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Thehistoricfoodie's Blog

~ An enjoyable ramble through the world of Historic Foods and Cooking to include Gardening History, Poultry History, Dress, and All Manner of Material Culture.[©]

Thehistoricfoodie's Blog

Monthly Archives: March 2014

Wardian Cases

26 Wednesday Mar 2014

Posted by thehistoricfoodie in early household items

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Tags

terrarium, Wardian case

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Dr. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward, 1866

Readers may not know what a Wardian case is, but if I asked what a terrarium is everyone would know that it is a glass case into which are placed a bit of soil, a few adornments and plants, and sealed airtight to mimic the condensation and rain found in nature, making the case self-sufficient. The name refers to the creator, Mr. Nathan B. Ward, (1791-1868), who experimented with growing plants in such an environment beginning in 1829 in Wellclose Square London.

Legend has it that Dr. Ward, a physician and amateur botanist, noted seeds had sprouted inside a closed container in which he kept caterpillars. He left them undisturbed and noticed that the plants did quite well in their artificial environment.

During the age of discovery when plants were being collected and transported from one part of the world to another for scientific study, Mr. Ward’s case was said to keep the plants alive and viable during transport, thus before they adorned Victorian parlors, they served a much more practical purpose. Seedlings and plants which often died before reaching European botanists stood a much better chance of arriving healthy and viable in the cases.

Upon successfully transporting Australian ferns back to London, Dr. Ward published his findings in a pamphlet entitled, “The Growth of Plants Without Open Exposure to the Air” (1835). In 1842, he published “On the Growth of Plants in Closely Glazed Cases”. His cases were so well received in English homes, that in 1854 he addressed the Royal Society at the Chelses Physic Garden, and was acknowledged for having improved commerce world-wide.

Plant explorer, Joseph Hooker, was among the first to use Ward’s cases returning with species collected during a four year voyage (1839 to 1843) with Capt. James Clark Ross.

Robert Fortune transported 20,000 tea plants from Shanghai to India where much of the world’s tea is still produced.

In poorly insulated and heated homes of the past two centuries, the cases graced homes with the beauty of live plants when a potted plant in a window sill would be killed by cold air coming in around the window. Children could learn how plants grew while parents could appreciate the variety in color and texture of a collection of ferns and mosses. Growing orchids in such a case fueled the Victorian fervor of growing the beautiful flowers.

The aviaries and conservatories of the 19th century may be viewed as Wardian cases on a colossal scale in that the glass allowed sunlight to reach the plants while limiting the drying effects of wind and the detrimental effects of salt spray or putrid air such as made it difficult for Dr. Ward to grow ferns during London’s industrial age.

A Cloth Before

21 Friday Mar 2014

Posted by thehistoricfoodie in 18th century clothing

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apron

aprons rubens 1760s

David Allan Highlannd Dance 1780

Readers will recall a previous post on aprons, but today we will focus on brief descriptions and the apron’s use in carrying various items. Gathering these references reminded me of my youth when aprons were commonly worn whether fancy for show or utilitarian for gathering eggs, holding clothes-pins, picking vegetables, etc. The references are presented as they were found pre-1790 with no additional rhetoric on my part.

Thomas Sheridan defined an apron as, “A cloth hung before to keep the other dress clean, or for ornament”. (1790)

A novel described a utilitarian apron in 1797 as: “her old checked apron, which was very clean, and had been patched and darned from one end to the other…”. – The Universalist’s Miscellany.

Let’s look at the description of a fine apron. “…having an apron on, that was embroidered with silk of different colours…”. – Annual Register. Vol. I. (1758).

While being queried for a possible service position, it was written that the lady had not only observed the girl’s appearance, but had felt her garments as well. “…every article of which she not only examined with her eyes, but her fingers, feeling the stuff of my gown, and holding my apron between her and the light, to observe the quality of the gauze and the texture of the lace.”

