“The method of preparing poultry by boiling is not strongly advocated. There is seldom a time when better results cannot be obtained by cooking meat at a lower temperature than at the boiling point. The method of boiling depends on if you want to make a broth or soup stock, or if you want to eat the meat.” INFORMATION FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS VINEGAR OR LEMON All kinds of poultry can be cooked quicker by adding a little vinegar or a…
Mush and porridge were cheap, nourishing meals in the 1800s, but the grains had to be cooked many hours. There were no instant hot cereal mixes like there are today. Mush and porridge were often cooked the night before in order to be ready for breakfast. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS MUSH AND PORRIDGE Mush is meal or grain cooked in water to the consistency of rather thin pudding. The most important point connected with the preparation of these is…
In cookbooks from the 1800s, corn meal was called Indian corn (maize). Corn was native to America (U.S.), and was used for many recipes. In Great Britain, however, Indian corn was considered only fit for feeding animals. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS CORN CAKETake a pint of sour milk or buttermilk, break an egg into it, stir in a spoon or two of flour, and add Indian meal enough to make a thick batter. Put in a teaspoon of salt,…
Thomas Jefferson was the US Minister to France from 1785-1789 and enjoyed the many pasta dishes served there. He brought back macaroni and other noodle recipes, plus a pasta machine. When he became president, he served macaroni and cheese at an 1802 state dinner. Macaroni was sold in long tubes, then broken into smaller pieces when ready to cook. Kraft Foods introduced its boxed macaroni and cheese in 1937, during the Great Depression. With rationing in effect during World War…
“Cheese offers a valuable source of nutriment for the body because its food value ranks high. In addition to protein and fat, cheese contains ash and vitamins. The food value in one pound of cheese is equivalent to that in two pounds of beef, in 24 eggs, or in four pounds of fish.” — from an 1800s cookbook. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS CAYENNE CHEESE STRAWSRub one-half pound of butter into one-half pound of flour. Add one-half pound of grated…
“Liver is usually much despised, but when well cooked, it is very palatable and it is the cheapest of all animal food. Veal liver is by some considered the best. Liver should be cut across the grain.” (from an 1800s cookbook). FRIED BEEF LIVER Cut it in rather thin slices and pour over it boiling water, which closes the pores of the meat, makes it impervious to the fat, and at the same time seals up the rich juice of…
FROM AN 1800s COOKBOOK: “The unpopularity of prunes is unfortunate. This may be because prunes were formerly one of the cheapest fruits or because they are cooked and served in the same way too often.
Desirable results can often be secured by combining prunes and other dried fruits with tart fruits such as apricots, apples, and rhubarb.”
Corned beef is cured with large-grained rock salt, also called “corns” of salt. This was a way to keep meat when it couldn’t be eaten fresh before it spoiled. Corned beef was eaten either hot or cold. If cold, it was pressed under a heavy weight before serving. Image: Libby, McNeill & Libby Corned Beef, 1898 INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS TO CORN BEEF Rub each piece of beef well with salt mixed with one-tenth part of saltpeter, until the…