Researching Food History

Jefferson was given a 1,600 pound cheese from Cheshire, Mass. Every farmer brought his curd to be poured into a large cider press to make ...

In 1870, a charity cookbook was compiled by "Miss Tyson" to fund a new church building for the Protestant Episcopal Church in Oa...

The Baltimore connection. In 1801, newly elected Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) wanted the formerly enslaved (freed in 1796) James Hemi...

In last year's first season of the TV series "Victoria," chef Francatelli created a Bombe Suprise from ice cream and chocola...

It was the custom in 18th & 19th cen. France for people to visit their relatives and friends with gifts of bonbons very early on New ...

"Old Christmas" was January 6th and new was December 25 in the following story. The father kept Christmas on the old date when t...

Although fir trees were the most popular, small cherry or apricot trees were planted in pots, or branches were cut and put in water so the...

In Sweden, the oldest daughter in the family wears a wreath of candles on her head and serves breakfast ... then the family goes back to be...

In Germany and Pennsylvania Dutch areas, Belsnickel or Pelznichel appeared on Dec.6 - the Saint's day of Saint Nicholas. He carried a r...

The English author Georgiana Hill (1825-1903) compiled recipes from the mundane (apple pie) to unusual - Irish Stew with apples, apples an...

A poem about gathering pumpkins heaped "high in the old red cart" hauled by oxen then made into a pie appeared in the November 23,...

The familiar aluminum Mirro cookie press of the 1960s was preceded by Swedish sprutas, syringes, biscuit forcers & presses.  The dough ...

Elizabeth Ellicott Lea's recipe for Pine Apple Syrup was "to season ice cream."  Mary Randolph's Virginia Housewife in...

In the mid1800s, Halloween was celebrated "roughly" -  parts of a wagon were put in different trees, gates taken off hinges, woo...

The lovely long curved oak trough and millstone, apple press, and 'monstrous tuns' were used to turn the "golden apples"...

The melon cannot be eaten unprocessed but when cooked in sugar water it is candied and used in cakes, puddings, mincemeat, green custard;  i...

A little dog - the turnspit dog - ran inside the wheel high on the wall which turned the spit in front of the fire.   The turn-spit was men...

These fundraising annual dinners are held in church rec halls and fire departments in St. Mary's County.  The corned ham - wet cured...

Schnitz are slices of apples placed on drying racks then put in a slack brick bake oven.  People could gather for 'apple cuts' part...

The Seckel pear, the "finest pear," had a celebrated ‘original tree’ on Seckel’s farm, later part of the Stephen Girard estate,...