Recipe Manuscript

Pour Taindre Du Fil En Couleur De Terrace

Name: Pour Taindre Du Fil En Couleur De Terrace
Prep time: PTPT5M
Cook time: PTPT1H30M
Yield: 1
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 20g dried pomegranate peel (or fresh, if unavailable dried); 20g dried orange peel (or fresh zest as substitute); 5g rock alum (potassium aluminum sulfate; can substitute with regular alum from spice shops); 200ml water; 50-100g thread (wool or cotton, undyed)

"To Dye Thread In Terrace Color"

1541

From the treasured pages of Bastiment de receptes

Unknown Author

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Beginner Other

Pour Taindre Du Fil En Couleur De Terrace

Original Recipe • 1541

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Pour Taindre Du Fil En Couleur De Terrace

"Prens escorces de pommes de grenade & pelures de oranges seiches, & faiz bouillir auec vng peu dalun de roche, la groffeur dune noysette, puis coule la tainture, & des ce que sera coule faiz bouillir ton fil, & tu verras la couleur."

English Translation

"To dye thread in terrace color. Take pomegranate rinds and dried orange peels, and boil them with a little rock alum, about the size of a hazelnut; then strain the dye, and as soon as it is strained, boil your thread in it, and you will see the color."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in plain, direct Old French, intended for practical domestic use. Quantities are measured by comparison—'the size of a hazelnut'—since standardized weighing was rare for household recipes. Spelling varies across manuscripts: 'taindre' for 'teindre' (to dye), 'dalun' for 'd'alun' (of alum), and no standardized punctuation, so the instructions run together. The recipe assumes familiarity with boiling and dyeing processes, omitting detailed times and temperatures. The ingredient names reflect the era's trade connections—pomegranate and orange peels were valued both for dye and medicinal uses.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Bastiment de receptes - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Bastiment de receptes (1541)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Unknown

Era

1541

Publisher

A Lescu de Coloigne

Background

Step into the culinary secrets of Renaissance France! 'Bastiment de receptes' is a delectable compendium newly translated from Italian, brimming with recipes, curious odors, and medicinal tidbits designed to both delight the palate and preserve health.

Kindly made available by

Library of Congress

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from the early French Renaissance and was published in 1541 in Lyon by the Frellon family. The book was a practical compendium, newly translated from Italian, combining advice on perfumes, dyeing, household preparations, and even health remedies. Such recipes were intended for both amateur artisans and housekeepers looking to produce colored textiles at home, making the secrets of the dye house accessible to well-to-do urban households. Natural dyes like pomegranate and citrus were widely used across Europe before the advent of synthetic colors. The terra cotta hue produced here would have been fashionable for decorative household textiles, embroidery, or even garment trim, connecting the user directly with the color preferences and available materials of the 16th century.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Back in 1541, this recipe would have been prepared over a wood or charcoal fire, using a clay or metal pot for boiling the plant material. Straining the dye would be done through a coarse linen cloth or sieve. Thread was likely wool or cotton, wound into hanks for even dyeing. Alum, purchased from an apothecary, was the essential fixative or 'mordant.' Wooden sticks or tongs would be used to stir and remove the hot, freshly dyed threads.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 30 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

0.7oz dried pomegranate peel (or fresh, if unavailable dried)
0.7oz dried orange peel (or fresh zest as substitute)
0.18oz rock alum (potassium aluminum sulfate; can substitute with regular alum from spice shops)
6.8fl oz water
1.8–3.5oz thread (wool or cotton, undyed)

Instructions

To dye thread a terra cotta color, take about 0.7 ounces of dried pomegranate peels and 0.7 ounces of dried orange peels.
Place them in a small pot, add 6.8 fluid ounces of water, and bring to a boil.
Add a small piece of rock alum, about the size of a hazelnut (roughly 0.18 ounces).
Let everything simmer for at least 20-30 minutes to extract the color.
Strain the mixture to remove the peel pieces, reserving the dye liquid.
Place your thread (preferably wool or cotton, pre-wetted) into the boiling dye bath.
Simmer for another 30-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the thread takes on a warm, earthy tone.
Rinse the dyed thread in cool water and let it dry.

Cooking Estimates

It takes a few minutes to prepare and measure the ingredients. You will simmer the ingredients for about 20-30 minutes to make the dye, then simmer the thread in the dye bath for another 30-60 minutes. There are practically no calories because you do not eat this product.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.