GATHERING MY FOOD HISTORY WRITING
Food History Through Blog Posts
I am writing a collection of food history blog posts to prepare for a possible book about this topic. Actually, I find the history of food fascinating. In particular, the history of food has far reaching consequences in Colonial America.
The Consequences
Actually the consequences reach as far back as the American Revolutionary War fueling and supporting the establishment of a new nation, the United States of America.
In other words, this collection of food history blog posts illustrates the correlation between the establishment of American Colonial food stability and the birth of a new nation. In fact this period covers about 150 years.
Food Abundance Flourishes in the Colonies
TRADITIONAL FOOD PROCUREMENT, PREPARATION, AND PRESERVATION
There are three steps to establishing food stability. This post, summarizes all three. They are listed below.
TRADITIONAL FOOD PROCUREMENT
Illustrated above shows definitively how conducive the colonies were to cultivating produce and food stability. In the early days of emigration to the colonies, the Indians even showed them how to survive their first Thanksgiving. After that, preparation took hold.
TRADITIONAL FOOD PREPARATION
Traditional Food Preparation & Preservation: Introduction
Open Hearth Cooking
“Open hearth cooking is the oldest form of indoor cooking. Before cook stoves came into existence, fireplaces were commonly used. A cook knew how to prepare the fire for a day of planned cooking. The cook would rise early in order to start the fire for the entire day’s cooking.”
TRADITIONAL FOOD PRESERVATION
Original Glass Jar Canning
Canning
The glass canning jar method of preservation was invented in 1810, before the Mason glass threading technique invented in 1850. Therefore the original method is considered traditional and pre-industrial. In fact, it was not until 1850 that the canning method we know and use today was invented by William Mason.
TRADITIONAL FOOD PREPARATION & PRESERVATION
Traditional Food Preservation: Churning Cream into Butter
Butter
This is a dairy product that was both prepared from cream and preserved preserved from going bad. Using a churn, the lifespan of cream was extended by turning it into butter. That way cream had a much longer shelf like.
The amount of butter one needed would determine the size of the churn. Apparently this churn provided a large amount of butter for its owner.
Although preserved foods like jam/jelly and butter may not have been staples for the survival of early colonials, they do display the fascinating direction of food preservation in Colonial America and beyond.
SOURCES & RESOURCES
The Pilgrims Had No Idea How to Farm Here. Luckily, They Had the Native Americans
Traditional Food Preservation: Glass Jar Canning
Traditional Food Preservation: Churning Cream into Butter
