How did serfs get food?

The serf provided his own food and clothing from his own productive efforts. A substantial proportion of the grain the serf grew on his holding had to be given to his lord. The lord could also compel the serf to cultivate that portion of the lord's land that was not held by other tenants (called demesne land).

How did serfs eat?

Their diet basically consisted of bread, porridge, vegetables and some meat. Common crops included wheat, beans, barley, peas and oats.

Did serfs have enough food?

In the fall, the serfs harvested their crops of rye, oats, peas, and barley. If the weather had been good, the harvest would be good. It would provide enough to pay their lord and enough for themselves. While they were tending to their lord's fields, serfs also had their own chores to do.

Where did peasants get their food from?

The peasants relied mainly on pigs for their regular supply of meat. As pigs were capable of finding their own food in summer and winter, they could be slaughtered throughout the year. Pigs ate acorns and as these were free from the woods and forests, pigs were also cheap to keep. Peasants also ate mutton.

What food do the serfs eat?

Typical peasant food consisted of coarse bread made from wheat and rye or barley and rye; porridge made from barley or rye; and thick soup made from any of the following: cereals, peas, cabbage, leeks, spinach, onions, beans, parsley and garlic.

How Much It Sucked to Be a Medieval Serf

How did peasants eat?

The average peasant's diet in Medieval times consisted largely of barley. They used barley to make a variety of different dishes, from coarse, dark breads to pancakes, porridge and soups. After a poor harvest, when grain was in short supply, people were forced to include beans, peas and even acorns in their bread.

What happens if a serf ran away?

If a serf ran away to another part of the country there may have been no proof of their status. However serfdom could end legitimately. In 1470 Sir Gerrard Widdrington manumitted or freed his native serf William Atkinson, and gave him the manorial office of bailiff for Woodhorn manor.

How did peasants store grain?

This grain was left to dry and turned with pitchforks, usually for a few days, depending on the climate. A sudden downpour could mean famine for a village. Once the grain was dry enough so that it would not rot while stored, it was gathered into bundles (sheaves) and brought back to buildings where it would be kept.

What medieval peasants ate?

Medieval peasants mainly ate stews of meat and vegetables, along with dairy products such as cheese, according to a study of old cooking pots. Researchers analysed food residues from the remains of cooking pots found at the small medieval village of West Cotton in Northamptonshire.

Did medieval food taste good?

Short answer: Yes, much of it would be considered tasty. Long answer: Medieval cuisine was rich and varied, and it obviously differed greatly from place to place.

How many meals did peasants eat?

While today, we normally eat three main meals, with snacks in between, peasants would eat two main meals during the day, followed by a light dinner in the evening. Snacks, including bread, beer, or smoked fish, could be taken while working and were common during summer when the days were longer.

How did serfs make money?

Money was not very common during the Middle Ages. Serfs usually paid their lord by giving food and working without pay. Usually, serfs spent five or six days a week working for their lord. On these days, the lord would give his serfs very good food.

Did peasants have chickens?

The peasants often kept chickens that provided them with fresh eggs. Fish was plentiful and could be obtained from the rivers and streams. The main meal eaten by Medieval peasants was a kind of stew called pottage made from the peas, beans and onions that they grew in their gardens.

Did peasants drink water?

Many books and articles have repeated the notion that water was so polluted during this period that medieval men and women would only drink wine, ale or some other kind of beverage. However, there is plenty of evidence that people regularly drank water.

Did peasants eat cheese?

Peasants tended to keep cows, so their diets consisted largely of dairy produce such as buttermilk, cheese, or curds and whey. Rich and poor alike ate a dish called pottage, a thick soup containing meat, vegetables, or bran.

What does serf mean in slang?

Serf definition

A person in bondage or servitude. noun.

How many calories did peasants eat?

The overall caloric intake is subject to some debate. One typical estimate is that an adult peasant male needed 2,900 calories (12,000 kJ) per day, and an adult female needed 2,150 calories (9,000 kJ). Both lower and higher estimates have been proposed.

Did peasants eat butter?

Butter was popular among peasants as a cheap source of nourishment and prized by nobility for the richness it added to cooked meats and vegetables. For one month out of each year, however, the mostly-Christian Europeans made due without their favorite fat. Until the 1600s, butter-eating was banned during Lent.

What time did peasants go to bed?

People would first sleep between around 9pm and 11pm, lying on rudimentary mattresses generally filled with straw or rags, unless they were particularly wealthy and could afford feathers. People normally shared beds, alongside family members, friends and, if travelling, even strangers.

How was food stored in Medieval times?

Drying was used to preserve all sorts of foods. Grains like rye and wheat were dried in the sun or air before being stored in a dry place. Fruits were sun-dried in warmer climes and oven-dried in cooler regions.

How was food distributed in Medieval times?

Food was mostly served on plates or in stew pots, and diners would take their share from the dishes and place it on trenchers of stale bread, or plates of wood or pewter with the help of spoons or bare hands. ( In lower-class households it was common to eat food straight off the table).

How do you store food in Medieval times?

The best method of keeping your food cold, and therefore preserved, is to build a basement. The lower into the ground you go, the lower the temperature falls. If you build down a few levels below your village, you should find that even in the SUmmer your food lasts for quite a long time.

Could serfs be killed?

Legally a landlord could not allow a serf to starve and had to provide food if the harvest failed. He could not kill or maim a serf, although corporal punishment was normal and, as in this story, a serf could die under the whip.

Can serfs become free?

Serfs were often harshly treated and had little legal redress against the actions of their lords. A serf could become a freedman only through manumission, enfranchisement, or escape.

How long did peasants work a day?

Peasant in medieval England: eight hours a day, 150 days a year. Life was far from easy for peasants in England in the Middle Ages, but their lot did improve after the Black Death when available land and average wages increased.