The woman then questioned the girl as to whether it was her own or a borrowed garment, “why this is a lace at twelve shillings the yard, was there ever such extravagance! But perhaps you had it cheap at an old-cloaths shop…In fact she had guessed the real history of the apron, which I had bought that morning in my way to her Ladyship’s house; and I owned it was so, and that I had it at a third of the value”. The lady appreciated her thriftiness at having secured such a bargain. Upon entering service, the girl received a blue flannel apron and stomacher from her Ladyship. – Mackenzie, Henry. The Lounger. 1788. Edinburgh.

Jonathan Swift wrote: “I found out your letter about directions for the apron; and have ordered to be bought, a cheap green silk work apron.” Works of Jonathan Swift. 1784.

A 1780 account noted a butcher’s apron was white and ironically so was an executioner’s. 1780, The Antiquarian Repertory.

In 1770, John Gay, documented a white apron worn by his maid. – The Works of Mr. John Gay.

“She then removed her checked apron, and mewed [sic] a white muslin one, embroidered and flounced”. The woman revealed to her companion that she was not in service, but instead a gentlewoman and dressed down in order to go unrecognized. “I keep a large bonnet, and cloak, and a checked apron, and a pair of clogs, or pattens, always at this friend’s; and then when I have put them on, people take me for a mere common person and I walk on”. – Burney, Fanny. Camilla. 1796.

Henry Fielding penned the phrase, “a short flowered apron”, in 1741.

I found references prior to 1790 to: a greasy apron; a leather apron; a clean apron; a gentleman’s linen apron; a gold apron struck with green; muslin apron; an executioner wearing a linen apron; “her apron green serge, striped longitudinally with scarlet ferreting and bound with the same”; a Holland apron (1728); white apron trimmed in pink; a cobbler’s apron; “her apron tucked up”; “the lady’s laced apron”; a coarse apron; a waiter in a blue apron; “fate must hang on apron strings”; and “tied to her apron strings”.

Aprons were a universal means of carrying various items as is evidenced by the close-up of a painting of Rubens’ (1750 or 60’s) in which the child has an apron full of grain and several pre-1790 written references to “an apron full” to include: an apron full of shells; an apron full of papers; an apron full of letters; apron full of wit and novelty; apron full of biscuit; apron full of tools; apron full of stones; apron full of playthings; her apron full of grain and millet seed; apron full of sheaves; apron full of onions; apron full of peas; and an apron full of reasons; apron full of cloths.

Chicken Corn Soup with Pennsylvania Dutch Saffron

16 Sunday Mar 2014

Posted by thehistoricfoodie in 18th century food, Colonial foods, historic food, open hearth cooking, Pennsylvania Dutch food

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

chicken and corn soup, Ft. Toulouse, Pennsylvania Dutch, saffron

The photos below were taken at Ft Toulouse, Wetumpka, AL on 3-15-14 as TheHistoricFoodie prepared a classic Pennsylvania Dutch soup with saffron grown and harvested in Lancaster County, PA, home of Martin’s ancestors who left Alsace, Upper Rhineland, and the Palatinate and settled there prior to 1730. The reader will notice the difference in color between the two photos of the soup – before and after the saffron was added. There are photos of the saffron threads and of the saffron steeping prior to putting it in the soup. Thank you for visiting and sharing in our adventures.

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A Historic Foodie Designs a Modern Kitchen

12 Wednesday Mar 2014

Posted by thehistoricfoodie in Self-sufficiency

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Spoiler Alert: This post will be a departure from adventures in historic foods. We plan to move soon, and want to update the kitchen prior to moving into the new place. I’m reading reviews, evaluating them, researching products, and deciphering for myself what will best work for us to include flooring, counter top, back splash, and a new range.

As I describe the sales people who have waited on us this week, I think a pattern will emerge.

