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The terms "pantry" and "larders" are interchangeable in modern speech when referring to a location where food is kept. In the past, the two were distinct regions with extremely specific roles. Food was acquired in quantity throughout the Middle Ages, therefore different types of food needed their own storage spaces.
Larders, as the name suggests, were historically a cold room or cellar for storing meats, particularly meats laid down in sizable barrels or crocks of lard. Meats and sausages used to be frequently partially cooked before being covered in rendered fat until needed. Meats that had been dried or smoked were typically kept in a loft or garret away from moisture. The phrases "wet larder" (also known as a "cold chamber" or "cellar") and "dry larders" developed as a result of this division of functions. Uncooked meat, game, and vegetables were kept in the wet larder in addition to meats preserved in fat. Dried fruit, grain chests, and even various varieties of hard-rind cheeses would be kept in the dry larders. For long-term storage, large loaves of rye bread were frequently buried in the grain chests.
The word "pantry" and words like "pantryman" and "pannier" are linked to it and ultimately come from the Latin word panis (bread). The Old French word paneterie, which became panetrie in medieval English, refers to a cabinet or closet where bread was kept. The pantry was a standing cabinet in medieval aristocratic homes where the table's bread was kept. Given that they were located in the area where meals were served, the nicer varieties of larders frequently included intricate carvings. The person who actually cut the bread for the dinner was the pantler, the servant in charge of the loaves. Given how important bread was to a medieval meal, this post earned some respect. Because of this, the pantler was frequently a member of the lower nobility in homes that belonged to the upper nobility. By the seventeenth century, the pantryman, a salaried post whose primary responsibility was to monitor the supply and refill of bread and food, had more or less taken over this role in hotels and other major commercial institutions.
There were two types of bread available from larders throughout the Middle Ages. The finest wheat flour was used to make the manchet, or dinner roll, which is typically circular. Since people in the middle ages typically ate with their fingers, this bread was held in the hand and used as a tool for dipping or scooping. The other type of bread was trencher bread, which is often produced with a mixture of rye and wheat flours. Since plates were solely used as serving pieces at the time, trencher bread was cut into slices and stripped of its crust to create a throwaway plate. Trenchers needed to be replaced regularly during meals since they were soggy; it was the larder's responsibility to be on guard and have plenty of trenchers available.
By the seventeenth century, the purpose of the larders had been broadened to include not just a cupboard for storing bread but also a small room or closet where various types of food might be kept together. It was a chilly space due to the lack of heating and frequent use of outdoor air for ventilation. It was customary to store roasts of meat, pies, and other leftover foods in this closet, which was located near the kitchen, so that they might be reserved for the following day. In large families, it became the butler's responsibility to keep track of what was in the pantry, which gave rise in the nineteenth century to the concept of a more specialized butler's pantry. Usually used to store expensive china, glassware, and silverware, this tiny chamber was located between the kitchen and dining area. It has vast shelves and cabinets as well as a sink. The butler, or his assistance, might finish cooking a variety of items here, including decanting wine, heating a chafing dish, garnishing a roast before serving, and chopping fruit for dessert. This also led to the development of a separate pantry known as the housemaid's pantry. The head maid kept her tools in this location. Long until the 1940s, upper-class American homes on the East Coast were frequently equipped with butler's pantries. The word "pantry" has evolved into a much less specific idea in modern times. The breadbox has taken the place of the pantry, while the refrigerator and deep freezer have taken the place of the traditional larders. Nowadays, the terms "larder" and "pantry" are generally used to refer to any unheated storage space where food is kept, particularly packaged foods, canned goods, and pickles.
The larders are the topic of today's installment of the kitchen word series. Who these days owns a pantry? Nowadays, the word "larder" is occasionally used for "pantry," especially when the writer wants to evoke nostalgia. The original usage, however, was considerably different.

Like the word "pantry," "larders" is French in origin and was undoubtedly brought to England by those pesky Norman invaders in 1066. Although the OED dates the word's first recorded use in English to 1305, it was likely in use far earlier. The term "Larders" is evidently related to lard, or pig fat. Originally, a larder was a room used to preserve meat, most likely bacon at first. Naturally, other products prone to quick spoiling found a home on its shelves as well.

The domestic larder has, of course, been replaced by the modern refrigerator. The English Cookery Book: Uniting a Good Style with Economy, by John Henry Walsh, demonstrates how considerable thought went into the construction of the larder before refrigeration technology (1859)
The Larders, which is the area designated for storing fresh foods and, in most cases, for salting meats like pig, cattle, and poultry, should be situated in an area with good airflow and shade from the sun. Consequently, a northerly view is ideal, followed by an easterly one. It is not always possible to get a thorough draught directly, but if you can't, you can get a free draught by running a wide air drain under the floor to the other side of the house and fixing a grating there. However, in humid and muggy weather, the air in the basement story of a town house is quite stagnant, and as a result, even though it is tolerably cool, the air is not rapidly changed, and putrefaction proceeds without pause or obstruction. As a result, underground larders are rarely effective for the preservation of meat. This is because this perfect draught is only possible in windy weather, when it is relatively easy to accomplish its preservation. A few cheap shelves and a door with its panels replaced with perforated zinc plates in a pattern close enough to keep out flies but open enough to let air freely through are all that are needed to outfit a modest house with a larder. Where a window is present, it should be similarly protected with zinc sheets.

