PASTY CRIMPING -THE BIG QUESTION FOR CORNWALL
I feel I am entering into a problem with this blog post that has potential far-reaching international consequences…but never the less, here goes!
‘The Cornish Pasty’ and before this ends I can guarantee I will have sections of the UK’s South West’s Celtic community either at war with me or each other!
What on earth could cause such an upset?
Well do you crimp on the top or on the side?
Its not too far removed geographically from the age-old question between Devon and Cornwall. Is it jam first then clotted cream or clotted cream first then jam?
Ann Muller pasty crimping since childhood and over the top too!
Forget Brexit, these are the issues that need to be sorted. Who would have thought that food would stir up such major issues.
Paul Hollywood and Pru Leith
The Great British Bake Off TV show with Paul Hollywood and Pru Leith did come in for some criticism from many Cornish viewers about the contents use by the contestants. However, Ann is relaxed about that. Although she stands by her over the top crimp is the ‘real’ Cornish way and has the proof.
On my recent trip to The Lizard I had my first chance to meet Ann Mullen who’s reputation in the world of pasties does go somewhat before her.
Welcomed into her compact kitchen along with her helpers. Who were working on the hand-made pasties on a small production line. On that day were Janet and school leaver Dylan deftly packing crimping around 250 pasties. Plus husband Tony beavering away in his own domain, creating the hand made pastry cases. With the aid of his key kitchen and essential pasty making gadget, a second-hand 8inch saucepan lid with the knob removed.
It cuts out the perfect rounds for the short-crust pasty cases!
Tony Muller and his very special pastry cutter an old saucepan lid!
These hand made creations packed with the raw vegetables of potato, turnip (the Cornish refer to swede as turnip) and onion diced with small chunks of beef (skirt or chuck steak) with just a hint of seasoning.
However this is where the Cornish conflict raises its head.
Crimped on the edge these are the other side of the argument when it comes to pasty crimping!
Pasty Crimping…Certainly Not On The Side Of The Side
The sealing up of these packed parcels, in Ann’s case, its crimped over the top. But others with their dying breath’s would say No, No, No in their best Margaret Thatcher voices. And crimp theirs on the side!
According to the website, the Cornish Pasty Association, they without doubt are on the side, of the side!
However Ann comes out fighting. As she believes is her counties and her ‘over the top’ method as the true Cornish way. And goes on to produce documentary evidence which clearly shows a 19th century images of pasties crimped over the top!
An old image of two Cornish pasties with an over the top crimp!
The combination of the taste of contents and its cover is important. The wrangle around the seal will no doubt require Solomon to sort that one out along with twenty thousand Cornishmen!
History Of The Cornish Pasty
What I will say is that Ann and her older and young team members in the sunshine yellow painted terrace cottage at the Most Southerly Point of the UK produce a cracking product. For me that was the very best I had ever had.
The Lizard Point the home of Ann’s Pasties.
Apart from of course my mother in-law’s! (PS: I had to add that last bit in case she reads this post!)
Raw ingredients ready to be crimped shut before cooking.
Ann started her production over 25 years started selling her wares from a stall at the nearby market town of Helston. She soon found business so good that she opened a shop in the fishing harbour of Porthleven.
With the family commitments and the shop it became too much. And, so husband Tony transformed the garage of their Lizard home into a pasty kitchen and the rest is history.
Grown up son Fergus now running an offshoot of the family firm back in Helston too.
Ann’s Pasties are going from strength to strength and a new generation ready to battle for that on the top crimp!
This Post Has 11 Comments
I agree with Ann. I was taught by my mum and gran and i have taught my son that the crimp goes along the top
I cannot imagine a side crimp, so much pastry. Grandparents, parents and me all Cornish borne and bred and never eaten a side crimp. However I would love to know how to get fruit one end and meat and potato the other!!!!
Crimp it on the side with a line of pastry down the middle
I am a 73 year old man from Kent and when I was about four or five a Cornish lady moved three doors away from me and her pasties where made from short crust pastry with crimp over the top and delicious and the amount of arguments I have with people who say it’s side crust you would not believe keep the top crust
Top crimp all the way..
My family were/are top crimpers! & the initial carved in the top for each was customized to suit!
As the author of the article says the side or top crimp do not matter but contents or taste does! Good quality meat usually skirt cut into small diced/cubed pieces! The powers that be allow minced beef!!
Ann’s pasties are delicious!
Traditional Cornish Tinners’ Pasty from my Grandma, and Great Grandma, were tucked across the top with a large roll/tuck/pinch as a handle. You eat everything except the seam so you didn’t eat the poison on your hands from processing the tin. My Great Grand Da was a Tinner in the 1800’s and a copper miner after he immigrated to McGill Nevada from Redruth in 1920, and my Nan and Grandma in 1924, and this was the reason they gave me when teaching me the correct way to seal the Pasty so the juice doesn’t leak out. They also gave me the only existing recipe for our family fruit cakes. Such good food!
My gran and of course my Mum always crimped over the top because we came from farming and fishing communities.
Gran always said that only the miners families crimped on the side as it was easier due to the ‘poison’.
I havn’t a clue which is right or wrong and to be honest, I don’t care…it’s across the top for us.
I crimp across the top, give it a little rumble so that the seam is off centre. I’m half cornish and watched my grandma carefully. To be honest, it’s the elastic pastry that you have to master first before even attempting crimping!!
My grandma, was born on a farm near Blisland, Cornwall, & her always made top crimped pasties, & like her daughter (me mum), that continued with that top crimp style. That vintage photograph of they top crimped pasties, look zactly like mums & grans pasties !