Lowe’s: We had a courteous, knowledgeable, and genuinely helpful middle aged lady who confirmed what I’d come to believe from my research. She answered all my questions, and offered additional information that cemented my choices in counter top. I was so impressed with her that I intend to have her, and only her, work up the order for my new counter top and while I’m at it, order the material for the back splash, tile and grout for the floor, and lighting.

Home Depot: Being the obsessive compulsive person I am, I went to Home Depot to compare products and prices and had a “20-something” sales girl busy texting her friends and who made no effort to hide her annoyance with me when I asked a question. She was clueless about any of the products, never gave any more than an off-hand, “I don’t know”, while still holding her phone which maintained a steady stream of incoming text messages. She could not even tell me how long the sale would last.

Sears: We went in specifically to find out if there is any real difference in operating a gas stove on propane since natural gas is not available out in the boondocks where we’ll be living. We got another barely “20-something” who knew absolutely nothing about any of the appliances. He could not answer any questions, no matter how simple and again, could not tell us how long the ones we liked would be available at the sale price. My impatience was complicated by the fact that he needed to blow his nose in the worst kind of way and instead just kept constantly sniffing, driving me nuts. I wanted to hold a Kleenex to his nose and tell him to blow as I did my children when they were toddlers. Strike # two for the young folks.

Best Buy: We had a third 20-something wait on us, again clueless, but to his credit he did at least try to pull up the ranges on the Best Buy website for me. His efforts did nothing for me, however, because I’d already spent so many hours online reading reviews and features on stoves they offer that I knew more about the products than he did. At least I know the difference between a gas stove and an electric one which the young gentleman did not. When I found myself explaining the basics to him, I realized it was time to exit the building.

Best Buy Round Two: As we were leaving, young clerk long gone, his manager, a middle aged gentleman retired from the Air Force, asked us if the fellow had answered all our questions. I told him that he’d tried, but no. He then took us back to the department and spent time with us, answering my questions, helped find a range that meets my expectations, even pulling up the reviews on it online and helping scan through them and evaluate the pros and cons. You can just about bet the farm I will have him order that range for me – a nice duel fuel model with double ovens, the largest being convection, and with nice large burners on top. Reviews were 4.9 out of 5 positive, pretty darn good.

Local Merchant: FYI – A local company claims to meet or beat prices at the Big Box Stores, but when I compiled a list of ranges I wanted to choose from based on performance and reviews, every one of them was between $80. and $100. more expensive than at the other sources listed in this piece.

I leave you to form your own opinions whether dodging ”20-somethings” that have jobs selling products about which they have absolutely no clue is acceptable for you. I’ll be the one looking for the more stable older employee.

Say No To GMO’s

05 Wednesday Mar 2014

Posted by thehistoricfoodie in Uncategorized

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I wonder how many Americans actually know the dangers of growing and consuming genetically modified (GM) foods and how many continue to have blind trust regarding the quality of food found in American markets. GM corn has been altered to make it herbicide resistant (Roundup Ready) and to produce its own insecticide (Bt Toxin). In short, GM corn can kill insects that try to eat it, and it can kill weeds that grow around it.

I am no geneticist or botanist, and do not presume to advise, but I am intelligent enough to do the research and form my own opinion regarding the safe consumption of such corn, which coincidentally agrees with that of the Institute for Responsible Technology. “’Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food’, including accelerated aging, faulty Insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) asked physicians to advise their patients to avoid GM foods.”

Scientists with the FDA (Food and Drug Admin.) repeatedly warned that GM foods can create side effects including accelerated allergies, toxins, new diseases, and nutritional problems which would be extremely hard to detect in patients exhibiting varied symptoms. They recommended long-term safety studies but unlike other parts of the world where intellect prevailed, America chose to ignore the warnings. Even China has refused shipments of corn from America because they fear the effects of GM corn.

