100 year old Apple Fritter Recipe,

100 year Old  Apple Fritter Recipe


1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp salt
1/2 cupful milk
2 eggs
1 tsp oil or butter
3 tbsp sugar
1 cup diced apple

Beat eggs extremely well (until fluffy).  In a bowl, put your dry ingredients and mix them well, then add milk, butter/oil, eggs......Mix well until you have  a thick batter, then add your apples.
Heat your cooking oil to 350 degrees and  drop batter by spoonfuls into the oil.  (Don't make them too big or they will not be done in  the middle.  Watch them closely  and do not walk away while frying.  1-3 minutes on each side.  Remove from oil and lay on a paper towel or brown paper to absorb excess oil. 
They are ready to eat plain but you can sprinkle them with powdered sugar.
Also ... if you like you may add 1/4 Tsp  cinnamon to the recipe.

100 year old tomatoe bisque recipe,

Dinner tonight will be Ida Bailey Allens Tomato Bisque with homemade foccaccia bread and a salad from the  fall garden

100 year old Tomato Bisque recipe

3 cups stewed sifted tomatoes (I'm gonna puree with the food processor)
1/2 tsp baking  soda  (to lessen the acidity)
3 cups scalded milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp butter

Mix baking soda into tomatoes and set aside.  Put butter and flour in a saucepan  on medium and stir til melted together. Add milk, salt and pepper and bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 5 minutes or until  milk thickens. When milk is thickened  add tomatoes and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately.

I'm going to add  a tablespoon of basil  since I went to all the effort of growing it, drying it and storing it.  Ida recommends adding a bay leaf and one slice of diced onion if you have it.  I'm going to add these three in the butter and flour and sautee' them before adding the milk.

100 year old red cabbage recipe, old family recipe,

Cabbage: Undeniably the most humble vegetable you can grow effortlessly in your garden. It is sturdy, prolific, nutritious, stores well and a single head can feed the masses.  The ruling classes should drop to their knees and give thanks for cabbage. Cabbage is the reason the working class folks are still there to serve their every petty whim (potatoes run a close second).   On that note... tonight we are  having braised pork tenderloin  with  a family recipe for red cabbage that is  at least 100 years old.

100 year old red cabbage recipe

You will need 2 cups chopped red cabbage
2 tbs diced onion
1 diced  apple  (I recommend granny smith, but any apple will do.  Peal or not peal ..its up to you)
1 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs vinegar
2 tbs oil ( I like olive oil myself but I've experienced it with bacon fat and..  surprise its just as yummy)
1 tbs butter (optional)

Put oil (and butter)  in a skillet and heat it to medium  When butter is melted add all other ingredients and saute until onions are clear.
      
This recipe takes to canning very well without turning to mush... but I recommend  a pressure cooker for sealing as  a water bather does not get hot enough 

100 year old green tomatoe pickle recipe, Texas Chow Chow, Granny's Chow Chow, Green Tomatoes, (southern chow-chow), Ida Bailey Allen

Many of our tomatoes are turning this week thanks to the strangely warm and summery weather we are experiencing here in Seattle. But its not going to be enough. Now.... I told Jimmy we should put  a half cold frame back over them ( or go on a national search for a virgin to sacrifice) but he has valid reasons for not doing so. That means, it falls to me to get creative.  In desperation I am once again turning to Ida. Pickled green tomatoes. I'm hoping this serves two purposes;
 1.) Our cucumber crop was less than stellar this year resulting in only 7 pints of pickles. We go through about 2 dozen (including gifting).
 2.) Substituting green tomatoes for classic cucumber pickles will keep ALL those wonderful tomatoes, we had such high hopes for, out of the compost bin.

