Morris dancers, plays (similar to Mummers plays), and cross-dressing.
Plough Monday was, during the 19th century, a casualty of the industrial revolution.
See also 'plough pudding'.

plough pudding

A suet pudding made from meat and onions and eaten on plough Monday.

ploughman / plowman

A ploughman was, and still is, a man who ploughs with a horse or an ox, though modern ploughing competitions also involve tractors. Ploughing with a draft animal requires great skill and physical strength.
The skills of the ploughman are kept alive by the Society of Ploughman which organises a popular ploughing competition every October (in a different location every year) and 'The Festival of the Plough' which takes place annually near Epworth in Lincolnshire.
Many songs and poems have been written about the ploughman and most of us will have sung the hymn "We plough the fields and scatter" despite never having touched a plough.
Occupation names: acreman, ackerman, bull wacker (ox driver), clod hopper,
Dialect: 'aras' (to plough-Cornwall),
See also: 'shire horse' and 'oxen'.

ploughman's lunch

This used to be a chunk of freshly baked of fresh bread, a lump of local cheese and some home-made pickles but this wasn't good enough for chefs and what you get now a ploughman wouldn't recognise. Modern ploughman's lunches may also be called a 'ploughman's platter' and will be served to you on a lump of wood.

pluck

The heart liver and lungs are known as 'pluck' and minced it is the basis of many poor peoples recipes such as faggots, muggety pie and haggis.
Dialect: 'hinge' (liver and lungs of pigs - Cornwall).
See also: 'lights'.

plum duff / pudding

Suet pudding with plums and sometimes called 'plum pudding'.
Quote: "Life's a pudding full of plums." ~ W.S. Gilbert (1836-1911)
Dialect: "figgety puddin" (Somerset)
Alt: Readers of the 'Dandy' comic may remember the Scottish character 'Plum McDuff' (1948).

plums and custard

1 - Hot stewed plums with custard. Sometimes the plums are sweet and sometimes they make you wince.

2 - 'Plums and custard' is also the English name for the fungus also known as tricholomopsis rutilans, and it gets this name from the colour of its cap.

poachers pie

Though poachers pie was often largely rabbit in content it may be also identical to the 'game pie', presumably depending on how ambitious (or brave) the poacher was.

poaching - 1 - cooking method

To cook in boiling or simmering water. Poached eggs would be our most common meal but other examples are poached fish and poached pears. See also 'coddle'.

poaching - 2 - wild food

Obtaining wild food by illegal means. In Britain the 'poacher' acquired a romantic and even heroic status as he also came to represent the poor peoples struggle against rich, overbearing landowners. The most famous poacher was Robin Hood, an English folk hero. True 'poaching' is the provision of food 'for the pot' but 'professional poaching' is something quite different and falls into the 'organised crime' category.
Alt: There is both a song and a cheese called the 'Lincolnshire Poacher'. 'Poaching' is also used to describe the taking of another organisations employment or its employees.

pobs

'Pob', and variations of the word used in northern England and the Midlands, which is associated with meals of differing recipes but the common theme is bread (preferably stale) floated in a liquid.
In Yorkshire 'pobs' can be bread broken into gravy (or oxo), a simple meal, and in West Yorkshire 'pobbies' is the name given to pieces of bread dropped into soup or stew. But more commonly 'pobs', in the Pennine areas of both Lancashire and Yorkshire, and in the Midlands, was stale bread in warm milk with sugar (or with salt and pepper) and was traditionally given to people who were ill ('invalids'). In Lancashire, around the Wigan area, 'teapobs' was a breakfast of bread in black tea.
See also: 'sippets'.

polony

3

A polony is a large sausage (approx. 7cm dia) made from a mixture of beef and pork and very popular in Britain during the 17th and 18th centuries. Although seldom seen now it was, during my childhood, a favourite sandwich filling throughout Yorkshire where it seems to have been eaten in preference to white pudding, to which it is similar, and consequently white pudding is almost unheard of in the region.
The sausages are highly-seasoned before being hot smoked, and so keep well. I have only experienced them cold, and sliced, though apparently others cooked them in boiling water when required, and served them hot.
Sadly polony seems to have faded, after 400 years of good service, and is now sold in only a very few places, luckily I know where most of them are.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Unsafe/Decline

1. Still enjoyed by the older generation in one area.
2. Enjoyed by dwindling numbers (shunned by pretentious people and kids).
3. Sucessfully revived in small pockets for a few families.

poly tunnel

A 'poly tunnel' is a cheap alternative to a greenhouse and is essentially transparent polythene stretched over a hooped frame and anchored to the ground. This type of construction can be small or huge, from 'cloche' size to enormous tunnels which easily accommodate large agricultural machinery.
They are cheap to build, easy to construct and can be quickly relocated.
Poly tunnels have allowed the growing season of fruits and vegetables to be extended and allow plants to grow in climates they wouldn't normally survive in.
Standing in one often feels brighter than standing outside, a weird effect.
See also: 'greenhouse', 'cold frame'. 'cloche',

pom - potato

'Pom' is dehydrated potato, reconstituted into 'mash' and used by civilians and military alike during the second world war, and still commonly used by our armed forces.
'Pom' differs from real mashed potato in that it is more glutinous in texture, slightly elastic, and will cling to your fork.
One day, a few years ago, I found myself in a famous roadside restaurant chain and was pleasantly surprised to find liver, onions and mash on the menu. I suddenly felt slightly guilty that I had, in the past, been unkind to these places, especially regarding the feigned continental image they tried to create in their menus. My excitement was dashed when the mashed potato was discovered to be 'pom', the same stuff they made me eat in the forces, yet out of the window, across the road, was a field full of potatoes.
It had been suggested that this may one of the origins of 'Pom', an Australian term for English people.
See also 'British Restaurant' and 'powdered mash'.