Let’s look at some of the specific issues addressed by the IRT.
* Thousands of sheep, buffalo, and goats in India died after grazing on Bt cotton plants.
* Mice eating GM corn for the long term had fewer, and smaller babies.
*More than half the babies of mother rats fed GM soy died within three weeks and were smaller.
* Testicle cells of mice and rats on GM soy changed significantly.
* By the third generation, most GM soy-fed hamsters lost the ability to have babies.
* Rodents fed GM corn and soy showed immune system responses and signs of toxicity.
* Cooked GM soy contains as much as 7-times the amount of a known soy allergen.
* Soy allergies skyrocketed by 50% in the UK, soon after GM soy was introduced.
* The stomach lining of rats fed GM potatoes showed excessive cell growth, a condition that may lead to cancer.
* Studies showed organ lesions, altered liver and pancreas cells, changed enzyme levels, etc.

“The only published human feeding experiment revealed that the genetic material inserted into GM soy transfers into bacteria living inside our intestines and continues to function”, so that long after we stop eating it the proteins may remain inside us. Sound harmless? The study showed that if an antibiotic gene inserted into most GM crops transfers, it could create super diseases resistant to known antibiotics. If that isn’t enough, think about this: “if the gene that creates Bt toxin in GM corn were to transfer, it might turn our intestinal bacteria into living pesticide factories.”

Do the “benefits” of GM corn outweigh the incredible risks? Apparently not. A 2012 nutritional analysis found, “GM corn lacking in vitamins and nutrients when compared to non-GM corn….Non-GMO corn is 20 times richer in nutrition, energy and protein”, than GMO corn.”

Let’s break this down – we’ve removed a significant part of the nutritional value from the corn, drastically increased its potential for human allergies to corn and soy, and we’ve left ourselves exposed to potentially catastrophic health risks. How can there be any remotely significant reason for allowing these products in American food other than to pad the purses of CEO’s from companies that lobbied against labeling of products that contain GM corn?

The list of companies who want to keep us in the dark about these dangers and who contributed an exorbitant amount of money to fight being required to list their presence on food labels in America include Heinz, Kellogg’s, Nestle, Coca-Cola, Smuckers, Pepsico, ConAgra, Kraft, McCormack, DuPont, Del Monte, Hormel, Sara Lee, Campbell’s, Dole, Bumble Bee, Morton salt, Smithfield, Idahoan, Land of Lakes, Rich’s, Godiva, General Mills, Bayer, etc. [The list is found elsewhere on this blog].

How many of Kellogg’s or General Mills’ cereals contain corn? How many products which may appear corn-free and safe enough, such as Ocean Spray, Nestle Quick, or soft drinks, contain corn sweetener which may also come from GM corn without any warning on the label? There’s a reason these companies didn’t want us to know GM corn is in their products.

How can we avoid the GM dangers? As one of my best buds pointed out this morning, we can grow our own corn. Growing heirloom corn would help to reduce the amount of GM corn we consume, but how difficult is it to keep our home-grown corn safe from the airborne pollen drift and cross-pollination with potentially GM corn grown by our neighbor? You won’t like the answer although there are reports that downplay the dangers.

The Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of California published results which state, “Under field conditions, 97% or more of the kernels produced by each plant are pollinated by other plants…Pollen is light and can be carried considerable distances by the wind”. They went on to say there are limits as to how long pollen can stay viable, and a belief that the bulk of the pollen settles to the ground within 50 feet of the donor plant, but they also said, “Once released from the tassels into the air, pollen grains can travel as far as ½ mile in 2 minutes in a wind of 15 miles per hour”.

Do we trust that if we save seed from our pure heirloom corn to plant next year, that a half mile away someone hasn’t planted GM corn which may cross-pollinate with some of it? Time will tell. In the meantime we can search for non-GMO labels – while it is not a requirement to list the presence of GM foods on labels, some companies want consumers to know their products are GMO free, we can grow our own, we can buy certified organic, and lastly, we can follow the Non-GMO Project studies and lists of safe foods. See their website for further information.

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