Saffron colored the filling in the Forme of Cury apple pie recipe.
The recipe appears in the 14th-century English collection The Forme of Cury. It calls for apples, spices, figs, raisins, and pears to be put into a pastry casing, or “cofyn,” and then baked. Saffron was added not only for its distinctive flavor but also for its golden color, making the finished dish more visually striking.
Medieval European cooks often used spices as both seasonings and coloring agents. Saffron was especially prized and expensive, so its presence could signal status as well as improve appearance. The broader cookbook includes many recipes designed to produce vivid colors: yellow could come from saffron or egg yolk, red from sandalwood or alkanet, and green often from parsley.
This early dish was not identical to the modern sweet apple pie. It combined several fruits, and its pastry casing served as a practical container as much as a delicate edible crust. Modern English versions more often emphasize sliced apples, sugar, and shortcrust pastry, while the medieval recipe reflects a period when dried fruit and costly spices were central to elite cooking.