Pomfret cake

Pomfret is the Norman name for Pontefract, the Yorkshire town where 'Pontefract cakes' originated. See also 'Pontefract cake'.

pond pudding

A suet pudding from Sussex and may also be known simply as 'Sussex pudding'. The pudding comes in a 'pond' of sugary lemon sauce though originally the sauce would have been without lemons.

Pontefract cake / Pomfret cake

The 'Pontefract cake' originates from Pontefract in Yorkshire, where they are still made, but now made elsewhere also.
Licorice, grown locally on ideal sandy soil around Pontefract, was a major ingredient of this small, soft, round, black, sweet but the growing of licorice locally has now ceased, the last commercial crop was in 1970. The licorice plant took 7 years to grow from planting to harvest, a factor in its demise.
Pontefract cakes always had a castle motif on them (the castle in which Richard II was killed). Also known as Pomfret Cakes but this name is dying out.
Sir John Betjemen wrote a poem called 'The Licorice Fields of Pontefract'.
See also: 'licorice stick'.

poor John

Dried and salted fish usually cod, but also hake - a poor man's food.
See also: 'salt cod', 'stockfish' and 'crozzled'.

poor mans bread

Watercress was once known ,in England, as poor mans bread but several other foods have also acquired this mantle.
See also: 'watercress'.

pop

'Pop' is any soft, fizzy drink not containing alcohol or dairy products, and drunk cold. Pops were once home-made and kept in re-cycled bottles and jars.
The earliest commercially produced pops were sold in bottled which had a glass ball in the neck which, under pressure from the gas, sealed the neck. The pop was obtained by pushing the ball with a stick to release the pressure.
Though commercially produced ‘pops’ can still be obtained in large bottles vast quantities are now bought in standardised aluminium cans with ring pulls.
Pop, in heavy glass bottles, was once delivered to houses by a 'pop man' in a pop 'wagon', who also collected and re-used the empties, but this practice has practically ceased now.
You could once get money back on a pop bottle (a deposit) and scavenging (or harassing workmen) for empty pop bottles was one of the favourite ways kids used to raise funds for sweets, pea shooters, catapults, toys. etc. The practice was self limiting as small hands could only carry one big bottle in each hand. Many would try to carry more and most kids have experimented with the under arm, one knee up, limping method, but usually with disastrous results.
Examples of traditional British pops are 'dandelion and burdock', 'Tizer' and 'stingy nettle pop'. Pop is a word which is still in use but is on the decline. The word, exported by English settlers, is still in use in parts of Australia, Canada and parts of the U.S. (where the word 'soda' is also used to mean the same thing).
Alternative uses: In Yorkshire tap water was once commonly called 'Corporation Pop'.
[Aus-Can-US]

pork and black pudding

These two ingredients have come together recently in pies, sausages and in posh restaurant foods, and represent a current trend which may well become a traditional food of the future.

pork pie

1

Chopped pork and pork jelly in a 'hot water pastry' crust. Can contain cured, or un-cured, pork and the pastry is denser and more waterproof than normal short crust pastry.
The crust is formed or with 'hot water pastry' which allows a traditional pastry case to be moulded around a wooden former ('pie dolly') and to be shaped upwards by hand ('hand raised'). The pastry will retain its shape when the former is removed.
Small pork pies are traditionally tall and circular, but larger ones can be rectangular (e.g. 'gala pie') or even square (from which unusual tiered wedding cakes can be made). They come in all sizes from huge 'stand pies' to tiny ones which have become known as 'dinky', 'party' or 'individual' pork pies, though this last term description is misleading as any size of pork pie can become 'individual' (in my experience).
Pork pies are always eaten cold, except in the north of England where they are also eaten hot with mushy peas and mint sauce.
Whilst pies are popular in many of the countries that have been influenced by British culture the pork pie has not been exported to the same degree and is therefore rare in former colonies and it is also uncommon in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Sayings: A 'porkie pie' (or 'porkie') is nothing to do with food, or with reality, as it is Cockney rhyming slang for a 'lie'.
See also: 'Melton Mowbray pie', 'stand pie', 'gala pie', 'jelly - meats', 'pie and peas', 'hand raised', 'stand pie', 'scotch pie', 'Pork Pie Appreciation Society' and 'Pork Pie Man'.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Safe

1. Nationally produced and/or consumed
2. Very strong traditions in one village, town, county or region.

Pork Pie Appreciation Society

The society meets weekly at the Old Bridge Inn, Ripponden, Yorkshire and also organise a famous annual pork pie competition every March. This popular event is now in its 19th year (2011) and all proceeds go to charity. Pork Pie makers from all over the country participate by submitting four 'show pies' per entry and also make a pie donation. The donated pies are sold as 'pie and peas' during the day thus making money for the chosen local charities and also allowing pork pie fans, and passing members of the public, to eat some of the best pork pies in the country. Judging takes place in and around the pub with a local brass band playing in the background and for pork pie lovers there's no better day.

Pork Pie Man

A legendary super hero concerned with the safety and well being of hot water pastry encased, pork filled products.
Fuelled by mushy peas he can fly faster than a speeding bread van. The hero of good pie makers and the enemy of bad ones, he can detect pie abuse from hundreds of miles and his x-ray vision can penetrate roofing slates and any known metal oven.
He is distinctive in his heat resistant helmet, oven proof boots and thermal crutch bag (where he keeps his spare warm mushy peas). It is said that he lives in a pie crust shaped cave with his female side-kick 'Dolly'.

pork scratchings

2

A variation on 'cracklin'. Small pieces of pork skin which are fried in their own fat and occasionally known by their detractors as 'pigs toenails'. Pork scratching are available in several forms and can be hard or soft, crunchy or chewy, it's a connoisseurs world! A snack food which you seem to acquire a passion for after several pints of beer, and hardly think about at any other time, until you see them. The best ones I've ever had have been in unmarked bags sold from meat sellers in markets.
Originally 'scratchings' was the name given to the small crispy bits left over after rendering fat, not pieces of crispy crackling.
Dialect: 'crinklings' and 'crappins' (NE England).

