1925 Tips for Selecting Canning Jars, Lids, and Rings

Here’s some tips in a 1925 home economics textbook for selecting canning jars, lids, and rings:

Glass jars rather than metal cans should be used for home canning. Jars should be constructed so that there is no contact of the fruit with the metal, hence a jar having a glass cover is desirable. A large opening, simple construction, ease in cleaning, and perfect sealing are characteristics of good fruit jars.

Glass jars should be tested before using. Partly fill the jar with water, adjust the rubber and cover, seal, invert the jar. Examine carefully for leakage.

Rubber Rings. – Soft, elastic rubbers should be chosen. It is poor economy to use old rubbers. Rubber after usage becomes hard and inelastic; it may cause imperfect sealing and hence decay of the fruit.

In certain processes of canning, it is necessary to subject the jars provided with rubber rings and covers to long periods of boiling or to the intense heat of a pressure or steam cooker. When such a method is followed it is especially necessary that rubber rings of good quality be used. To meet this requirement, the United States Department of Agriculture advises that rubber rings conform to the following:

Inside diameter of 2 1/4 inches (for a jar of standard size).

Width of ring or flange from 1/4 to 12/32 of an inch.

Thickness of 1/12 of an inch.

Tensile strength sufficient to “stretch considerably and return promptly to place without changing the inside diameter.”

Firm enough so that no crease or break shows after it has been tightly folded.

School and Home Cooking (1925) by Carlotta C. Greer

Old-Fashioned Stuffed Cucumbers

Cucumbers are a vegetable that I generally either slice and eat raw or pickle, but there are some recipes in hundred-year-old cookbooks that call for baking them. I decided to give a 1925 recipe for Stuffed Cucumbers a try. The cucumber shells were stuffed with a mixture containing the seedy pulp from the center of the cucumbers, chopped onion, chopped nuts, and egg white. The Stuffed Cucumbers were topped with breadcrumbs and then baked.

The Stuffed Cucumbers were tasty with a nice crunchy texture because of the nuts.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Stuffed Cucumbers — Source: Diamond Jubilee Recipes (1925), compiled by The Sisters of Saint Joseph, St. Paul, Minnesota

This old recipe was very vague regarding some ingredients (like how many cucumbers to use) and very specific about other ingredients (1/2 cup of nuts and 1 egg white). For the ingredients without amounts listed, I decided to use 3 short, fat cucumbers that I got at a farmers’ market, 1/4 cup of chopped onions, 1/4 cup fine breadcrumbs, 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. These amounts worked well. I also decided to just beat the egg white until it was foamy, rather than beating until there were stiff peaks, though I am uncertain what the recipe author intended.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Stuffed Cucumbers

Servings: 3 - 6
Time: 50 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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3 cucumbers (I used short, fat cucumbers, but long ones would also work.)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup nuts, chopped (I used walnuts.)

1 egg white, beaten until foamy

1/4 cup fine breadcrumbs

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350° F. Peel the cucumbers, then put them in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil using high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until the cucumbers are tender (about 15-20 minutes). Remove from heat and drain. Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise, then scoop out the seedy pulp. Put the pulp in a bowl, add the salt, pepper, chopped onion. chopped nuts, and egg white. Stir to combine.

Put the cucumber shells in a baking dish or baking pan. Fill each half with the pulp mixture. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and dot with small pieces of butter. Put in the oven and bake until hot and the breadcrumbs are lightly browned (20 – 30 minutes).

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Advertisements in Hundred-Year-Old Church Cookbooks

I have several hundred-year-old church cookbooks. All of them contain favorite recipes of individuals affiliated with the church publishing the cookbook. These cookbooks were also created for fund-raising purposes. The published cookbooks were sold. They also all have advertising sections at the back. Then (as well as now), selling ads to local businesses increased the profits. A 1925 cookbook compiled by the Sisters of St. Joseph in St. Paul, Minnesota has a page in the book right before the advertisements calling attention to the ads. And, here’s one of the pages which contained ads:

Ads in cookbook — Source: Diamond Jubilee Recipes (1925), compiled by The Sisters of St. Joseph, St. Paul, Minnesota

The Sisters probably solicited ads from members of the church who owned businesses or from vendors who sold products to the church.

Old-Fashioned Coconut Cake

Summer is the season for picnics and reunions – and lots of good food. I have wonderful memories of lovely Coconut Cakes at family gatherings, so when I saw a Coconut Cake recipe in a hundred-year-old cookbook, I decided to give it a try. The cake was delightful, but recipe had two unique features which resulted in this cake being a little different than some Coconut Cake recipes. The recipe called for adding coconut to the cake batter (and not just sprinkling it on top of the frosting). It also called for a teaspoon of orange extract. The cake is not very large, and works well in a 9-inch square baking pan.

The Coconut Cake was light and fluffy with a bold coconut flavor, and a subtle hint of orange. I definitely plan to make this cake again.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Coconut Cake — Source: The Daily Argus-Leader Home Economics and Cook Book (Newspaper Supplement), Sioux Falls, South Dakota (1925)

When I updated this recipe, I updated the spelling of “cocoanut” to “coconut.” Cocoanut is an archaic spelling that I often see in hundred-year-old cookbooks, but that is seldom used today.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Coconut

Servings: 8 - 10
Time: 50 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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2 eggs, separated

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon orange extract

1 cup shredded coconut

white icing (I used a buttercream icing.)

additional coconut

Preheat oven to 350° F. Put egg whites into a mixing bowl, and beat until peaks form. Set aside.

