Blog - Vintage Recipes and Cookery

Delicious Ways to Prepare Sardines

Angela Johnson Comments 4 comments

Sardines aren’t actually a species of fish, but are several varieties of small fish related to the herring. The first U.S. sardine cannery opened in Maine in 1875, when a New York businessman set up the Eagle Preserved Fish Co. in Eastport. (source CBS News). Sardines aren’t as popular as they used to be in the late 1800s through the mid-1900s, but are making a comeback due to their excellent health properties. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS SARDINE CANAPESHave ready…

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Gingerbread Cake and Cookie Recipes

Angela Johnson Comments 2 comments

Settlers from Europe brought gingerbread recipes to the U.S. colonies. Molasses cost much less than sugar and became a common ingredient. American Cookery, the first American cookbook, published in 1796, contained seven different recipes for gingerbread. Since there is so much variation in the different woods used in a wood burning stove, cookbooks usually just said to use a slow, moderate, or quick oven. And cooking times weren’t always provided, since they weren’t very accurate. But old recipes are still interesting…

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Making Family Beer – Molasses, Ginger, Spruce, and More

Angela Johnson Comments 2 comments

In 1810, 132 breweries in the U.S. produced 185,000 barrels of beer. The population of the country was seven million. By 1850, 431 breweries in the U.S. produced 750,000 barrels of beer (31 gallons per barrel). The population was 23 million.Source: History of Beer in the 19th Century: Timeline But many families made their own beer. The recipes below are from cookbooks published in the 1800s. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS MOLASSES (TREACLE) BEERTake five pints of molasses, half a pint…

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Foods for Infants / Babies

Angela Johnson Comments 2 comments

It’s interesting to read what foods were given to babies in the 1800s. It sure is a lot different from feeding babies today. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS: THE NURSERY All food intended for infants should be very thoroughly cooked. The numerous varieties of farinaceous substances, however nourishing may be their properties when rightly prepared, are harsh and drastic when underdone. FOOD AND ITS PREPARATION The articles generally employed as food for infants consist of arrowroot, bread, flour, baked flour,…

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How to Make Omelette Soufflés

Angela Johnson Comments 5 comments

“An omelette soufflé is a very nice and delicate thing when properly managed; but if flat and heavy, it should not be brought to the table. The best cooks will sometimes fail in making soufflés, as their manufacture requires the greatest care and attention. It is also necessary to be able to judge to a nicety the time they will take to cook.” ….. from an 18oos cookbook. INFORMATION BELOW ALSO FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS SOUFFLÉS To be eaten in perfection,…

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Breaking and Separating Eggs

Angela Johnson Comments 5 comments

I never thought much about cracking eggs, since I’ve never used a recipe where I needed to separate the yolk from the white. But it’s especially important not to allow any of the yolk to mix with the whites for recipes such as meringues, soufflés, or any egg whites that need to be whipped. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS: TO SEE THAT EGGS ARE GOOD Whenever you break eggs, never mind what quantity, always break each egg separately into a…

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How to Make Meringue for Pies and Candy

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Meringue for pie or candy is made with egg whites, which have to be whipped enough to make them airy and light. Egg whites were whipped by hand in the 1800s and was a time-consuming chore. Hand-operated rotary egg beaters were introduced around 1860, but didn’t really become popular in the United States until the Dover Stamping Company created their own version. Between 1870 and 1890, Dover made 4 million egg beaters, mostly for family use. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s…

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How to Select and Cook Crabs

Angela Johnson Comments 2 comments

I‘ve only eaten crab at restaurants, but I sure love it. I have bought imitation crab meat to use in salads and eaten it in restaurant buffets. It does has a crab taste and is less expensive, but it lacks some of the nutritional benefits that real crab has. About imitation crab. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS CRABS Crabs are in season during the months of May, June, July, and August. They may be had at other times, but are…

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