Lane's Extinction Grading: Stable

1. Stable in one or more areas/regions, but not growing.
2. Still enjoyed by a number of families in one area.
3. Successful recent revival with natural local growth.

porker

An alternative name for a pig but commonly applied to someone who eats too much, but is more of an indication of greed rather than obesity. So you can temporarily be a 'porker' for your behaviour at a single meal but there are also career porkers. (Crow Pie health warning: Never eat anything you can't lift).
A 'porkie' is something quite different as 'porkie' is short for 'porkie pie' which is cockney rhyming slang for 'lie'. So someone who eats a lot but pretends that they haven't would be telling a 'porker porkie' (I just made that up).

porridge

Though porridge is technically a dish which is made by boiling any cereal in water or milk you will be hard pressed to find anyone these days who doesn't associate porridge with oats, with Scotland, and also with cold winter mornings. Porridge made with polenta just isn't going to hit the mark is it? And It is comforting to know that the porridge that I eat is also eaten by a huge Scottish bloke who throws big heavy weights around all day.
However it wasn't always this way and for hundreds of years the English ate 'frumenty' a wheat porridge which is thought to be one of the oldest surviving English meals.
See also: 'frumenty' and 'hasty'.

porridge Island

The nickname for a street in London known for eating places, and once referred to by Samuel Johnson (1709-1784, author of the first Oxford English dictionary). The exact location of this street is uncertain. Where's the 'Time Team' when you really need them?

porringer

A 'porringer' is a small, two handled dish from which gruel or porridge was eaten. Porringers originated in the medieval period and were prized items, some even carrying the initials of the owner. They were shallow bowls, between 4 inches (10cm) to 6 inches (15cm) in diameter, and 11⁄2 inches (35mm) to 3 inches (7.5 cm) deep, and were made from wood, ceramic, pewter or silver.
Older porringers had flat, horizontal handles.
See also: ‘Quaich’.

portable soup / veal glue / soup cake / pocket soup

Portable soup was a kind of dehydrated food used in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was a precursor of the later stock cubes and dehydrated soups and stews.
Soup was made in the usual way and then degreased (or the fat would go rancid and spoil the finished product).
The soup is then reduced (for up to 12 hours) until it is the consistency of jelly. Once it is sufficiently gelatinous to hold its shape, it is placed on pieces of flannel or unglazed earthenware dishes to dry it further. Once dry, it was wrapped in paper and stored in boxes and would keep for months, even years.
Obviously it was made use of by sailors and explorers but also by private families on holiday.
The soup is reconstituted by adding water and boiling for a few minutes.
Portable soup was also known as 'pocket soup', 'soup cake' or 'veal glew'.

porter

A London word for 'stout' and derived from the popularity this drink once had with London dock porters.

posset

4

Early ‘possets’ were made by boiling milk until curdled, then mixing with wine or beer which is then spiced. But those trend setters the Elizabethans made them from cream, eggs, white wine/sherry ('sack'), citrus fruits and spices. Possets were a very popular Elizabethan dessert. Possets were made, and served in special 'posset pots' and it’s a shame that we have lost this tradition, and all the other traditions which surrounded this drink. See also 'syllabub'.
Quote: Lady Macbeth uses poisoned possets to knock out the guards outside Duncan's quarters, "The doors are open, and the surfeited grooms do mock their charge with snores. I have drugg'd their possets That death and nature do contend about them, Whether they live or die." (Macbeth Act II, Scene ii) (this isn't a serving suggestion)
See also: 'fig sue'.

Lane's Extinction Grading: On the brink.

1. Difficult to find, on the brink of extinction.
2. Revived by an individual or by a few culturally unconnected individuals.

pot

The 'pot' is traditional unit of volume in Jersey (Channel Islands) and is still used to measure milk. There are 10 pots to a 'cabot'.
The 'pot' has is roughly equal to 1/2 gallon, or 69.5 fluid ounces, or 1.7375 quarts, or about 1.975 litres.

pot herb / chopped broth / broth mix / soup mix

Officially 'pot herbs' are any upper part of a plant (above ground) which may be boiled as food or seasoning and this would include leaves, stems or flowers. However some modern green grocers sell bags of chopped vegetables which are ideal for soups and stews and call it 'pot herb' even though it tends to contains root vegetables as well, and in some cases only root vegetables.
The same thing is also sold as 'chopped broth', 'soup mix' or 'broth mix' though in some places bags containing mixed peas, grains and pulses (in various combinations) may also be called 'broth mix' or 'soup mix'.
See also: 'portable soup'.

pot pie

A 'pot pie' is made in pot or dish and then has a crust laid on the top only.
In Seaham, in the north east of England, there is a local man associated with this food and he is mentioned in a song about famous local characters.
"And Pot Pie Jack of Colliery fame, who ate pot pies till he looked the same,"

potash

Potash is the common term for the fertiliser forms of the element potassium (K).
The name derives from the collection of wood ash in metal pots when the beneficial fertiliser properties of this material were first recognised many centuries ago.
Humans require potassium in their diet and milk, fruit juice and root vegetables are rich sources of potassium.
Potassium occurs abundantly in nature but potash in quantity has been mined, since the advent of the industrial era, from potash bearing rocks. Potash mines are still being worked in Britain, the largest on the east coast of Yorkshire.

