Period Beet Vinegar

[donna]

Beet Vinegar

"Grate the washed beets, express the juice, and put the liquor in a barrel; cover the bung-hole with gauze and place it in the sun. In a few weeks the vinegar will be good."

From: "Family Receipts", B.F. Will, Cincinnati, 1854.

 

[donna]

Beets were very popular during 17th, 18th and 19th century. There were many different ways to prepare beets.

"To Make Biscuits of Red Beet Roots or as called Crimson Biscuits"

Take the Roots of Red-Beets, and boil them tender; clean them, and heat them in a Mortar with as much sugar, finely sifted; some butter; the yolks of hard eggs, a little Flower; some Spice, finely beaten, and some Orange-Flower-Water, and a little Lemon-Juice. When they are mix'd, and reduced to a Paste, make them into Cakes, and dry them in a slow Oven."

From: "Country Housewife and Lady Director", Richard Bradley, London, 1727.

 

[donna]

One of earliest beet recipes I found was from 1588. It is from "The Good Housewifes Handmaide for the Kitchen".

"How To Make Lumbardy Tarts"

"Take beets, chop them small, and to them put grated bread and cheese, and mingle them wel in the chopping. Take a few corrans, and a dishe of sweet butter, and melt it. Then stir al theses in the butter, together with three yolkes of eggs, sinamon, ginger, and sugar, and make your tart as large as you will, and fill it with the suffe, bake it, and serve it in."

 

[lupaglupa]

I love beets! When I was young my aunt made a chocolate cake with grated beets in it that was amazing. I prefer them in a salad myself but will take them most any way.

 

[Adam1stVa]

I love beets! When I was young my aunt made a chocolate cake with grated beets in it that was amazing. I prefer them in a salad myself but will take them most any way.

I do too! One of my favorite ways is Borscht, but I like pickled too. They are great for cleaning toxins from your liver.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

I love beets! When I was young my aunt made a chocolate cake with grated beets in it that was amazing. I prefer them in a salad myself but will take them most any way.

I have this unreasoning, unreasonable aversion to beets. NO idea why, swear it amounts to beetphobia. Wonder if a good chocolate cake/beet recipe could cure it? Never heard of beets in chocolate cake but if anything could slide a beet past me it would be chocolate cake.

 

[donna]

There are several chocolate cake with beets recipes. I will pick one and post.

 

[donna]

One of best Chocolate Cake recipes made with beets is from "A Taste of Home".

It calls for
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
3 eggs
2 cups pureed cooked beets
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Confectioner's sugar

Instructions given on request.

 

[donna]

I been looking for old recipe but no success yet. If anyone has one please post.

Albert do you have one?

 

[lupaglupa]

@donna this fascinating website says they couldn't find a print recipe for beet cake older than 1965

The Food Timeline: cake history notes

Food Timeline: cake history notes

www.foodtimeline.org

 

[Peace Society]

I have this unreasoning, unreasonable aversion to beets. NO idea why, swear it amounts to beetphobia. Wonder if a good chocolate cake/beet recipe could cure it? Never heard of beets in chocolate cake but if anything could slide a beet past me it would be chocolate cake.

I like beets. I have a friend who hates them, says they taste like dirt. Maybe a chocolate beet cake would help him, too.

 

[Adam1stVa]

I like beets. I have a friend who hates them, says they taste like dirt. Maybe a chocolate beet cake would help him, too.

The only vegetable I have found that I dislike is parsnips. I love most all others.

 

[lupaglupa]

The only vegetable I have found that I dislike is parsnips. I love most all others.

I can't take just parsnips, but in a mix of roasted root vegetables they are fine.

 

[Adam1stVa]

I can't take just parsnips, but in a mix of roasted root vegetables they are fine.

Don't they make gin out of parsnips? And I don't like gin, that makes sense.

 

[Peace Society]

I like parsnips too. They can be worked in with potatoes or turnips or carrots for those who don't care for them straight.

 

[donna]

I looked at history of Beet cake. The chocolate recipe was first posted in 1965.

Other beet recipes go back centuries.

 

[lupaglupa]

Don't they make gin out of parsnips? And I don't like gin, that makes sense.

I never heard of that. The flavoring in gin is juniper berries.

@donna a search in old newspapers for beet cake had many hits in the CW era - but it wasn't what we mean by beet cake, it was something created from sugar beets to feed animals. I should dig more and find out what that was!

 

[donna]

lupaglupa great finds. I am still looking too.

 

[Adam1stVa]

I never heard of that. The flavoring in gin is juniper berries.

@donna a search in old newspapers for beet cake had many hits in the CW era - but it wasn't what we mean by beet cake, it was something created from sugar beets to feed animals. I should dig more and find out what that was!

Yea, and juniper berries must taste just like parsnips, or vice versa.

 

[Adam1stVa]

I like parsnips too. They can be worked in with potatoes or turnips or carrots for those who don't care for them straight.

I guess its like Rosemary and Thyme, you either love them or not. They add a moldy flavor in my opinion. Like licking a damp old basement wall!