“Never waste stale bread, as it may be used to advantage in many ways. The economical housewife carefully inspects the contents of her bread box every morning before planning her meals for the day.” INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS SAVORY FRIED BREAD Cut slices of stale home-made bread about half an inch thick. Soak the slices in a rich, well seasoned vegetable stock until nearly saturated with it, but don’t allow them to become too soft. Then dip them in…
Clams were abundant along the U.S. east coast in the 1800s, and many of the old cookbooks included recipes for cooking them. Clams were only eaten by people who lived near where they were harvested, though. Electricity wasn’t available yet, so they couldn’t be kept long without refrigeration. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS BOILED CLAMSWash clean with a scrubbing-brush and put them in a kettle. Set on a good fire and leave till they are wide open. Then take them…
Apples were introduced to North America by colonists in the 17th century, (the 1600s). The only apples native to North America are crab apples which were once called “common apples.” Apple trees are large if they are grown from seed, but most apple trees are grafted onto rootstocks, which control the size of the resulting tree. Source INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS NOTE: There were no oven thermometers in the 1800s. Cooks learned how to heat their ovens and how…
Commercial canning (in tin cans) was fairly common in the U.S. by the mid-1800s. In 1858, John L. Mason invented a glass jar that had a screw thread around the outside rim. This allowed a reusable metal lid to be screwed on, rather than having to use sealing wax. It became much easier for people to preserve their own pickles, relishes, sauces, and fruit. Later, people also began to can vegetables and meats. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS TO STERILIZE…
In the 1800s, people raised chickens for food or purchased them whole from the butcher. It took a lot longer to prepare chicken in those days, especially having to cook on wood burning stoves and without oven thermometers. But people still wanted variety in their meals, and looked to cookbooks for recipes. RECIPES BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS SPANISH CHICKEN STEW Clean and joint two spring chickens. Brown in butter and add five sliced onions, a can of tomatoes, four cloves…
Eggs for boiling cannot be too fresh, or boiled too soon after they are laid. The fresher the eggs are the better, and the more healthful. A longer time should be allowed for boiling a new-laid egg than for one that is three or four days old. Eggs over a week old should never be boiled; but they will do to fry. Wipe eggs clean all over with a wet cloth. It is true that the shells are never eaten,…
In reading through 1800s cookbooks, I was amazed to see recipes for fried, boiled, stewed, and stuffed cucumbers, as well as cucumber catsup and vinegar, and soup. I’ve only eaten cucumbers raw, so these recipes sound interesting. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS CUCUMBERS AND THEIR PREPARATION In food value, cucumbers are very low, comparing closely with celery in this respect. However, as they contain a large amount of cellulose, or bulk, and mineral salts, they should not be disregarded in…