potato / spud

Potatoes came to Europe in 1536 and arrived in England in 1597 quickly spreading to the rest of Britain, though they weren't an instant success with everyone and initially puritanical Protestants refused to eat potatoes because they weren't mentioned in the bible. The potatoes greatest popularity was reached during the Industrial Revolution when they became one of the staples of the Industrial poor and they have been popular ever since, for over 400 years, until recently.
Despite our farmers producing over 6 million tons a year potatoes are in decline due to generally lazy people who have substituted rice and pasta simply because they are quicker and easier. Consequently these people are missing out on a world of freshly cooked food in favour of things which come from a packet, and neither of which are traditional in this country. Lets not forget that this is not a rice growing country, it's all imported, across huge distances, and so rice can never contribute towards national food self sufficiency, and yet we live in perfect potato growing country. Potatoes also differ in that they contain vitamin C. Which other vegetable is so versatile, can be used in so many ways?
There is a whole world of potatoes out there, hundreds of varieties, both old ones and new eye catching varieties which blend tasty old favourites with increased disease resistance. Banished by supermarkets, they are just waiting to be rediscovered. But if you want to enjoy potatoes to the full you have to get to know them, as you would with wines, curries, pies and beers, but its quite simple with a just a little knowledge.
Although there are potatoes which are called 'all rounders' you can choose a particular variety for its special attributes and there is one for every purpose. For example mash should be made with floury potatoes whilst salad potatoes are waxy, and chip potatoes need to be starchy. Crisps made with the wrong variety will be soft or rubbery. To help define texture the Potato Council uses a waxy/floury scale ranging from 1 (waxy) to 9 (floury).
In summary floury potatoes take on water and break down easily making them perfect for a smooth mash whilst waxy ones don't let water in and stay firm making them ideal for salads.
There are perfect potatoes for every purpose such as mash (e.g. Accent, Winston, Aran Victory, Nadine, Kestrel, Harmony, Majestic, Rooster, Saxon, Wilja), chips (e.g. Accent, Swift, King Edward, Rooster, Saxon, Kerrs Pink, Sante, Maris Piper, Valor), salad (e.g. Rosabelle, Roseval, Red Duke of York, Ulster Chieftain, Charlotte, Anya, Nicola, Maris Peer, Pompador), roasting (e.g. Accent, Swift, Aran Victory, Mona Lisa, Desiree, Maris Piper, King Edward, Picasso), boiling (e.g. Saxon, Anya, Cosmos, Charlotte, Estima, Harmony, Osprey, Sarpo Mira, Pentland Squire,), wedges (Accord, Carlingford, Romano) and jacket potato (e.g. Duke of York, Rocket, Vanessa, Edzell Blue, Marfona, Estima, Cara, Celine, Stemster).
The colour of potato varies from snow white to creamy but there are varieties which are yellow (e.g. Yukon Gold) or which have a purple pattern (Shetland Black) or a dark centre (Highland Burgundy) making them unique in a salad or a talking piece at any meal.
See also: 'seed potato', 'chitting', 'new potato', 'jacket potato', 'potato masher', 'pom', 'Potato Council' and 'blight

potato and turnip pie

I thought the Scots were the biggest fans of potato and turnip ('tatties and neeps') but there are people in Cornwall making pies out of the stuff (to be fair the Cornish will make pies out of anything). Also contains cheese and herbs. Cornwall is also the home of 'raw fry', another spud and turnip dish.
See also: 'turnip', 'swede', 'raw fry', 'clapshot', and 'neeps'.

potato cake / potato bread / potato scone / fadge

1

A 'potato cake' is a soft, thin, bread made from a mixture of potato and flour, and often eaten as an addition to a fried breakfast, but can also be eaten cold with butter. May be known as 'potato bread' elsewhere, or as 'potato scones' in Scotland. Another name for them is 'fadge' (especially in Ulster). Different regions favour different shapes and sizes. For example in Scotland the cakes tend to be large, circular and quartered into triangles, in Lancashire potato cakes are small and circular, in other places they can be square. Textures vary depending on the ratio of potato to flour, and on the types of potato and flour used.
See also: 'floddie'.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Safe

1. Nationally produced and/or consumed
2. Very strong traditions in one village, town, county or region.

potato cave

The potato cave is a variation on the 'potato clamp'. Farmers on Dartmoor dug chambers into the soft, porous rock for the purpose of storing potatoes over winter. They provided the same conditions as a 'clamp' i.e. cool, dark and frost free.
See also 'clamp'.

Potato Council

I know I shouldn't but when I hear 'Potato Council' I think of a group of giant potatoes sat talking around a table, but there's a lot more to it than that, I think they use emails too.
The Potato Council is a division of The Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board and their web site is a good source of general information concerning potatoes, though not the best for small growers and allotment users as it primarily serves the potato growing industry, but they operate a useful blight alert system.
See also: 'blight'.

