Thanksgiving Recipes from America’s Past
For more information on many of these historic recipes, click on the link to past Pilgrim Hall Museum exhibits on Thanksgiving themes.
PUMPION PIE 1671 from The Compleat Cook. Exhibit: Thanksgiving by the (Cook) Book
APPLE PIE 1796 from American Cookery by Amelia Simmons. Exhibit Thanksgiving & the New England Pie
CRANBERRY TART 1796 from American Cookery by Amelia Simmons. Exhibit: Thanksgiving & the New England Pie
MINCED PIE OF BEEF 1796 from American Cookery by Amelia Simmons, 1796. Exhibit: Thanksgiving & the New England Pie
“POMPKIN PUDDING” 1796 from American Cookery by Amelia Simmons. Exhibit: Thanksgiving & the New England Pie
TO STUFF & ROAST A TURKEY 1796 from American Cookery by Amelia Simmons. Exhibit: The Great American Turkey
MINCE PIES 1832 from The American Frugal Housewife by Mrs. Child. Exhibit: Thanksgiving by the (Cook)Book
MINCE MEAT PIE 1847 from The New England Economical Housekeeper by Mrs. E. A. Howland. Exhibit: Thanksgiving & the New England Pie
PUMPKIN PIE 1847 from The New England Economical Housekeeper by Mrs. E. A. Howland. Exhibit: Thanksgiving & the New England Pie
AN “EXCELLENT” APPLE PIE 1855 from Miss Beecher’s Domestic Receipt Book by Catherine Beecher. Exhibit: Thanksgiving & the New England Pie
MRS. O’S PUMPKIN PIE 1855 from Miss Beecher’s Domestic Receipt Book by Catherine Beecher. Exhibit: Thanksgiving & the New England Pie
TO ROAST A TURKEY 1857 from Mrs. Hale’s New Cook Book by Mrs. Sarah J. Hale. Exhibit: Thanksgiving by the (Cook)Book
SPICED PUMPKIN PIE 1858 from The Skillful Housewife’s Book by Mrs. L.G. Abell. Exhibit: Thanksgiving & the New England Pie
MINCE PIE 1859 from The Young Housekeeper’s Friend by Mrs. Cornelius. Exhibit : Thanksgiving & the New England Pie
“PASTE” (PIE CRUST) RECIPE 1859 from The Young Housekeeper’s Friend by Mrs. Cornelius. Exhibit: Thanksgiving & the New England Pie
“RICH” MINCE MEAT PIE 1860 from The American Practical Cookery-Book by A Practical Housekeeper. Exhibit: Thanksgiving & the New England Pie
SUGAR & SPICE APPLE PIE 1865 from An American Family Cook Book by a Boston Housekeeper. Exhibit: Thanksgiving & the New England Pie
PUMPKIN PIE 1878 from Practical Cooking & Dinner Giving by Mrs. Mary F. Henderson. Exhibit: Thanksgiving & the New England Pie
ENGLISH ROAST TURKEY 1881 from Practical Housekeeping (Minneapolis). Exhibit : The Great American Turkey
PULLED MOLASSES CANDY 1887 from The American Girls Handy Book: How to amuse yourself and others by Lina Beard and Adelia B. Beard. Exhibit : The New England Child’s Thanksgiving.
