Stewed Pippins

History

"Stewed pippins" is a plain stewed-apple dessert printed in The Jewish Manual (London, 1846), which is regarded as the first Jewish cookbook published in England. The book appeared anonymously, credited only to "a Lady," and is traditionally attributed to Lady Judith Montefiore, though there is no conclusive proof of her authorship. As printed, the recipe directs the cook to peel the pippins and stew them gently with a little water, white sugar, and a little lemon peel until they "look white and rather transparent," with preserve used to ornament the top of each apple. "Pippin" is a long-standing English term for coveted varieties of apple raised from seed, in use since the late 14th century and derived from Middle English pipin, "seed of certain fruits". Beyond its appearance in this 1846 book, the historical record consulted here does not document who ate this particular dish, where the recipe originated, or that it carried any social status — and no such claim about stewed pippins could be sourced.

A note on authorship: The Jewish Manual (1846) — the first Jewish cookbook in English — was published anonymously, "by a Lady." The long-standing attribution to Lady Judith Cohen Montefiore is plausible and widely repeated, but rests on circumstantial evidence rather than proof; scholars describe her as the author, or coauthor, and the question remains open.

Ingredients

• pippins
• a little water
• a little white sugar
• a little lemon peel
• preserve

Instructions

1. Peel the pippins. Stew them gently with a little water, white sugar, and a little lemon peel. When done, the apples should look white and rather transparent. Ornament the top of each apple with preserve before serving.