potato day

Potato days are held all over the country, on different dates, in January, February and March, and their purpose is to make available a varied range of seed potatoes for purchase. The larger events will provide well over a hundred varieties for purchase by individuals, and the smaller ones around thirty varieties, including heritage and organic varieties.
They take place in church halls, scout huts, pubs, community centres, etc. and there will be one somewhere near you, though advertising for them is usually low key. Many of them are listed on web sites dedicated to potato days. The events are often organised by gardening clubs or societies, or by growers or allotment associations.
Some organisers prefer potatoes to be pre-ordered whilst others, my favourite, allow to you pick and mix on the day depending on what's available and on the advice you get from the organisers and other customers.
The advantage of attending a potato day is that you can buy tubers individually and so you don't have to commit to buying a huge bag. This means that you can just grow one of each kind if you want, an excellent way to experiment with a variety which is new to you, especially if you have limited space or are growing in large pots. Tubers are currently (2013) usually less than 20p each.
They are great events to discover varieties, both their growing and eating characteristics, by rubbing shoulders with people who have decades of experience and who are keen to share their knowledge.
Some potato days are restricted simply to the buying and selling of seed potatoes whilst others make a full day of it and have potato related events such as cooking competitions, potato art, potato printing, etc. Increasingly the smaller events are accompanied by other local produce stalls and you can almost guarantee that home made cakes will appear somewhere in the proceedings.
See also: 'plant swap', 'seed fair', 'chitting' and 'home grown'.

potato flour

1

Potato flour is made from dehydrated, or cooked and dried, ground potatoes.
It is used as an ingredient in potato based recipes to enhance the potato flavour and is often mixed with other types of flour for baking breads and rolls. It is also used as a thickener for soups, gravies, and sauces.
Potato flour was much used in the last war most commonly as an ingredient of the 'National Loaf'.
Potato flour is often confused with potato starch, but potato flour is produced from the entire dehydrated potato whereas potato starch is produced from the starch only.
Potato flour is difficult to track down but is available in some health food shops where it is bought mainly by people on gluten free diets.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Safe

1. Nationally produced and/or consumed
2. Very strong traditions in one village, town, county or region.

potato masher

Early potato mashers were wooden, turned on a lathe, so that they had a wide end with a long handle rather like a stone masons hammer. Only later were they made from metal and heavy wire.
A great number of patent potato mashers appeared during the industrial revolution however many people continued to use a large fork because the desire for smooth, creamy mashed potato is a modern one and course or 'lumpy' potato, with a bit of substance, was, and still is, favoured my many. Corned beef hash isn't the same without a variety of potato textures.
Alternative uses: The world war II German grenade was known as the 'potato masher' due to its resemblance to the wooden original. In the Edwardian period a 'masher' was slang for a young man intent on socialising, a man about town.
See also: 'pom'.

Potato Pete

5a

Potato Pete was a cartoon character created by the Ministry of Food, during World War II, to encourage the growing and the eating of potatoes as this was one of the few foods which most people could grow, or obtain, during the hard years of food rationing.
See also 'Doctor Carrot'.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Extinct

Extinct but a useable recipe, knowledge or appropriate experience exists.

pottage

From a medieval French word and therefore assumed to be posh food. In fact it is quite the opposite and is simply a stew, or a never ending stew containing anything edible to hand, grown, raised, scrounged, gathered or stolen. It is kept on the fire or stove and continuously topped up, so that no two servings taste the same. There were no restrictions on ingredients or flavourings and its a good way to deal with tough, semi-edible, boring or unsightly ingredients.
My mate's dad made pottage every year when we went camping, cooked over an upturned roofer's blow torch, and it lasted for over a week, but we called it Ernie's stew.
Sayings: "Pot luck' may be an expression which arose from the adventurous nature of discovery during the serving and/or the consumption of pottage, stew or hotpot.
See also: 'stew' and 'hotpot'.

potted hough

Scottish name for potted meat which is more like pressed beef.

potted meat / potted hough / stew pot / meat paste

1

Potted meat is a popular method of food preservation which pre-dates tin cans. The cooked and chopped, or finely minced meat is preserved, usually in butter, fat or some other fatty substance (e.g. cream), or in jelly. Potted meat is commercially produced with nationally recognised brands, but is also still locally made, all over Britain, to wonderful and unique recipes and textures.
The consistency of potted meat can vary from a paste like substance through to finely minced meat and up to large lumps of beef suspended in jelly (which some people would call 'pressed beef'). Potted meat can appear in the preserved form (in jars, cartons or pots) or can be obtained fresh, from the butchers, just like any other meat, loose or in disposable plastic tubs. The 'meat' can be anything, including fish (then it may be called 'paste' e.g. fish paste, crab paste, etc.) but the most common fresh type is beef.
Potted meat on bread is often associated with a traditional English Sunday tea or afternoon tea.
Other names: 'potted hough' (Scotland, though 'hough' was also used in northern England), 'potted dog' (British Army), ''stew pot' (Lancashire), 'pate' (posh name). Sometimes potted meat is called 'meat paste'.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Safe

1. Nationally produced and/or consumed
2. Very strong traditions in one village, town, county or region.

potted shrimp

1

Potted brown shrimps were once eaten widely, and were sold in high class shops and restaurants, but the tradition has only remained strong in the north west of England, predominantly in Lancashire, where the small brown shrimps are harvested in nets from estuaries (in Morecambe Bay mainly but also made in Southport and Solway Firth).
The shrimps are shelled by hand and cooked in butter which has been flavoured with spices, often dictated by ancient secret recipes. The flavourings vary but old favourites are mace, cayenne pepper, ginger, and nutmeg. Traditionally served in small round ceramic pots (hence the name) but today are presented in small round plastic tubs. Extra melted spiced butter is poured onto the top to seal the shrimps.
The whole lot is spread cold on toast, or bread, though some people prefer the butter to be melted.
See also: 'brown shrimp'.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Safe

1. Nationally produced and/or consumed
2. Very strong traditions in one village, town, county or region.

poultry

Poultry is the all encompassing word for domesticated or captive birds raised for meat or eggs.
Most of us think of chickens when we hear the word 'poultry' but it can mean goose, turkey, guinea fowl, duck, etc. Though all birds produce meat and eggs which are edible some, like Turkey for example, are raised exclusively for meat. The egg production rate of the particular species, and the feed costs determine whether an egg type is commercially viable to produce, and Turkey eggs aren't.
Poultry is the only livestock you can slaughter yourself, without a licence or a slaughterer.