CHESTNUT STUFFING 1891 from The Table : how to buy food, how to cook it, and how to serve it by Alessandro Filippini. Exhibit : Thanksgiving by the (Cook)Book
CHICKEN PIE, Country Style 1891 from The Table by Alessandro Filippini. Exhibit :Thanksgiving “a la Carte”
CRANBERRY PIE 1891 from The Table by Alessandro Filippini. Exhibit : Thanksgiving & the New England Pie
LALLA ROOKH PUNCH 1891 from The Table by Alessandro Filippini. Exhibit : Thanksgiving “a la Carte”
TERRAPIN, a la Gastronome 1891 from The Table by Alessandro Filippini. Exhibit : Thanksgiving “a la Carte”
BONED CAPON, aux Truffes 1894 “Cuisses de Chapon aux Truffes” from The Epicurean by Charles Ranhofer. Exhibit : Thanksgiving “a la Carte”
ENGLISH PLUM PUDDING, Hard and Brandy Sauce 1894 “Plum Pouding St. George” from The Epicurean by Charles Ranhofer. Exhibit : Thanksgiving “a la Carte”
MARROW SQUASH 1894 “Citrouille au Parmesan” from The Epicurean by Charles Ranhofer. Exhibit : Thanksgiving “a la Carte”
BOILED HAM with Sprouts 1894 “Jambon Bouilli aux Epinards” from The Epicurean by Charles Ranhofer. Exhibit : Thanksgiving “a la Carte”
RED KIDNEY BEANS 1894 “Haricots Rouges a l’Etuvee” from The Epicurean by Charles Ranhofer. Exhibit : Thanksgiving “a la Carte”
TURKEY FRENCH STYLE 1894 “Dinde a la Francaise” from The Epicurean by Charles Ranhofer. Exhibit : The Great American Turkey
VACHERIN CHANTILLY, a la Lausanne 1894 from The Epicurean by Charles Ranhofer. Exhibit : Thanksgiving “a la Carte”
SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR MILITARY FIELD BREAD 1896 from Manual for Army Cooks. Exhibit : Thanksgiving “Over There”
CRANBERRY PIE 1897 from Hood’s Practical Cook’s Book. Exhibit : Thanksgiving & the New England Pie
ROAST TURKEY WITH TRUFFLE GRAVY 1905 from The Book of Good Dinners by Fannie Merritt Farmer. Exhibit : The Great American Turkey
CRISCO’S APPLE PIE 1913 from The Story of Crisco. Exhibit : Thanksgiving & the New England Pie
ARMY PUMPKIN PIE 1916 from Manual for Army Cooks. Exhibit : Thanksgiving “Over There”
WORLD WAR I THANKSGIVING ON THE HOMEFRONT SUGAR-SAVING MOCK MINCEMEAT FILLING FOR PIE 1918 from Foods That Will Win the War & How to Cook Them by C. Houston & Alberta M. Goudiss. Exhibit : Thanksgiving “Over There”
MILITARY COOKING 1941 TURKEY, ROAST from Manual of Mess Management. Exhibit : Thanksgiving “Over There”
WORLD WAR II THANKSGIVING ON THE HOME FRONT: NUT-SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE 1943 from Cooking on a Ration by Marjorie Mills. Exhibit : Thanksgiving “Over There”
The Recipes
Pumpion Pie
From The Compleat Cook; London: printed for Nathaniel Brook, 1671
Take about half a pound of Pumpion and slice it, a handfull of tyme, a little rosemary, parsley and sweet marjorum slipped off the stalks, and chop them small, then take the cynamon, nutmeg, pepper and six cloves, and beat them, take ten eggs and beat them, then mix them and beat them all together and put in as much sugar as you think fit, then fry them like a froize*, after it is fryed, let it stand till it be cold, then fill your pye, take sliced apples thinne round wayes, and lay a rowe of the froize, and layer the apples with currents betwixt the layer while your pye is fitted, and put in a good deal of sweet Butter before you close it, when pye is baked, take six yelks of eggs, some whitewine or vergis*, and make a caudle* of this, but not too thick, cut up the lid and put it in, stir them well together whilst the eggs and pumpions be not perceived and so serve it up.
*froize = a kind of pancake or omelet
*vergis = verjuice, juice from unripened grapes or from crab apples or other sour fruit
*caudle = a warm spiced and sugared drink
APPLE PIE – 1796
From: American Cookery by Amelia Simmons, 1796.
APPLE PIE – 1796
Stew and strain the apples, to every three pints, grate the peel of a fresh lemon, add cinnamon, mace, rose-water and sugar to your taste – and bake in paste.
A BUTTERED APPLE PIE – 1796
Pare, quarter and core tart apples, lay in paste, cover with the same; bake half an hour, when drawn, gently raise the top crust, add sugar, butter, cinnamon, mace, wine or rose-water.