09/14/2026
Little mention is made of fruits and vegetables in Martin Luther’s letters. So what did Katie Luther have available to her for her cooking?
We know that the Luthers had fruit trees in their yard. Apples, pears, peaches, and mulberries grew just outside the door of the Black Cloister. Martin even played a hand in doing some grafting. Nearby Katie had vines which provided her with grapes for eating and turning into vinegar.
Katie also had a vegetable garden which Martin helped to plant and cultivate when he had the time. Here she raised peas, beans, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, radishes, melons, and cucumbers. Alongside the vegetables, she grew a variety of herbs to flavor her meals.
Other fruits and vegetables which Katie may have had available to her included leeks, mushrooms, parsnips, artichokes, celery, turnips, eggplant, rhubarb, and figs.
Eating fruits and vegetables raw was not common in the 16th century. Even with the things kept in the root cellar, Katie would have spent many hours cleaning, cooking, and preparing her produce. Of course, these are all seasonal foods too. Pickling was the only way she could preserve many of them for later use. So those gathered around Katie’s table would have enjoyed them while they could.
The drawing shows the gardens on the north side of the Black Cloister.
-Rebecca DeGarmeaux for Katie Luther
