Most of the food required by a farm family during the early 1800s was produced on their own farm in season and had to be preserved for future use. Summer and fall were the busiest times for food preservation: the abundance of these seasons supplied the long winter and spring. The housewife use methods derived from tradition, experience, periodicals, and recipe books. Proper storage, drying, pickling, and smoking were the methods used. Some produce, such as corn, beans, and apples were dried in large quantities and used as a barter item a local stores.
Needed
Apple corer
Apples
String
Paring knife or vegetable peeler
Instructions
- Using the apple corer, core the apples.
- Peel the apples and cut them into ¼” slices with the hole in the middle.
- Pass a length of string through the apple rings.
- Hang the apples up to dry. This will take about three weeks.
- When they are dry, try storing them in paper bags until spring and use them in a recipe. Before using them, soak the dried apples in warm water until they are soft and use them as you would fresh apples in pies or sauce.
