The drink recipes on this post come from the book “MODERN AMERICAN DRINKS, How to Mix and Serve All Kinds of Cups and Drinks” by George J. Kappeler, copyright 1895, which can be found on Project Gutenberg. Many of the drinks contain alcohol, but not all. It’s interesting to read the names of some of the drinks; I have read of some of them in historical novels. BOOK’S PREFACEThe recipes contained in this book are for the proper mixing of…
Before U.S. Food Inspections became law, it was “buyer beware.” It was important to find a grocer or food supplier you trusted. But it was also necessary to know how to tell if your food was adulterated. Some foods had extra ingredients or fillers that were harmless, but not always; some were dangerous to ingest. INFORMATION BELOW COMPILED FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS COFFEE SUBSTITUTES AND ADULTERATIONSGround coffee is extensively adulterated, and mainly with the much cheaper. Rye, beans, peas, acorns, carrots,…
It wasn’t until the late 1800s that there were true grocery stores with more than just the basic staples. Then there were many more teas and coffees to choose from. But the buyer had to learn how to tell quality goods from inferior, as well as identify if a product had been adulterated. There were no government food inspectors in those days. THE INFORMATION BELOW CAME FROM A BOOK CALLED: GROCER’S GOODS: A Family Guide to the Purchase of Flour,…
Cookbooks published in the 1800s often contained household hints and medical advice. Of course, this advice is from over 200 years ago! I discovered a comprehensive online document called “Glossary of Medical Terms Used in the 18th and 19th Centuries“ to help me identify some of the diseases mentioned below. In the 1960s, our mother used to dose us with Father John’s Cough Syrup when we were young. It was made of cod liver oil. I remember it being thick…
Eggnog (also known as milk or egg milk punch) was originally made of milk or cream, sugar, raw eggs, some type of alcohol, and various spices. Today you can buy many types of commercially prepared eggnogs including those that use almond, rice, or coconut milk. NOTE: Many of the recipes spelled Egg Nogg with two ‘gs’ at the end. I rather like it as it matches the two ‘gs’ in the word “egg.” INFORMATION BELOW COMPILED FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS: EGG-NOGG Beat…
In the 1800s, people often lived far from a doctor or couldn’t afford to pay one. So they treated illnesses by following advice from neighbors and family members, or by reading cookbooks or medical books. If a patient didn’t feel like eating, it was important to offer a variety of nourishing drinks. INFORMATION BELOW COMPILED FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS: The preparation of food and drink for the sick and convalescent person is even more important than the preparation for the strong…
INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS CURRANT, CHERRY, AND OTHER BERRY WINESThe juice of either of the above fruits can be used alone or in combinations to make a variety of flavors. Express all the juice you can, then take an equal amount of boiling water and pour on the pressed fruit. Let this stand two hours, squeeze out as much as there is of juice, and mix. Then add 4 pounds of brown sugar to each gallon of the mixture….
INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS “Drinks for young children are best made of milk and water, whey, barley water, pearl barley water, apple water, and toast and water. All stimulating and fermenting liquors are not only unnecessary, but positively injurious. By increasing, to an improper extent, the circulation of the blood, they induce fever, indigestion, inflammation, or convulsions.” PREPARING DRINKS As all these preparations become flat and good for little by long standing, it is better to make only such…