Old-fashioned Steamed (Winter) Squash

Steamed squash in bowl

Yesterday my husband and I made our annual trip to a farm where the farmer sells pumpkins and squash from a farm wagon. We’ve purchased pumpkins and squash from the same farmer for more than ten years, and always look forward to a conversation about the weather, how young people don’t know that Hubbard squash is a squash, and tend to think of it as a decorative gourd, and so on.

We weren’t disapointed. The farmer had three farm wagons filled with orange, yellow, green, and white pumpkins, and butternut, acorn, Hubbard, and other types of squash.

When I got home, I flipped through my hundred-year-old cookbooks and found a recipe for Steamed (Winter) Squash. The recipe is very simple. Sometimes simple is best. Chunks of squash are steamed, then mashed. Butter, salt, pepper, and a small amount of sugar are then stirred into the squash. The mashed Steamed Squash was delightful. It’s a perfect comfort food, and  brings warm memories of eating a similar vegetable dish when I was a child.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Steamed Squash
Source: Mrs. DeGraf’s Cook Book (1922)

I found this recipe a little difficult to follow, but I interpreted it to mean that fairly large chunks of winter squash that have not been peeled should be put into the steamer. After steaming, the pulp is removed from the squash shell, then mashed.

Since there are no amounts listed in this recipe, I made a judgement about how much of each ingredient to use to make 3-4 servings of the Steamed Squash.

Squash chunks in steamer

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Steamed Winter Squash

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: moderate
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About 1 pound winter squash (I used 1/2 of a butternut squash)

1 tablespoon butter

1/3 teaspoon salt

1/8 teamspoon pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

Cut squash into large chunks (if necessary remove seeds), each about 4 inches across, Do not peel. Put the chunks of squash in a large pan that contains a steamer. Add water to the pan, so that it comes to just below the steamer. Cover pan. Using high heat, bring water to a boil, then reduce heat so the water continues gently boiling. Keep pan covered and steam until the squash is tender (about 20-30 minutes).  Remove from heat. Using a spoon scrape the squash pulp from the shell. Put into a mixing bowl and mash. Stir in butter, salt, pepper, and sugar. Put in serving bowl and serve immediately.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-fashioned Breakfast Apples

Breakfast applesI’m always looking for new recipes for simple, yet tasty ways to serve apples – and I recently found an excellent new (old) recipe. The hundred-year-old recipe was for Breakfast Apples, though they are work equally well at lunch or dinner.

The Breakfast Apples were delightful. Apple slices were sautéed in butter then sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Breakfast Apples
Source: Good Housekeeping’s Book of Menus, Recipes, and Household Discoveries (1922)

And, here is the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Breakfast Apples

  • Servings: 2-3
  • Difficulty: easy
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4 large tart apples (Braeburn, McIntosh, Granny Smith, etc.)

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoons sugar

Core and slice the apples (do not peel them). Melt butter in a skillet using medium heat; add salt and stir to combine. Add sliced apples, then put lid on pan. Cook for 5 minutes, then remove lid and use a spatula to turn over the apple slices so they evenly cook on both slides. Put lid back on the pan and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove lid and check to see if the apples are soft. (If they are not soft, cook for several additonal minutes.)

In the meantime, put the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl, and mix together.

Sprinkle the cooked apples with the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Serve hot.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-fashioned Ginger Pears

jar of ginger pears

Pears are in season, and I’m always looking for tasty ways to serve them, so was intrigued by a hundred-year-old recipe for Ginger Pears. This is a recipe for canned pears with ginger. The sweet, warm, slightly peppery tang of the ginger added a new dimension to the pears, and turned what could be a mundane canned fruit into a taste treat.

Here’s the original recipe:

Jar of Ginger Pears
Source: Good Housekeeping’s Book of Menus, Recipes, and Household Discoveries (1922)

I assumed that “green ginger root” was just a more detailed term for ginger root.

And, here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Ginger Pears

  • Servings: 3 -4 pints
  • Difficulty: moderate
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4 pounds hard, green pears (about 12-15 pears)

3 pounds sugar

2 ounces ginger root, peeled and very finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

juice from 2 lemons

Peel and core pears, then thinly slice. Put the pears in a bowl and cover with sugar; let sit for two hours. Put the pears, including any liquid in a Dutch oven or large pan; add lemon juice and chopped ginger root. Bring to a boil using medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer until the pears are translucent and the syrup clear and thick (about 20 minutes). Periodically, gently stir while cooking.

Pack the pear slices and syrup into hot pint jars; fill to 1/4 inch of top. Wipe jar rim and put lid on. Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

1922 October Menus

October menu examples
Source: Good Housekeeping’s Book of Menus, Recipes, and Household Discoveries (1922)

A 1922 cookbook,  Good Housekeeping’s Book of Menus, Recipes, and Household Discoveries, contains sample menus for each month of the year. It’s fascinating how the word “dinner” is used in two different ways on a page with October menus. In the Sunday menu, it is the noon meal; while on the Monday menu, it’s the evening meal.

Old-fashioned Bacon Muffins

Bacon Muffins on plate

When browsing through hundred-year-old cookbooks I sometimes come across recipes that are different modern recipes, yet sound intriguing. This was one of those times. I found an old recipe for Bacon Muffins which sounded a bit unusual – yet similar enough to some modern foods (think bacon and egg muffins minus the eggs) that I decided to give it a try.

The recipe turned out well. The muffins are a nice way to add variety to a breakfast or brunch menu.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Bacon Muffins
Source: Good Housekeeping’s Book of Menus, Recipes, and Household Discoveries (1922)

The bacon that I used was salty, so I didn’t add any additional salt when I made this recipe.

Here is the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Bacon Muffins

  • Servings: approximately 15-20 muffins
  • Difficulty: moderate
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1/4 pound bacon

1 tablespoon sugar

1 egg, beaten

1/12 cups milk

2 1/2 cups bread flour

5 teaspoons baking powder

Preheat oven to 400° F. Chop bacon into small pieces; put into a small skillet and fly until crisp. Drain the bacon fat; reserving 2 tablespoons of the fat (as well as the bacon pieces).

Put the sugar and 2 tablespoons bacon fat in a mixing bowl and stir to combine, then add the egg and milk and stir until mixed. Stir together the flour and the baking powder, then add to the mixture in the mixing bowl; stir to combine. Then fold in the bacon pieces. Pour into greased muffin pans. Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full. Put in oven and bake about 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Best when served warm.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com