I will be practicing some kitchen courage with 10 of  the  40 pounds or so of unripened tomatoes.  The rest I will pull this weekend , put in a cardboard box (not touching) and allow to ripen  before making sauce.
I have faith in this because I have used green tomatoes for other purposes ( southern  chow-chow and frying)

Pickled green tomatoes
5  pounds green tomatoes (quartered and the seeds cleaned out)
2 pounds onions
2 pounds green peppers  (quartered and the seeds cleaned out)
5 cups  vinegar
2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp mixed pickling spices
1 tsp each celery and mustard seed (I'm gonna use 2 tbsp mustard seed cuz I like all pickles really mustard-y)
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp horseradish (I'm not gonna use this cuz horseradish and me do not mix well)

Put all vegetables in a container of brine water (1/2 cup salt to 1 quart of water) Let stand over night. Drain and pack in sterilized  jars
Put vinegar,sugar and seasonings in a pot and bring to a boil, simmer 20 minutes. Pour over  vegetables in jars making sure to cover all vegetables  with liquid.  Put on sterilized lids  and water bath for 10 minutes. Store in cool dark place.  Allow 6 weeks for curing.   

100 Year Old Jam Recipe, Spiced Jam with turbinado

Its Jam and Jelly making time. Fruit is everywhere!

This is an ANY FRUIT YOU HAVE  recipe
Its over  one hundred years old.
I also use it for plum jam because my neighbors have a tree and they give me bushels of them.  Most of them are turned into wine but I like to save out  a couple of pounds for jam.

I know some of you jam and jelly makers out there are hooked  on commercial pectin. For You folks... use the ingredients here and follow the instructions on the pectin packet.

For braver souls who are willing to get into the way back time machine and do it like granny did it, here is my favorite jam recipe and directions.

Spiced Blackberry -Apricot Jam

2 cups strained blackberry juice (you can use whole berries but I hate the seeds)
2 cups pitted  quartered apricots
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon butter ( optional to stop foaming)
5 cups sugar  (if you want a truly amazing jam, use turbinado or raw cane suger)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Put all ingredients together in large pot, stir gently and let stand for 1 hour.
2. Bring all ingredients to  a rolling boil, stirring constantly
3. Simmer until the mixture is thick when dropped on a plate

When done,  pour into sterilizeded jars, cap with sterilizeded lids and water bath for 10 minutes.

If you need a little extra courage for this process, keep remembering that people were making jams and jellies for hundreds of years before commercial pectin   showed up in the 1920's and became the 'only' way to make jams and jellies.  Most fruits want to be jam, especially strawberries and apples. All you really need  is the ingredients, some patience and some kitchen courage.

100 year Old Fudge Recipe

Its rainy and gray and cold here in Seattle.  So, I wanted to make fudge to go with my hot spiced wine.
I know there is a fudge recipe on the back of every jar of marshmallow cream but I wanted to make it from scratch without  re-mixing somebody else's  end products (ie marshmallows and chocolate chips)
To that end I turned to Ida Bailey Allen.  But Ida didn't warn me that candy making is an art form! It takes practice. The recipe she gives takes only about 10 minutes but its 10 very important minutes and prep  is essential.  The first time I didn't have everything I needed sitting 12 inches from me.  3 feet from the cook is to far.  The next time I used turbinado instead of fine granulated sugar. This gave me crunchy candy because the crystals were too big to dissolve in the time  allotted.  Last night...... I GOT it!
Here's Ida's recipe and some basic instructions learned by .........well.... screwing up.

CANDIES OF THE FUDGE FORMATION (Ida's title... not mine)

3 cups fine grain sugar
2 ounces unsweetened bakers chocolate (this makes a milk chocolate fudge. Add another ounce for darker fudge)
3 tbs butter
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup milk
1 cup chopped nuts

If you are a beginner like me a candy thermometer is a must have

Chop your nuts and put them in a bowl (stop laughing Jimmy)
Put your butter and vanilla in a small bowl
Grease a flat pan with butter,set aside
Put your sugar and milk in a large pot and bring to a boil stirring constantly, scraping bottom of pan  while you stir (seriously, don't stop or the whole thing will go south)
Boil til candy thermometer says 236 degrees
remove from heat immediately  and add pre-measured  butter and vanilla
beat fudge for three to five minutes... longer if you can.
When you  are at the end of the beating, add your nuts and mix well.  If you add these to soon you get nut butter
Pour into pre-buttered pan. Let cool in out of the way place for a couple of hours

