First Feast Forensics - Episode 3: Healing from the Storehouse: Medicinal Properties of Preserved Foods Welcome back to First Feast Forensics. In our previous episodes, we explored the foods of the first Thanksgiving and the crucial preservation techniques that helped early colonists survive. Today, we're delving into a fascinating aspect of food preservation that's often overlooked: how preserved foods and medicines intersected in both Native American and colonial traditions. The line between food and medicine was far less distinct in the 17th century than it is today. For both the Wampanoag and the English colonists, many preserved foods served dual purposes as both sustenance and healing agents. The process of preservation itself was often believed to enhance certain medicinal properties, a belief that modern science has sometimes validated. Let's begin with the crucial role of dried herbs. The Wampanoag had developed sophisticated techniques for drying medicinal plants that went far beyond simple dehydration. Different plants required different drying methods to maintain their medicinal properties. Some herbs were dried in darkness to preserve volatile compounds, while others needed specific amounts of sunlight to enhance their potency. Archaeological evidence from colonial sites shows dedicated drying spaces that would have been used for both culinary and medicinal herbs. The colonists brought their own herbal traditions from England, documented in books like Gerard's Herball, but they quickly discovered that many familiar European plants didn't grow well in New England. This forced them to learn about local medicinal plants from the Wampanoag. The preservation of these unfamiliar herbs required new techniques, leading to a fascinating fusion of European and Native American methods. The timing of plant collection for medicinal use was crucial for both cultures. The Wampanoag had detailed knowledge of exactly when each plant should be harvested for maximum potency. Certain plants needed to be gathered before dawn, others at specific phases of the moon. The colonists initially dismissed some of these practices as superstition, but experience taught them the wisdom of this traditional timing. Take, for instance, the preservation of echinacea, a plant both cultures used for immune support. The Wampanoag knew that roots harvested in late fall contained the highest levels of medicinal compounds. Modern science has confirmed this, showing that the plant concentrates certain compounds in its roots before winter dormancy. The preservation method was equally specific - the roots needed to be dried quickly but not in direct sunlight, which could degrade their medicinal properties. Birch bark, rich in natural aspirin-like compounds, required different handling entirely. The Wampanoag taught the colonists that bark collected in spring had the strongest medicinal properties. It needed to be dried in a way that prevented the loss of volatile compounds while avoiding mold growth. They developed a method of rolling the bark into tight cylinders that could be stored for months while maintaining its pain-relieving properties. One of the most sophisticated preservation techniques involved the making of medicinal wines and tinctures. The colonists brought a strong tradition of herbal wines from England, but they had to adapt these recipes to New World plants. The Wampanoag, meanwhile, had their own methods of extracting and preserving medicinal compounds using various natural solvents. The combination of these traditions created new and effective medicines that would influence American pharmacology for generations. Winter health strategies relied heavily on properly preserved foods and medicines. Both cultures understood that certain preserved foods could help prevent winter ailments. The high vitamin C content in preserved rose hips and pine needles, for instance, helped prevent scurvy - though neither culture understood the specific nutrient involved. The Wampanoag taught the colonists how to preserve these vital plants in ways that maintained their effectiveness throughout the winter months. Fermented foods played a crucial role in winter health maintenance. While the colonists were familiar with fermentation through beer-making and pickling, the Wampanoag introduced them to different fermentation techniques that created highly nutritious preserved foods. What we now know as probiotics were created through the controlled fermentation of various plants and berries. Archaeological evidence shows specialized vessels used for these fermentation processes, with designs that maintained ideal conditions for beneficial bacterial growth. The preservation of mushrooms for medicinal use required particular expertise. The Wampanoag had extensive knowledge of both edible and medicinal mushrooms, and their preservation techniques were carefully designed to maintain specific properties. Some mushrooms were dried in strings, ...
