In my previous column, I went through the things I thought were most important to look for in a jam and jelly pan. Somewhere, if you’re serious about marmalade, jam, and preserves, you’ll find just the right Maslin pan for you, whether top of the line, bare minimum, or somewhere in between.
Maslin pan? What does Maslin mean? Why, when researching pans for making preserves, does the name “Maslin” consistently populate? Digging deep, I found first that “Maslin” can refer to a mixture of grains, flours, or meals, particularly rye or wheat. This explanation didn’t quite quench my curiosity, so I dug deeper. Hand me that shovel!
The best information I could find is that first, jam and jelly making has been happening since the Middle Ages as a means of preserving fruits. However, it seems the Maslin pan wasn’t designed until sometime in the 16th or 17th century and made of copper. I cannot imagine the muscles it took to lift such a large, copper pan in and out of the fireplace or cookstove once it held a variety of ingredients!
Europe was the first to adopt the Maslin. Those Europeans, right? They’re always at the top of their game when it comes to cooking! The Maslin pan was not only used for making jams and jellies but doubled for preparing large family meals. Now we’re getting somewhere! As did I, you’ve probably deduced, “Maslin” is an archaic term for “mixture” and refers to using the pan for making “mixtures.” No doubt, the original version was not as shiny and pretty as the pans we have now. I’m envious of the copper. Professional culinary artists prefer copper for its conductivity, it doesn’t leach into food, and is incredibly durable, so unlikely to need replacing. I have champagne taste on a beer budget pocketbook so a copper Maslin will remain on the “dream big” list!
In today’s modern kitchen, the Maslin pan doubles as a stew pot, a Dutch oven, or even to boil up lobsters or corn on the cob. It may, however, be hard to find for purchase.