pound / lb

The abbreviation 'lb' is used to denote a 'pound' in weight, which is equal to 16 ounces or 7000 grains.
It comes from the Latin word Libra which translates to 'pound'. This is where the fancy 'L' comes from when talking about the pound sterling.
Body weight is still talked about in stones and pound. Nobody ever loses or gains weight in metric, its always a 'pound or two'. Many people still ask for meat and vegetables in pounds or half pounds. Sweets were traditionally bought by the quarter pound known simply as "a quarter of ...."

poundies

See 'champ'.

powdered egg

Legendary food of the rationing era of the second world war and sometimes simply known as 'dried egg'. One packet was equal to 12 eggs but it was only good for making scrambled eggs or omelettes, though they were also good for use in other things particularly baking. It was so important that the Ministry of Food produced a pamphlet for it entitled: 'War Cookery Leaflet number 11'.
The advantages of powdered egg (still available), is low weight per volume and incredible shelf life (5-10 years) if packed and stored properly.
Army cooks used to break egg shells into the powdered egg to fool soldiers into thinking that they were eating real ones.

powdered mash

Powdered mash came about as a need to store and/or transport potatoes. Storing of potatoes is traditionally done in a 'clamp', and as potatoes are largely water their transportation is expensive. Dried potatoes are the perfect solution to this problem but there is some modification of taste. Early experiments resulted in a brown, glutinous sludge but the technique has now been perfected.
The armed forces were the first to benefit from this innovation and they still do. Many military and ex-military people will still have an opinion concerning 'pom', a military issue powdered mash, and these opinions have endured for generations.
Powdered mash can be still be purchased in powdered form. In 1960 Cadbury's invented the granular form (Smash) which has now gone back to being a powder.
Cadbury's famous Martian adverts became popular in the 1970's. It is a sad indictment of us that we enthusiastically joined the Martians in ridiculing our own traditions but the 70's was a time when we turned our back on many of our traditional foods and cooking methods.
I never knew anybody who could get powdered mash from a packet right. If you didn't use boiling water it was a disaster but if you poured boiling water straight from the kettle you couldn't judge the quantity correctly so you either got potato soup or perfect mash with dry crunchy lumps in it. It just seemed like a good excuse to eat a load of butter to me. But they were very popular in an era when everyone believed that we'd be following the astronauts and eating all our food from tubes with 10 years.
See also: 'pom' 'mashed potato', 'potato' and 'powdered egg'.

prawn cocktail

Prawns or shrimps in a ketchup and mayonnaisse sauce, poured onto a bed of lettuce and served in wine glass or a stronger glass bowl of similar design. An exciting dish to emerge from the 'make do' years of rationing after the war and considered sophisticated eating in the 1970's. Invented by Fanny Craddock.
Though prawn cocktail has its detractors amongst fashionable eaters many of us continued to love prawn cocktail and claims by people that they are supporting a revival are marvelled at by those of us who never stopped eating them.
Crisps come in prawn cocktail flavour too (or so it is claimed).

pressed beef

2

Why would anyone buy beef that has pressed into jelly? But they do, and it's lovely. Pressed beef is a sort of traditional lumpy 'potted' meat which is definitely not a paste, and the jelly is as tasty as the meat. Pressed beef is mainly bought as a sandwich filling but it is also good with salads, or eaten as you would any other 'cold cut' of meat. In Lancashire a variety of pressed beef is known as 'Lancashire stew'.
See also: 'pressed meats' and 'Lancashire stew'.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Stable

1. Stable in one or more areas/regions, but not growing.
2. Still enjoyed by a number of families in one area.
3. Successful recent revival with natural local growth.

pressed meats

Scraps of meat, of any kind, were once recycled in the home by placing small pieces in a pan, adding hot jelly, and then covering with a saucer with a brick on top of it, and left to cool and set. The resulting food was, and still is, known as 'pressed meat'. The brick was, for hygiene purposes, wrapped in that day's newspaper, with the date showing, so the maker knew exactly when the pressed meat was made. This common kitchen technique has all but died out and pressed meats, though still very popular in certain parts of the country, are now largely commercially produced.
The hot jelly fills the air spaces, and binds the meat so that once it sets it is preserved for later meals when it can be cut into slices. Pressed meats were made from meat scraps both within the meat production industry, and at home from meal leftovers, but today hardly anybody makes it at home.
Bought pressed meats are eaten in sandwiches, or with salad, and are treated as you would any other kind of 'cold cut' meat.
The ratio of meat to jelly varies and some pressed meats aren't pressed at all but are made by floating lumps of meat in jelly, but this doesn't bother most lovers of pressed meats as the jelly is as tasty as the meat, and some even prefer it. The taste within jelly also varies with some being a little bland, probably made from bought gelatine, whilst the best ones are made traditionally, with carefully added spices, and are as tasty, if not tastier, than the meat itself.
See also: 'jelly - meats', 'pressed beef', 'Lancashire stew', 'brawn', 'tongue' and 'stew' n 'ard'.

pressure cooker

A 'pressure cooker' is a type of pan onto which the lid can be sealed so that the boiling liquids within produce high humidity and pressure from the steam they make. Pressure cooking reduces cooking time and/or reduces the amount of fuel required. They are excellent for foods which require boiling for a long time such as soups, stews and stock, or for cooking tougher cuts of meat.
Almost any food which can be cooked in water based liquids, or in steam, can be cooked in a pressure cooker.
Once very popular, considered indispensable in most kitchens, they are now hardly seen.

