Posted by: hearttohearthcookery | August 1, 2011

Amaranth-Five

Grass basket seiving

This is the fifth step in my processing amaranth.  After skimming off the floating chaff from the water, what I had left was essentially the heavier seed and water.  To not lose any of the amaranth’s tiny seeds, I used a tightly woven grass basket.  I transferred the water and seeds to a smaller clay pot as my grass basket was small.  In the picture, you can see the tiny black seeds that remain in the basket as the water flows through.

 
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Posted in amaranth, food, food history, Grain, Lenape, Native American | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: hearttohearthcookery | July 31, 2011

The Last Ice Cream!

Infusing ginger

I made my last 18th century ice cream for National Ice Cream Month (July) yesterday.  There are so many wonderful confectionery receipts (recipes) for ice cream but I selected ginger (a personal favorite).  In the picture, I am adding the ginger preserved  that was pounded in my marble mortar and pestle.  The other ingredients in the pewter bowl are two gills of syrup and a lemon squeezed.  After allowing time for the flavors to set, the mixture is strained and placed in the sabotiere to process into a rich and creamy ginger ice cream.

Celebrate the last day of National Ice Cream Month 2011 with some ice cream!
 
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Posted in 18th century foodways, confectionery, culinary history, food, food history, ice cream, receipts, recipes, sabotiere | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: hearttohearthcookery | July 30, 2011

Amaranth-Water “Winnowing”

Amaranth-Water “Winnowing”

Both the chaff and the seed of amaranth are very light, so instead of winnowing in the typical fashion with air current, I did what I have termed water “winnowing”.  I added the elm bark basket of  processed amaranth (see post Amaranth-Three) to my large clay pot of water.  After agitating it in the water, the heavier seed goes to the bottom of the pot and the chaff floats on top.  In the picture, I am skimming off the chaff.  A small pile of chaff is on the grass in front of the pot.

 
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Posted by: hearttohearthcookery | July 29, 2011

Amaranth-Three

Grapevine Basket Seiving

Welcome readers to my 200th blog posting!  It is difficult for me to believe that I have written that many blogs!

 
The third step in my processing amaranth seed is to sieve out the larger sized chaff and small leaves.  For this I am using a grapevine basket as a sieve into one of my elm bark baskets.
 
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Posted by: hearttohearthcookery | July 28, 2011

Amaranth-Two

Amaranth

The small wood bowl holds all the amaranth after the first step of processing.  Only a few of the actual seeds are visible as most are still covered with chaff.  And visible might be an exaggeration to some eyes as the seed is very tiny.  More visible are some of the smaller leaves that will be removed. 

 
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Posted by: hearttohearthcookery | July 26, 2011

A is for Amaranth

Processing Amaranth Seed

Amaranth seed is an ancient “grain”.  It was used by the Mayans, Aztecs, Incas and was in common use by the Lenape inhabiting Lenapehoking (now currently Delaware, New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania and southwestern New York).  Pictured is my first attempt at experimenting with the processing of the seed.  I have a large elm-bark basket of amaranth (commonly called pigweed) at my feet and another smaller elm-bark basket in my lap.  Some of the seed comes off by just tapping the amaranth on the basket but I found that just rotating my fingers around the plant was more thorough in removing the seed. 

 
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Posted by: hearttohearthcookery | July 24, 2011

The Pickle for Peaches

The Pickle for Peaches

After the peaches lay in the salt and were wiped with a Coarse Cloth, the pickling solution was made by boiling up some good vinegar (white wine vinegar), tying up some bruised mustard seed (in the linen bag), and adding a little race of ginger.  The vinegar is poured on the Peaches almost cold and the salt-glazed crock is then covered close with a bladder.

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Posted in culinary history, food, food history, Food preservation, Fruits, Peaches, Pickling, receipts | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: hearttohearthcookery | July 20, 2011

Have you Pickled Peaches?

Wiping Peach

As this season’s peaches are ripening, I decided to try for the first time pickling them.  The receipt Pickled Peaches (from a manuscript receipt book) stated to Let them lie 12 hours in Salt.  I added salt to a quantity of water that  would cover the peaches and added salt until the brine was strong enough to bear an Egg.  When I took the peaches out of the salt pickle, the peaches were wiped with a Coarse Cloth.  This both removed any peach fuzz and salt residue that remained on the peaches.  Next steps to follow.

 
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Posted in culinary history, food, food history, Food preservation, Fruits, Pickling, receipts | Tags: , , , , , ,

Posted by: hearttohearthcookery | July 18, 2011

Slip-Before and After

Tiles-After Firing

Tiles-Before Firing

The picture (to the left) I posted on a previous blog of my slip workshop with Mary Farrell of Westmoore Pottery. Since that picture,  the tiles were turned to keep them flat while drying and Mary returned to her pottery to finish and fire the tiles.    She smoothed the edges with a knife, did a first (bisque) firing, dipped them in a clear glaze and fired them again in her kiln.  The dull tan slip became a very attractive yellow through the process.   Mary indeed did her magic!   When I opened my box, I was delighted with the results.  My finished tiles are pictured in the picture (on the right).

 
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Posted in pottery, Sgraffito, slip | Tags: ,

Posted by: hearttohearthcookery | July 16, 2011

Junior Food Historians?

Hands On!

July seems to be the month for history camps.  It is a pleasure for me to work with children at the hearth and have them use my food history tools.  In this picture, I have four young ladies very intent on whisking an egg with a birch twig whisk, preparing salt in a brass mortar and pestle, grating nutmeg and grinding flour.   I think back to when my interest in cooking, food, and food history really started-it was before I was ten years old!  These experiences create memories that provide an association with the sources of food, an appreciation for antiques, and maybe just perhaps-another future food historian!

 
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Posted in 18th century foodways, Birch twig whisks, children's programs, culinary history, food, food history, Hearth cooking classes | Tags: , , , , ,

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