Miss Jane Austen... In Real Life

Monday 1 March 2010
Letter #2, To Cassandra, from Steventon, “Caroline, Anna and I have just been devouring some cold Souse, & it would be difficult to say which enjoyed it most – “, Jane Austen, Thursday 14 January 1796

Caroline; Caroline-Isabella Powys (died in 1838). She married Edward Cooper on 14 March 1793. They had eight children together.

Anna; Her full name was Jane-Anna-Elizabeth Austen, but she was known as Anna, (15 April 1793 to 1 September 1872). Her father was James Austen, Jane Austen’s eldest brother. She would have been 5 years old, and an only child at this time. Her mother, Anne Mathew Austen, had died on 3 May 1795, so I am sure her life had changed considerably. This letter being written 14 January 1796, her mother had only been gone 8 months.

Cold Souse; here is a recipe from Cooks.com.

SOUSE (PICKLED PORK)
4 pork hocks
1 tbsp. salt
1 rounded tsp. pickling spice
1 c. vinegar
1/2 tsp. sugar
Cover hocks with cold water. Bring to boil and simmer until tender, approximately 3 hours. Remove bones from hocks and place meat in a glass or ceramic container. Reduce stock to two cups. Add pickling spices and vinegar. Boil 1 to 2 minutes. Strain over hocks. Refrigerate until jelled.

I have not tried this. It just does not sound very good. But, then, if I lived in 1796 I probably would have enjoyed it as much as Caroline, Anna and Jane did. Bon Appetite!