Browsed by
Category: Vegetables

fresh beetroot
Interesting Beet (Beetroot) Recipes

Interesting Beet (Beetroot) Recipes

Beets (also called beetroots) were an important root crop in the 1800s.  They kept well during the winter, were nutritious, and provided color to a meal. Beet tops (greens) and stalks were also cooked, but only when fresh. I had only eaten canned pickled beets until recently.  A friend baked some beets that were drizzled with olive oil and I liked them. The beet recipes below also sound interesting, especially the Beetroot Fritters. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS SELECTING BEETS…

Read More Read More

Young green leaves of sorrel on craft paper. Useful vegetable culture and medicinal plant Rumex acetosa, rich in vitamins and minerals. Close-up.
Ways to Use Common Garden Sorrel

Ways to Use Common Garden Sorrel

Comments 3 comments

Common garden sorrel has a tart, lemon flavor and was popular in the 1800s. The larger leaves were used for soups and sauces and the young leaves for salads. I haven’t been able to find out why people quit using it, but it now seems to be making a comeback. You probably won’t find sorrel in a grocery store because it doesn’t ship or store well, even when refrigerated. It doesn’t tolerate heat well, so try growing it as a…

Read More Read More

Cabbages on table
Cabbage Recipes – Pudding, Sour, Hash, Stuffed …

Cabbage Recipes – Pudding, Sour, Hash, Stuffed …

Comments 2 comments

FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS ~ Cabbage is a succulent vegetable with a high flavor. In fact, its flavor is so strong that in many cases it disagrees with persons.  When cabbage is cooked, the cover should be removed from the kettle. This plan permits the evaporation of much of the strong flavor which arises in the steam, which would otherwise be reabsorbed by the cabbage. It is the retention of this flavor, together with long cooking, that causes this vegetable to…

Read More Read More

Green spinach soup
Spinach Recipes – Spinach Balls, Cream, Fried, Dumplings….

Spinach Recipes – Spinach Balls, Cream, Fried, Dumplings….

Comments 6 comments

INFORMATION FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS “Spinach requires close examination and picking, as insects are frequently found among it and it is often gritty. Nothing is worse than spinach when gritty, so likewise there is nothing more troublesome to get quite clean, from its growing so near the earth. Spinach should be picked a leaf at a time, and washed in three or four waters. Then drain it and put it in boiling water. Fifteen to twenty minutes is generally sufficient time…

Read More Read More

fresh, raw cucumbers
Cooked Cucumber Recipes

Cooked Cucumber Recipes

Comments 2 comments

In reading through 1800s cookbooks, I was amazed to see recipes for fried, boiled, stewed, and stuffed cucumbers, as well as cucumber catsup and vinegar, and soup. I’ve only eaten cucumbers raw, but these recipes sound interesting. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS CUCUMBERS AND THEIR PREPARATION In food value, cucumbers are very low, comparing closely with celery in this respect. However, as they contain a large amount of cellulose, or bulk, and mineral salts, they should not be disregarded in…

Read More Read More

Fresh Jerusalem artichokes on wooden background
Jerusalem Artichokes Were a Popular Vegetable

Jerusalem Artichokes Were a Popular Vegetable

Comments 0 Comment

Have you ever tasted a Jerusalem artichoke? It is a root vegetable and sometimes called sunroot, sunchoke, or earth apple. It’s related to the sunflower and native to central North America. The name ‘Jerusalem’ is derived from the Italian word for sunflower, ‘girasole’. Jerusalem artichokes have very thin skins and bruise easily. This is why you won’t find them in grocery stores. I often go to Farmers Markets and have never seen any there, either. Maybe I haven’t have been in…

Read More Read More

Seasonal Vegetables in the 1800s

Seasonal Vegetables in the 1800s

Comments 0 Comment

For most of the 1800s, people in the United States lived in rural areas. But by 1890, 28% of the population was living in urban areas. Since people who lived in towns and cities weren’t able to grow many vegetables, they had to plan their meals based on what was in season. It wasn’t until 1850 that commercially canned vegetables became available. Peas were the first vegetable canned, with beets, corn, tomatoes, and cucumbers (for pickles) available later. INFORMATION BELOW…

Read More Read More

sliced eggplant (aubergine)
How to Cook Eggplant (Aubergine)

How to Cook Eggplant (Aubergine)

Comments 0 Comment

In the 1800s, there were two varieties of eggplant – white and purple. I’ve never seen a white eggplant, which is round rather than oblong. I’ve always wondered where the purple eggplant we see in stores got its name. Eggplant was definitely a seasonal vegetable since it was so tender, it couldn’t be stored. I’ve never come across any information that it was pickled or dried. One recipe, though, said that eggplant is sometimes eaten at dinner, but generally at…

Read More Read More