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Month: June 2021

Sweetbreads with Sauce
Sweetbreads Are Meat (Offal), Not Breads

Sweetbreads Are Meat (Offal), Not Breads

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I had never heard of sweetbreads until I began reading old cookbooks. Sweetbreads are what the thymus gland or pancreas of a calf or lamb are called. Offal or organ meats are the parts of the animal that are not muscle. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS TO PREPARE SWEETBREADS The sweetbread belonging to the breast of the calf is far superior to that which is found about the throat, being larger, whiter, more tender, and more delicate. Always buy them…

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The Icebox (Non-Electric Refrigerator)

The Icebox (Non-Electric Refrigerator)

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To keep food cold In the 1800s, wooden boxes lined with tin or zinc and insulated with various materials. These boxes were called “refrigerators” until the modern electric refrigerator was developed. Then they were referred to as “iceboxes.” In 1915, the electric household refrigerator was introduced in the US, but it wasn’t until the 1920s that the market began to grow. This was due to a new refrigerant, Freon, which made them more reliable. By the 1930s, the average American…

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Tomatoes growing on the vine
Tomato Recipes – Pie, Stuffed, Croquettes, Preserved…..

Tomato Recipes – Pie, Stuffed, Croquettes, Preserved…..

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Back in the 1800s, tomatoes were a seasonal food since there was no refrigeration. People could only have tomatoes out of season by canning, drying, or making them into preserves. I rarely buy canned soups, but I make my own tomato soup when fresh tomatoes are available at farmer’s markets. The recipe for tomato croquettes sounds interesting, too. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS: TOMATOES Tomatoes are a fruit vegetable that may be either cooked or prepared raw. While tomatoes appeal…

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Summer Harvest
Pickled Tomatoes, Chutney, Mince, Catchup & more

Pickled Tomatoes, Chutney, Mince, Catchup & more

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In the 1800s, people could only eat food in season unless they preserved it. Around 1860, home canning become popular because a tin smith, John L. Mason invented a glass jar with a threaded lip and a reusable metal lid: the Mason Jar. This new canning jar allowed people to safely can fruit, pickles, relishes, and sauces like ketchup. However, canning low-acid vegetables and meat was still too dangerous.  SOURCE INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS PICKLING TOMATOES Scald* and peel a…

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