Ida says the trick to good fudge is to cook it shorter and beat it longer.  I use my hand mixer and start on low (don't want to be splattering blistering candy all over yourself and the kitchen) gradually increase speed. After a minute or two your fudge will begin to look fluffy instead of saucy.
Don't forget to pre-measure everything before you turn on the heat  because candy doesn't give you  enough time to pour the vanilla into a measuring spoon.

PS....... ADDENDUM......10/16/10
 I was told by my candy making neighbor that I need to drop the temp on this recipe to 212 degrees to make creamier fudge. She said only do 236 when using heavy cream.  Back to the kitchen to try again!

100 Year Old Cornish Pasties Recipe

Cooking for two can sometimes be a real challenge. It takes some serious meal planning. Its not too hard with a twenty minute meal like pork chops or pasta... But when you want a roast (beef or chicken or tenderloin) it gets tricky.  Its nearly impossible to get a 10 oz beef roast.  When going for a food you know will have leftovers , the leftovers should be planned for. Ida Bailey Allen has a whole section for leftovers.  Tonight we will be having roast pork tenderloin.  Tomorrow I will use the leftover tenderloin to make Ida's Cornish Pasties.  I love this recipe and so does Jimmy.  Once cooked, the little pasties can be frozen for a quick meal at a later date.

Cornish Pasties

2 cups cold cooked diced potatoes
2 cups cold cooked meat
1/2 small onion,diced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Pie crust (as I said in a previous post..... I make nappy pie crust, so find a recipe from a RELIABLE source)

Mix potatoes,onions,meat, salt and pepper together in a bowl.
roll your pie crust thin and cut into 4 inch squares.
Put a spoonful of the meat mix in the middle of each square. 
Wet the edges with water or milk and fold them over the meat mix.
Brush the sides with milk or water
place on a greased flat pan and bake for 20 minutes.

100 year old Chicken & Dumplings Recipe

Its raining in Seattle......S'PRISE!  So, today 's recipe is perfect for a cold, squishy day. Pre WWII  Chicken and Dumplings (for two).  Total cooking time 2 hours ...... This is a pre instant gratification food, and well worth the wait! If you  have a  few extra  people  around the table and need a little more... just use a bigger chicken, a bigger pot and add more vegetables.

100 year Old Chicken & Dumplings Recipe

You will need for this:
1 small cornish hen
1 medium onion
4 medium carrots
1 cup diced celery (optional)
1/2 tsp sage
2 tbs parsley (4 tbs if using fresh parsley)
1 tsp rosemary
salt
pepper

Put the whole chicken in an 8 quart pot of water with the herbs and the onion (quartered). Add a little salt and pepper  (tasting throughout the cooking process is mandatory so only add a little salt at a time) Bring to a low boil for about 40 to 45 minutes. If chicken is frozen when you put it in.... boiling will take about an hour.  At  45-ish minutes, take chicken out of pot and put on plate to cool for about 5 minutes.  When cool enough to touch, pull all chicken meat  off bone and put chicken meat back into pot. Add carrots  and celery at this time  and bring back to a low boil  for about thirty minutes or until carrots are done.   Your liquid will probably boil down  a couple of times during this process so just add more water when needed. When the carrots and celery are done, drop the temperature from low boil to a simmer...  drop in your dumplings and put a lid on the pot..  Let them cook for 10 minutes covered and then uncover and cook for 10 more minutes.
How do you make dumplings?

From Great Grannys 100 year old biscuit recipe of course.

