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Making Homemade Marshmallows

Making Homemade Marshmallows

There is actually a marshmallow plant that usually grows wild in swamps and marshlands. The marshmallow plant (Althaea officinalis) is not the same as the common mallow plant (Malva sylvestris).  Marshmallow has a thick, sticky consistency similar to the okra plant.  Made into a candy, doctors often offered it to children to soothe their sore throats. But eventually, marshmallow root sap was replaced by other binding agents such as gum arabic and gelatin. Without the sap, the candy no longer…

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Roasting Meat in an Open Hearth Fireplace

Roasting Meat in an Open Hearth Fireplace

Years ago, meats were roasted in an open hearth, in FRONT of the fire, not over the fire like when  cooking outdoors. Roasting was a skill learned through practice. Cooks learned to build a clear, brisk, and steady fire. It was quite an accomplishment to cook a joint with a nice crust on the outside, yet tender and juicy inside.  INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS ~ Roasting is done before the fire, and should not be confused with baking, which…

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How to Cook Ox-tails

How to Cook Ox-tails

Ox-tail in cooking refers to the tail of cattle. An ox-tail can weigh weigh 7 to 8 pounds, is jointed and bony, and each section has some marrow in the center. When sold, it is skinned and cut into short sections.  Ox-tail is rich in gelatin and takes a long time to cook; therefore, it’s usually used for soups, braising, or stews. You could also use a pressure cooker if you wanted to save time.  INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS OX-TAIL Cut…

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How to Cook Beef Brains

How to Cook Beef Brains

You may have recently heard of eating “nose to tail,” meaning to eat the whole animal, not just cuts of muscle meat like we usually see at grocery stores. These parts of the animal are usually called “offal,” which includes the intestines, liver, heart, lung, kidneys, brain, etc.  In the 1800s, there were many recipes for cooking brain, usually beef brain. But brain from other animals can be used.  INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS TO PREPARE BRAINPut the brain in…

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How to Roast and Boil Coffee

How to Roast and Boil Coffee

“Coffee affords very little nourishment, and is apt, if drank strong, to occasion tremors of the nerves. It is very bad for bilious constitutions. The calm, phlegmatic temperament can bear it. With a good supply of cream and sugar, drank in moderation, by those who exercise much and take considerable solid food, it may be used without much danger.” Quote is from the book, “The Cook’s Own Book, And Housekeeper’s Register“, by N. K. M Lee. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s…

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Old-Fashioned Fruitcake Recipes

Old-Fashioned Fruitcake Recipes

Most commercially-made fruitcakes are alcohol-free, but traditionally, some fruitcake recipes  included alcohol; both for the flavor and as a preservative. That way, fruitcake could be made months ahead of time for the Christmas holidays. In the 1800s, wood burning stoves didn’t have temperature gauges, and oven temperatures varied based on the type and size wood used. You were supposed to learn how to determine the heat through experience.  Some recipes ignored the oven temperature and others used terms such as…

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How to Cook Rice, with Recipes

How to Cook Rice, with Recipes

In the 1800s, rice was grown in the states of South Carolina, Georgia and Louisiana. Of course quick-cooking “minute” rice or packaged rice mixes weren’t available yet. Recipes below include Rice with Cheese, Rice with Cabbage and Cheese, Rice-Water, Rice Croquettes, Rice Soufflé, and Rice Milannaise. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS TO BOIL RICE Wash half a pound of rice in water and drain it. Put it in a saucepan with one quart of broth taken from the top of the…

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Start With Plain White Soup Stock

Start With Plain White Soup Stock

  Cooks in the 1800s often made soup stock and used it for a base, adding various ingredients. Making homemade soup was a necessary skill because commercially prepared soups weren’t readily available until 1869. That’s when Joseph Campbell and Abraham Anderson began a company to produce canned foods (including soups). This was certainly a convenience! INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS White stock is an especially nice broth having a delicate flavor, made from veal and fowl. If allowed to remain…

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