Cleaning Quotes from 19th Century Cookbooks

Cleaning Quotes from 19th Century Cookbooks

Last week I shared some cooking quotes from 19th century cookbooks that inspired my book, Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker, in particular the menus cooked by Mrs. Curry.

This week I’d like to share some of the cleaning tips I gleaned through my research, many of which I incorporated into the daily duties of my maid character, Eleanor Sigmund.

For example, this quote was inspired by this detail shared in Fannie Farmer’s Boston Cooking-School Cookbook, 1896: “To prevent Glassware from being easily broken, put in a kettle of cold water, heat gradually until water has reached boiling point. Set aside; when water is cold take out glass. This is a most desirable way to toughen lamp chimneys.”

These two scenes were inspired by lines found in Miss Corson’s Practical American Cookery and Household Management, 1886.

I’ve shared some more great quotes below in a slideshow format, taken from a presentation I used to give at local libraries. Just click on the arrows to either side and you should be taken to the next slide. 🙂

The last slide makes an excellent segue into next week’s collection of quotes: Home Health…

You can learn more about my historical mystery, Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker, here. Be sure to add the book to your Goodreads Want to Read List so you’ll know when I reveal the cover and the book is available for pre-order! You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or sign up for my newsletter for all the latest updates!

Thank you for reading!

One Reply to “Cleaning Quotes from 19th Century Cookbooks”

  1. I wish more people responded to these blog posts — they are fascinating! Why do you think the water has to “fall from a distance of three feet”? Haha! Watching Victorian Farm: on laundry day she had a lot of similar remedies for stains that were so interesting!

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