I know that I promised at the beginning of the week that all of the recipes would be from the seventeenth century, but instead of keeping my word, I'll give you one from the same book as the quotation above.
Each of us leaves a culinary heritage. It is like going back in time to reacquaint yourself with some flavors since they are so nostalgic. Give me a Party Ring biscuit, and I'll transform into a five-year-old with tousled hair picnicking on Exmoor with cool 1970s Tupperware. When I delve into my grandparents' recollections, these are the things that come to me. I'm not sure how my grandparents would feel about being immortalized through canned salmon, fruit cocktail, and garish Battenburg.
The larders, a vast cold room filled with jars of pickled onion and beets, tinned peaches, sardines, Carnation cream, and red Ritz cookie boxes, are what really stands out. A little mesh-covered window kept the room cool, and on the floor were the bottles of orange Lucozade, dandelion and burdock, as well as the supply of Babycham because my grandmother enjoyed a drink at Christmas.
My maternal and paternal grandparents both possessed larders, which they referred to as "pantries," despite the fact that "pantry" is an American name, as Tracy Chevalier's novel The Last Runaway claims. This frigid, Tardis-like storage room served as a window into another world and a reminder that, even though it was the 1980s, the "make-do-and-mend" generation was still very much alive and well. I adore how my grandmother would raid the pantry to create homemade pastry or quickly assemble a coffee and walnut dessert. I adore the link to "real food" and "real cooking," which need not be filleted sea bass or Alain Ducasse dishes, but may instead be tomatoes on buttered bread with white pepper and malt vinegar, as my grandpa used to do.
Well, if you're a food nostalgic, you may celebrate since businesses like Higham Furniture claim that their larder-cupboards are doing a roaring business. According to Judith Wills, author of The New Home Larder, "We have ignored our store cabinets for years." "The way we have been living, where we waste away around a third of everything we consume, is becoming more and more unpopular. There is always something you can rustle up thanks to the well-stocked larders, which is comforting in these hard economic times. It can reduce the cost of food, energy use, and time spent shopping. Items from the pantry, such grains and pulses, are reasonably priced."
There's no denying that cooks had to get rather inventive, however this doesn't exactly line up with how my mother remembers her days before refrigerators ("I had to go shopping every day"). Wills remembers her mother storing milk bottles in a hole covered in slate. To preserve it over the winter, salted meat was hung from hooks or kept in larders. It's understandable why larders are viewed as virtue-signaling green because they allow you to choose a smaller, less energy-intensive refrigerator. It is tempting to draw a connection between the emergence of the refrigerator and that of the ready-meal. Has food changed from being something we make to something we buy at this point? A well-stocked pantry encourages you to cook rather than rely on prepared foods.
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My grandparents had a fridge by the late 1960s, but larders were still in charge. There were no oven chips, Findus crispy pancakes, or prepared meals from the store. Despite the fact that they were readily available—any 80s child worth their multicolored legwarmers could spot a French bread pizza and a radioactive blue Slush Puppy at a distance of ten paces—my grandparents chose not to purchase them. Instead, they bought meat from the butcher, Neopolatana ice cream from the ice cream truck, and canned pilchards and fish, which they then wrapped in newspaper and stored in the larder until teatime.
One glaringly evident issue with today's more, ahem, condensed living arrangements is that fewer individuals have the luxury of a pantry these days.
However, it's worthwhile to consider getting any large cupboard for the same reason. Just make sure everything is accessible and visible so one quick glimpse can spark a wave of creativity. If space is not an issue, a walk-in closet is perfect; however, Wills advises, "be sure it is clean, dry, and vermin-proof." "Old refrigerators attracted a wide variety of dreadful bugs. Grain and pulse storage should be in airtight containers."
What else can you store there? We've gotten unduly dependent on refrigerators, and while some items, such as meat, milk, fish, and soft cheese, are better kept there, others, such as eggs, potatoes, onions, bread, and some fruits, can be kept in a cool larder, according to Wills (bananas and pineapple). The exhibition of herbs out of the cupboard in glass is a mistake since the light dilutes their flavor.
There are many items that we keep in the refrigerator that are better off being kept elsewhere. How much would you stash away?
The word "lard," which refers to solidified cow fat, is not where the word "lard" originated. Instead, it is probably a lord-related derivation. A lord was the owner of his home, including the food. The word "lord" can also be written "lard" or "laird." He made decisions about who had a right to food in his home and retained the larder's keys. In reality, larders and pantries were typically locked up by housekeepers and wives, especially those of legitimate lords, and lords had little to do with food production or storage. This was the role that women were traditionally given.
One activity that a lord, or really any male, might engage in is hunting. There may be hooks for hanging meat in old larders. If possible, keep meat away from rodents and insects after it has been salted or cured to prevent it from going bad. Larders were frequently positioned near kitchens and on the shadiest side of houses to keep them cooler.
The fact that a kitchen can benefit greatly from more storage is apparent, even though few people nowadays may truly require a larder. You're sure to appreciate having a good spot to store these items without crowding your kitchen space, especially if you do prefer to buy in bulk or even just like to take advantage of infrequent bargains to buy huge quantities of an item. Some individuals continue to construct pantries, larders, or simple storage rooms for this reason. These could be great locations to store a variety of items that need to be kept cool but not cold if they are maintained very dry and somewhat chilly. For instance, many oils keep better in a larder than they would if they were exposed to heat and light.