May 1863: Instructions to clean a pig’s head begin with “chop off the snout from the head” #cw150

To clean a pig’s head

Chop off the snout from the head and divide it into four pieces, after cutting off the cheeks to salt, saving them to bake with beans. Wash all thoroughly, put in a suitable vessel, and cover with water in which a little salt has been added to draw off the blood. Let soak two days, changing the water each day. The third day, take from the water and scape well, but without attempting to remove the bristle. If bristles do no seem pretty dray after scraping wipe the skin side. Then light a spirit lamp and singe off the bristles. It will take them ff completely, leaving the pieces white and smooth after a slight scraping.

 

Source: Field and Fireside, May 16, 1863 as found in John Hammond Moore, ed., The Confederate Housewife (Columbia, SC: Summerhouse Press, 1997).

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Recipe to make a blue “Confederate dye” from elderberries #civilwar150

A Confederate Dye

To make a beautiful blue, take elderberries, mash them, and press out the juice. To two gallons of juice add about one ounce of copperas and two ounces of alum. Dip the thread in this thoroughly, air, and the dye is set.

Source: Clarke’s Confederate Household Almanac, 1863 as found in John Hammond Moore, ed., The Confederate Housewife (Columbia, SC: Sunmmerhouse Press, 1997).

 

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Recipe for a Cherry Cordial, using a recipe by “Southern matrons” #civilwar150

Cherry Cordial

Method of making cherry cordial by the Southern matrons of the lower country South Carolina (St. John’s) – a most delectable drink at all times, but particularly valuable in the present emergency: Fill the vessel with cherries (not washed if gathered clean). Cover with whiskey. After several weeks pour off all the clear liquor and press the cherries through a sieve. Put into the juice thus pressed out, five pints of brown sugar, and boil with syrup enough to sweeten the whole demijohn. Pour five pints of water on the thick part; boil and strain to make the syrup for the sugar. Blackberry cordial is made the same way; or it can be stewed, strained, sweetened and whiskey added. In the above, the sugar is to be boiled in the water which is obtained from the thick part, as directed.

Source: John Hammond Moore, ed., The Confederate Housewife (Columbia, SC: Summerhouse Press, 1997).

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An 1863 remedy for that loathsome disease, Camp Itch. #civilwar150

Camp Itch-A remedy therefor

A gentleman who has had much experience in the treatment of that loathsome disease, the itch, furnishes the following recipe for its cure. For the benefit of our soldiers suffering with the camp itch, if you think it proper, you may publish the following: Mix sixty grains of oxide of potassium wand two ounces of lard; and after washing the body well with warm soap suds, rub the ointment over the person three times a week. In seven or eight days, the acarus, or itch insect, will be destroyed. In this recipe, the horrible effects of the old sulphur ointment are obviated.

 

 

Source: Southern Confederacy February 26, 1863, as found in John Hammond Moore, ed., The Confederate Housewife (Columbia, SC: Summerhouse Press, 1997).

 

 

Most articles about Camp Itch consider it to be scabies, a contagious skin disease caused by mites. Read more here

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February 1863: Instructions for home-made starch from corn #cw150

Home-made starch

In the present state of the corn, as good starch can be made of it as any housewife needs. Grate it from the ear, mix the pulp thoroughly with cold water, and strain it through a sieve. Let the liquor settle and, pouring off the water, which will be discolored, the start will be found at the bottom of the vessel in a rather soft cake. Pour on more water, stir it up, and repeat the process.  At each repetition the cake will be found firmer. And when the water comes off clear and the starch is free from a pink or yellow tinge on the top, the process is complete, except for drying. I never knew but one miscarriage, and that was in warm weather, when the water was not cold enough, or was allowed to stand too long, and the mass fermented. A grater can be made from an old coffee pot or tin bucket, by punching it (outward) full of holes – a hammer and nail will answer the purpose – and taking it to a piece of board.

 

Source: Field and Fireside, February 7, 1863, as found in John Hammond Moore, ed., The Confederate Housewife (Columbia, SC: Summerhouse Press, 1997).

 

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The following recipe may be a little too tantalizing under the prevailing scarcity of good brandy and sugar….#cw150

Egg Nogg

The following recipe may be a little too tantalizing under the prevailing scarcity of good brandy and sugar, but those who are fortunate enough to have the articles on hand may have a delicious egg nogg by adopting the following directions: Six eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately, very light; six moderate tablespoonfuls of powdered loaf sugar beaten with yolks; mix in whites gradually, adding six tablespoonfuls of good brandy, a little grated nutmeg, and a tumbler of fresh cream. I fyou have no cream, the same quanityt of good rich milk will answer.

 

Source: Field and Fireside, February 7, 1863 as found in John Hammond Moore, ed., The Confederate Housewife (Columbia, SC: Sunmmerhouse Press, 1997).

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Recipe for Irish Stew from an 1861 English cookbook

Irish Stew

Ingredients

3 lbs of the loin or neck of mutton, 5 lbs of potatoes, 5 large onions, pepper and salt to tast, rather more than 1 pint of water

Trim off some of the fat of the above quantity of loin or neck of mutton, and cut it inot chops of a moderate thickness. Pare and halve the potatoes, and cut the onions into thick slices. Put a layer of potatoes at the bottom of a stewpan, then a layer of mutton and onions, and season with pepper and salt; proceed in this manner until the stewpan is full, taking care to have pleynty of vengetables at the top. Pour in the water, and let it stew very gentyly for 2 ½ hours, keeping the lid of the stewpan closely shut the whole time, and occastionally shaking it to prevent its burning.

 

Source: Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management. I (1861) https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=fD8CAAAAQAAJ&rdid=book-fD8CAAAAQAAJ&rdot=1

 

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1863 recipe for “a rich corn bread” #civilwar150

A rich corn bread

Take two quarts of corn meal, one quart wheat flour, a little salt, and four eggs. Add enough buttermilk to form a stiff batter. Mix well, then add two teaspoonfuls of soda dissolved in a little warm water. Stir and pour into greased pans, so that it will be about two inches thick when baked. Bake in a hot oven until done – say about half an hour

Source: Field and Fireside, January 31, 1863, as found in John Hammond Moore, ed., The Confederate Housewife (Columbia, SC: Summerhouse Press, 1997).

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my recipe for this most delicious tea bread, which, once eaten at your table, will cause your friends to rejoice #cw150

Sally Lunn
I am tempted to send my recipe for this most delicious tea bread, which, once eaten at your table, will cause your friends to rejoice when asked to come again. Take a stone pot, pour in one pint of sweet milk, half a teacup of baker’s or other yeast, one quarter of a pound of melted butter, a little salt, and three beaten eggs.  Mix in about three pint bowls of flour. Let it stand several hours, or until quite light, then put into Turk-heads or other tin pans, in which Sally should again rise up before being shoved into the oven, to be “brought out and presented to your friends as the beauty and belle of the evening.”

 

Source: Southern Cultivator, January-February, 1863, as found in John Hammond Moore, ed., The Confederate Housewife (Columbia, SC: Summerhouse Press, 1997).

 

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January 1863 recipe for Buckwheat bread or johnny cake #civilwar150

Buckwheat Bread

To make buckwheat bread or johnny cake, add a teaspoonful of soda to one quart of buttermilk and enough flour to make a thin batter. Put in an egg, if convenient, and bake in a quick oven. Try it -

 

Source: Field and Fireside, January 18, 1863, as found in John Hammond Moore, ed., The Confederate Housewife (Columbia, SC: Summerhouse Press, 1997).

 

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