The Complete Victorian: The Pantry

In the Victorian Era, like today, ladies magazines were popular, and like today, readers sent in their favorite recipies. Godey's Lady's Book, the most popular woman's magazine in the nineeenth century, was published in America in some form for sixty eight years, from 1830 to 1898. Many of it's "reciepts" were submitted by women in both the North and the South. Our pantry contains authentic Victorian recipies as well as modern adaptations. The book it appeared in as well as the date, if available, is listed with each recipe.

In the Victorian era, most foods were kept by smoking, pickling, or kept in cool basements or suspended in the well. It was not unusual in rural houses to see the rafters hung with legs of beef, mutton, and hams. The meats were hung inside the chimneys to preserve them by smoking.