prunes

3

Prunes are dried plums and are available dried or tinned (stewed).
Prunes have been important in our lives for hundreds of years, a method of preserving home grown fruit. It is the original dried fruit ingredient of many traditional recipes such as plum pudding, mince pies, Christmas pudding, frumenty, cock a leekie, etc.
The Victorians were big fans of prunes and this love was passed onto following generations but now they are in decline, thanks presumably to the availability of all year round fresh produce.
For some reason the mention of prunes always brought a smile to people faces, but I'm not sure why.
Hot stewed prunes and custard were a common school dinner pudding.
Alternative use: A ''prune" was a dud pilot in airman's slang.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Unsafe/Decline

1. Still enjoyed by the older generation in one area.
2. Enjoyed by dwindling numbers (shunned by pretentious people and kids).
3. Sucessfully revived in small pockets for a few families.

pub / public house / inn / tavern / alehouse

3

'Pub is short for 'public house', a place which sells beer and spirits in convivial surroundings. It may also be called an 'inn' or 'tavern' and some establishments may also have acquired the title of 'hotel' as well, though many Victorian hotels in urban settings are now just pubs but retain the name hotel.
In more recent years pubs were just ordinary houses which brewed and served beer, hence the name, 'public house' rather than a 'beer shop'.
The difference between Inns, taverns, pubs, etc. is historic and also results from changes in usage (linked to social and economic changes within Britain).
The origin of pubs can be traced back to Saxon times where beer was brewed by women, and sold under a pole with a green bush tied to it. Throughout the medieval period women continued to be brewers, until feudalism gave way to capitalism, a period when traditional roles began to be eroded.
The Saxons formalised the habit of gathering at a house where beer was brewed by creating designated 'alehouses'. Prior to the Norman invasion of 1066 every village in England had an alehouse. The modern pub is a direct descendant of the alehouse and though it has gone through changes influenced by fashion, legislation and technology, the 'local' pub has changed little in its social function.
Alehouses which offered overnight accommodation became Inns and some, on major or important routes, evolving into specialised 'coaching Inns'.
Tavern is a tricky title, a name left behind by the Romans. A tavern (or 'taberna') was originally a places where food, drink and entertainment could be found. These days a tavern can be identical to a pub but may also offer accommodation like an Inn and so there is no definitive description. Their original purpose was to offer hospitality to any guest whereas 'alehouses' tended to be for the benefit of 'locals', but as the mobility of the population increased the definitions have became interchangeable and a tavern can be anything.
Today an Inn or a hotel offers accommodation and full meals however this title does not necessarily extend to pubs which offer B&B (bed and breakfast). In my experience some places which call themselves Inns or Hotels charge more money for little or no additional benefit and many pubs do excellent meals anyway. Entertainment of varying quality can be found in all varieties of pub/hotel so again accurate definitions have become impossible (which is part of the fun).
There are over 57,000 pubs in Britain (2010), but decreasing in number at an alarming rate. Their original purpose was to make, and serve ale but these days most serve a large range of spirits, tea, coffee, and food as well. In an attempt to survive some have recently become shops and post offices too, and others have successfully evolved into 'gastro pubs'. Many enhance their appeal by holding quiz nights, theme nights, sing-songs, curry or steak nights, karaoke, film clubs, etc.
Nowadays the old traditional 'public houses' are in decline and modern pubs are dedicated, thrusting, boring businesses which can change ownership at any time.
The place of Inns, Taverns and Pubs in our culture and communities has never been fully acknowledged. Sadly, after hundreds, if not thousands of years of history, we are losing our pubs at a rate of 6 per week (2010). More than half the villages in England are now without a pub, for the first time since the Norman conquest (1066).
Some communities are putting up a fight and are buying their pubs back and then adding all sorts of innovative sidelines. See also 'co-operative pubs'.
Alternative names: boozer, the local, ale house, second home, hostelry, beer shop.
Code words indicating an imminent pub visit: "I'm going to see a man about a dog", "I'm nipping out for a bit", "I'm taking the dog for a walk", "Their screen is bigger and clearer".
According to Count Arthur Strong it is a legal requirement to buy a drink once you have passed over the threshold.
The number and variety of pubs has always provided adventure and surprise for pub goers and this experience is amplified by the variety of foods now on offer too.
Various pubs in England claim to be the oldest pub in the world (on varying criteria) and I intend to carry out lengthy and extensive personal professional research to enable me to make up my mind on the matter.
See also: 'tap room', 'gastro pub', 'lock in', 'pub singers, 'pub grub', 'co-operative pubs', 'beer tasters' and 'beer goggles'.
[culturally: NZ-Aus, but British pub like bars occur globally (largely run by people who have clearly never been in a real pub).]

Lane's Extinction Grading: Unsafe/Decline

1. Still enjoyed by the older generation in one area.
2. Enjoyed by dwindling numbers (shunned by pretentious people and kids).
3. Sucessfully revived in small pockets for a few families.

pub grub

'Pub Grub' is the inviting statement proudly adopted by pubs in the 1970's which uniquely began to offer edible solids other than crisps, peanuts and pickled eggs. Who can forget chicken and chips in a plastic basket? But this was the start of something which has led to some modern pubs being on the cutting edge of culinary expertise and the creation of a new category of pub, the 'gastro pub'. You will notice that I used the word 'some' as the quality varies enormously but most are part of the revolution which caused pubs to make the change towards food provision and all will proudly display 'pub grub' though the term can mean literally anything, which adds an extra layer of interest to pub going.
A recent trend is for pub grub to reflect the best in local produce but sufficient numbers are happy to restrict their efforts to a walk between the freezer and the microwave thus ensuring that pubs continue to provide adventure, surprise and stories.
See also: 'gastro pub'.

pub singers

3

Popular in the 1970's, 80's and 90's pub singers was a title given men and women who emulated singers of the 1950's and 60's and presented it as entertainment in pubs and working men's clubs.
Their heroes were people like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Cleo Lane and were just like them except for the slurring of words, the wobbly voice, the high volume, impromptu embarrassing serenades of members of the audience, and occasional theatrical tears. It was once possible to go from pub to pub in one area until you found a singer you liked, Pub singers still exist though they are not easy to find, but are well worth looking for.