Put butter and sugar in mixing bowl, then beat to cream. Add egg yolks, milk, flour, baking powder, orange extract, and salt. Beat until well-mixed. Stir in the coconut, then gently fold in the beaten egg whites. Put the batter in a prepared 9-inch square pan. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool. Frost with white icing, then sprinkle coconut on top of the frosting.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

When to Form an Opinion About an Egg

Source: The Daily Argus-Leader Home Economics and Cook Book, Sioux Falls, South Dakota (1925)

Old cookbooks have lots of hints and tips. A 1925 cookbook supplement in the Sioux Falls, South Dakota newspaper tells readers to wait to form an opinion of an egg until something happens with the lid. But the old newsprint is blurry and I’m not sure what the last word says. Is it “off”? . . . or “on”? . . or perhaps “of”? (which makes no sense). It may be trying to say that you can’t tell how well fried eggs are going to turn out until the pan lid is removed (assuming that a lid was put on the pan as part of the process of frying the eggs). Or maybe the egg’s lid” is the shell, and cooks can’t really judge the quality of an egg until the egg is cracked.

Bottom line, I have no idea what this tip means, but I’ve spent much more time than I should have trying to decipher it.

Dry State Punch Recipe

A hundred years ago alcohol was prohibited in the United States. The prohibition era went from 1920 to 1933. Cookbooks published during that time period seldom contain recipes that call for alcohol, but there are recipes for lots of nonalcoholic drinks. I recently came across a recipe for Dry State Punch in a 1925 cookbook. I was intrigued, and decided to give it a try.

I made this recipe on a 90° day and it was delightful. It’s a perfect summer drink. The Dry State Punch was zesty and refreshing. It contains grapefruit juice, orange juice, lemon juice, and pineapple juice.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Dry State Punch — Source: Home Makers’ Cooking School Cook Book (1925)

It is a little confusing how the list of ingredients calls for “juice of grape fruit,” but the directions call for adding “grape juice.” I decided to go with grapefruit juice, but am not absolutely certain that is what the recipe author intended. I added all the fruit juices to the sugar syrup while it was still hot, and did not wait until it cooled to add the grapefruit juice.

I used lemon-lime soda when I made this recipe. Either candied cherries or Maraschino cherries would work as a garnish. Citron is listed as a garnish in the directions, but I didn’t use it.

I didn’t fresh-squeeze either the grapefruit or orange juice, but rather used juice that I bought at the store. I did an online search and found out how much juice a typical grapefruit and orange contain, and then went with that amount. For the pineapple juice, I opened a can of pineapple chunks and poured the juice off and used it. (I did squeeze the lemon to get the lemon juice.)

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Dry State Punch

Servings: 5 - 7
Time: 10 minutes active prep time
Difficulty: easy
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1 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup pineapple juice

juice of 1 grapefruit (about 3/4 cup)

juice of 1 orange (about 1/3 cup)

juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)

2 cups lemon-lime soda (Sprite, 7-up, etc.)

candied or Maraschino cherries

Put the sugar and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil using medium heat. Remove sugar syrup from the heat, and add the grapefruit juice, orange juice, and lemon juice. Chill. Just before serving, add lemon lime soda. Garnish with cherries.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Hundred-Year-Old Tips for Making Croquettes

A hundred-years-ago croquettes were considered a great way to use up left-overs. The texture and taste of croquette was very different from the original food, and “the crisp crust make these little bits acceptable.”

Here are some tips in a 1925 cookbook for making croquettes:

The shape of a croquette adds to its attractiveness or takes away from it. It should never look like a meat cake. If they are meant to be balls, they should be perfectly shaped, or if they are meant to be cone shaped, they should be so carefully handled that they will hold up. It takes considerable practice to make really good looking croquettes.

To make good croquettes, the meat or fish must be minced quite fine and all the ingredients so well combined that the flavors are thoroughly blended. The mixture must be as moist as it is possible to handle without spoiling the shape of the croquette. The cork shaped ones are the easiest to handle. The mixture should be dipped in egg and breaded carefully and then chilled. They are easier to handle in the frying basket if taken out of the refrigerator and will hold together in the fat better.

The sweet croquette is often served as a dessert. After a luncheon of a simple salad, the sweet croquette is just heavy enough to round out the meal.

Home Makers’ Cooking School Cook Book (1925)

I looked through my old croquette posts to find a photo for this post, and realized that none of the croquettes in my pictures are perfectly shaped. Sigh . . .I have only made croquette recipes a few times for this blog because I think that they might not be very healthy since they generally are fried in fat, and because I worry that they will fall apart while cooking. Maybe I’ll have to try making a croquette recipe again sometime and follow the tips in the old cookbook.

In case you are interested, here are the croquette recipes that I have previously made:

Salmon Croquettes

Mushroom Croquettes

Rice and Celery Croquettes

Potato Croquettes