Wild Fruit Pudding (Neolithic)

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This dish reflects the gathered seasonal food typical of early farming communities. The milk (mainly from goats) would have been a relatively new addition to the diet.

We have evidence of hazelnuts being gathered and prepared, from the archaeology of the period. This dish would have contained bilberries, available in Europe from 5000 to 3000BC. We were not able to locate bilberries, so have used the closely related blueberry which was available in, what is now known as, America at this time.
This recipe explains the ingredients and method used in our prehistoric podcast. These recipes give a reflection of period cooking methods and are not meant to be followed in a modern kitchen, therefore accurate measurements and timings are not usually given.

For images of the cooking process see our Wild Fruit Pudding Pictures.

With thanks to Steve and Jo Parish  of Past Alive for their help with this podcast.

• freshly picked raspberries, about a handful
• collected bilberries, a handful
• some hazelnuts from those stored since autumn
• a little cream, skimmed from the top of the shallow dish, where the milk was left after milking the goats

• Bowl
• Sharp knife
• Spoon

1. Take a wooden bowl and add the fruit
2. On a flat grinding rock, using a smooth pebble, crack open the hazelnuts
3. Lightly crush the hazelnuts on the flat rock
4. Spoon the cream over the fruit and then sprinkle on the hazelnuts
5. Eat soon after making