Lane's Extinction Grading: Unsafe/Decline

1. Still enjoyed by the older generation in one area.
2. Enjoyed by dwindling numbers (shunned by pretentious people and kids).
3. Sucessfully revived in small pockets for a few families.

pucheon

A 'pucheon' is an old unit of volume equal to 70 gallons.

pudding

A tough one this, a commonly used word but one which defies definition. "Surely not!" you say as everyone knows that a pudding comes with custard, at the end of a meal. But then how do you explain the thing you eat with your Sunday dinner and that funny shaped sausage made with blood. The list is endless for example 'steak and kidney pudding', 'black pudding', 'white pudding', 'Bakewell pudding', 'Yorkshire pudding', 'dock pudding', 'rag pudding', 'pease pudding', 'clootie pudding', etc. There seems to be no common link between the foods which have adopted this word, either in ingredients or in cooking method and some of our foods used to be called pudding before they acquired a different name, e.g. stuffing.
Alternative uses: 'Tom puddings' are compartment boats, linked together like train carriages and pushed by a tug boat.
The word may also be applied to a fool or an idiot as in "you great pudding!".
Sayings: "The proof of the pudding is in the eating." ~ Miguel de Cervantes, Spanish author. (1547-1616) - 'Don Quixote de la Mancha'.
"You have come at pudding time" is an 17th century expression which comments on your timely, or lucky arrival at the best part of the day, function or event.

pudding cloth

A cloth used to enclose a pudding (cloth pudding) while it cooked (boiled). Modern versions will be something romantic like bleach free calico but most cloth puddings, in living memory, will have been cooked in a favoured cotton tea towel. The cloth needs to have a close enough weave to prevent the pudding from escaping or to avoid welding the contents to the cloth. Muslin cloth has also been used for boiled puddings.
An old name for cloth was 'clouts/clarts' a word which still pops up in various regions of England and Scotland in association with clothes or rags (e.g. clarts = clothes in Yorkshire, in Sheffield, a 'clout' was a cloth used for wiping knives clean. Remember the old saying: "Never cast a clout until May is out".
The word 'clout', or variations of it are also associated with pudding clothes in SE Scotland (Cloutie pudding), NE England (puddin' clout') and Cornwall (clout).
The origins of these dialect words are sometimes uncertain but a Saxon word for cloth was 'clut'.
Alt: A "pie faced puddin' clout" is a friendly NE England term describing someone who looks miserable. The word 'clout' can also describe an impact of some kind.
See also 'cloth pudding'.

Pudding Club / Pudding Society

This pudding club is not the one which pregnant people involuntarily join, but an actual club, created at the Three Ways House Hotel, in 1985, and devoted to preventing the demise of great British puddings. I'm not really a 'club' person but I would make an exception for this one, and full membership would be appropriate I think! How many puddings do I have to eat to join?
There is also a much younger 'Pudding Society' which meets monthly at Tiny Tim's Tearoom in Canterbury and concentrates specifically on traditional British puddings.

Pudding Lane

The famous street in London where, in 1666, a bakery caught fire, just after midnight, an event which led to the Great Fire of London, destroying the overcrowded medieval London (13,200 houses and 87 parish churches). The event caused Samuel Pepys to bury his cheese and also resulted in the rebuilding of the current St. Pauls Cathedral (by Christopher Wren).

puggie buns

A treacle sponge mixture in a pastry case, something like a treacle tart I would imagine. Scottish.

punnet

A 'punnet' is small basket of fruit and a very British unit of measure specifically for fruits. I say 'unit of measure', but actually the size and shape of a punnet can vary and traditionally they held half a pound and or a pound of fruit, but some say, if waterproof, a punnet would hold about a pint. The punnet would have to vary in size depending on the density of a particular fruit in order to provide exactly the correct weight.
Strawberries have to come in a punnet otherwise they don't taste right.
[Aus-NZ-SA]

puree

Baby food.

pussers neaters

Un-watered down rum which has a high alcohol content. 'Pussers' is a word which has evolved from 'purser' and has come to be applied to anything which is issued so 'pussers neaters' is un-watered down rum which was issued, on board, prior to the watering down taking place. Sailors were, up until the 1970's, entitled to a daily rum ration. See also 'grog'.

puzzle jug

The puzzle jug isn't very practical and was intended to amuse rather than to nourish. The tubular rim of the puzzle jug had three, four or even five tubular spouts, but only one of the spouts would, when sucked, ingeniously draw up liquid from the bottom of the jug, the other spouts were blocked.
Made from c 1570 to the early 1800's.

PYO - pick your own

The 'pick your own' phenomenon became popular in the 1970's, initially for fruit, and the practice is still with us, but has expanded to vegetables. Many PYO operations have evolved into farm shops which means you can shop for other local foods during your visit.
The PYO grower issues you with a bag, basket, punnet or box (depending on the produce) and you wander around the field picking your own. It is a particularly popular activity for families and a great way to show kids where their food comes from, a lesson they'll never forget.
There are web sites which list PYO farms, their locations, and what they produce.