Apple butter kettle, ca. 1890-1900. MCHS object 1991-024-0001. The kettle has a homemade stirring mechanism operated by a long pole.
“Receipt” for apple butter. Source: Harland, Marion. Common Sense in the Household: A Manual of Practical Housewifery. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1871. Available at the Madison County Archival Library.
Processing Dairy
Cream separator, ca. 1880-1920. MCHS object 1969-046-0001.
Butter paddle, ca. 1860-1900. MCHS object 2014-057-0003. After churning the cream and collecting the butter, the buttermaker used the paddle to squeeze the water out of the butter, work and knead it to a thick, fine, yellow marble, and then mold it into pats.
Milk strainer, ca. 1880-1900. MCHS object 1983-143-0001. This strainer filters the cow’s milk as it is collected in the milking pail.
Baking
Flour sifter, ca. 1819-1930. MCHS object 1984-158-0003. Bromwell still makes this same 5-cup sifter, which sells for $125 new.
Isaac Davis ironstone mixing bowl, ca. 1875-1880. MCHS object 1967-029-0002.
Tube pan, ca. late-1880s. MCHS object 1987-009-0001. This pan was made by Charles Henry Tuxhorn of Edwardsville. Born in Prussia, Charles immigrated to the United States in about 1850. He soon settled in Edwardsville, where he opened a tinware shop.
Jenny Wren Recipes leaflet, 1926. In the physical document, the top edges of the two images above are joined, forming one sheet folded at the join and subsequently in thirds. The opposite side of the sheet features more recipes for using Jenny Wren Ready-Mixed Flour. MCHS document.
Fruitcake
Cake pan, ca. 1890-1938. MCHS object 1981-057-0003. This pan was used by Emma Bohm to make fruitcake at Christmastime. This pan is an example of tinned copper hollowware.
Nutmeg grater, ca. 1896-1903. MCHS object 1981-057-0003. This example is missing the wooden handle at the bottom.
“Receipt” for a fruitcake. Source: Harland, Marion. Common Sense in the Household: A Manual of Practical Housewifery. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1871. Available at the Madison County Archival Library.