2 cups all purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
2 tbs fat (yes!  grannys recipe says 'fat' because you can use shortening, vegetable oil , butter or in a pinch, bacon grease.... whatever you have handy)
3/4 cup milk

Put all dry ingredients in a bowl and  add 'fat'. Mix fat in with a fork until your ingredients are  sort of crumbly. Then add milk and  mix well.  Lay out dough on a piece of floured  wax paper. Pat down to about an inch thick. Cut into about 2 inch squares and add to pot.  Cook covered for 10 minutes and uncovered for another 10 minutes.

(If you want to make biscuits  instead of dumplings  just follow the recipe above , cut dough into biscuit rounds,  put in a greased, lightly  floured pan and cook in an oven preheated to 400 degrees  for about 15 minutes or so.)
  
Now I'll admit this all sounds labor intensive, but honestly I get in a  whole lot of conversing , net surfing, crocheting, telephoning and general puttering-around  activity while the cooking process is occurring. And if anyone wants me to do something I don't want to do... I just say  'cant...I'm cooking"

100 year old Amish sugar cookie recipe

100 year old Amish  sugar cookie recipe

1 pound butter
3 cups  sugar
4 well beaten eggs
8 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp soda
4 tsp baking powder
2 cups heavy cream
1 tbsn vanilla

Cream together butter,sugar,eggs and vanilla. Then add your cream slowly.  Then add all other ingredients. Roll out dough to about 1/2 inch thick and  cut  desired shape.  Bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees.  Do not over bake as this will dry out your cookies. You may need to experiment with the temp a bit as each oven differs.  

100 year old corn chowder recipe

100 year old Corn Chowder recipe

2 slices salt pork or bacon
2 tbs minced onion
2 cups diced potatoes
3 cups boiling water
2 cups corn
4 cups milk
1 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp paprika
2 tbs flour

1. Saute onions and salt pork/bacon together until onions are clear.
2. Add Potatoes and water, simmer until potatoes are tender.
3. Add corn, seasonings and milk, let simmer for  about 10 minutes
4. Thicken with the flour and let simmer for five minutes 

100 Year Old Mountain White Bread Recipe

100 year old Mountain White Bread recipe

Yesterdays  bread making was an astounding success.  Mountain White Bread made with honey and butter.   Be prepared though , The  aroma will linger and make you crazy.  The whole house still smelled like fresh baked bread when I got up this morning. It is yeasty  and tangy,  buttery and slightly sweet.  I brushed a small amount of milk on the dough right before I put it in the oven so the crust is  flaky but not too chewy It is also the most sliceable bread I have ever made. 

 

 

Mountain White Bread
You will need:

3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon  salt  (if you use salted butter I would cut it down to 3/4 tablespoon salt)
1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk (around 105 degrees)
5 1/2 to 6 cups  all purpose flour

1. Mix your active dry yeast, sugar and water together in the large bowl you intend to make the bread in, stir gently and set aside to proof. In 10 minutes if your yeast mix is foamy then you are good to go.
2. In a separate bowl mix your  honey, butter (melt your butter first), salt ,milk and 1 cup of your flour
3. When your yeast mix is foamy add the milk and butter mixture to it . If you are doing it by hand, whisk it together.  If you are using a mixer,  I recommend a  low setting.
4. Add the rest of your flour to the mixture slowly, 1 cup at a time.
This bread requires a great deal of kneading, so once you have a nice smooth dough continue kneading for  another 5 or 6 minutes.
5. Put dough in  large, lightly oiled bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap or a wet clean towel  and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 1/2  to 2 hours.
6. When dough has risen to double in  size, remove from bowl and knead for about 5 more minutes.
7 . Split dough in half , shape into  loaves and place in oiled bread pans.
8. Make a 1/4  inch slit down middle of  dough and put in warm place to rise for  about 45 minutes.
9. Preheat oven to 375
10. Place on middle rack and bake for 45 minutes  or until bread is golden brown.  (mine was done in 30 minutes so keep an eye on it.)

Here are  some pretty pictures, I wanted you to be able to see the texture!