How Tudor Sailors Survived a 7 Month Journey | Salt Pork Experiment

Video Description

In the 16th century, everybody salted their food to make it last the winter. It was salt that allowed for the golden age of exploration, taking European explorers on journeys of 6 months or even four years. In this video, our Tudor historian experiments with a Tudor style salt pork, salting the meat and storing it in a barrel in a cupboard for seven months. Will the salt pork last the winter and be good enough to eat in spring? Let's find out. Please note that this is an historical experiment into Tudor salt preservation by the Historic Kitchens Team at Hampton Court Palace. We do not recommend attempting to recreate this at home. Image credits: A Warship Built for France and a Dutch Yacht under Sail, SK-A-4261, Rijksmuseum Anthony Roll as reproduced in The Anthony Roll of Henry VIII's Navy: Pepys Library 2991 and British Library Additional MS 22047 With Related Documents ISBN 0-7546-0094-7, p. 42. The Embarkation of Henry VIII at Dover c. 1520-40, © Royal Collection Enterprises Ltd 2026 | Royal Collection Trust