Any Home Bakers Here?

[sunflour]

I have my great grandmother's hand written recipes from the great depression and before. There are some amazing ideas in there about how to conserve sugar and flour in cooking and baking since they were on rations.

Sugar substitutes:

Honey instead of sugar: If a recipe calls for 1 cup sugar use 1 cup honey and remove 1/4 cup of liquid from the recipe.
Cactus Juice (read that as agave nectar): Peel cactus, press juice from meat of cactus and discard pith (assuming this means any solids) use in the same ratio as honey. Only pick as much as you can use it doesn't keep (this may not be true today with modern refrigeration).

Flour substitute:

Non flour thickening agent: Shred potatoes and dry in the oven (use a dehydrator if you have one). Store for future use.
Thicken gravy: Grind dried, shredded potatoes to make powder. Add half potato powder and half flour to your gravy.
For breads: Use potato powder on your counter instead of flour. Use 1/4 potato powder in place of flour within the recipe.
For cakes: Line pan with butter and a 1/2 and 1/2 mix of flour and potato powder to prevent sticking to pan.

My favorite tip out of her book: "Dry mulberry leaves for tea, save the berries for wine no matter what Annabelle says." Annabelle is my grandmother who to this day loves mulberry jelly.

That is such a great gift to still have her recipes - have you placed them in laminating paper? If not do so. I have a number of recipes from my family - and placing clear laminating plastic over them keeps them forever.

 

[room onthebroom]

I have my great grandmother's hand written recipes from the great depression and before. There are some amazing ideas in there about how to conserve sugar and flour in cooking and baking since they were on rations.

Sugar substitutes:

Honey instead of sugar: If a recipe calls for 1 cup sugar use 1 cup honey and remove 1/4 cup of liquid from the recipe.
Cactus Juice (read that as agave nectar): Peel cactus, press juice from meat of cactus and discard pith (assuming this means any solids) use in the same ratio as honey. Only pick as much as you can use it doesn't keep (this may not be true today with modern refrigeration).

Flour substitute:

Non flour thickening agent: Shred potatoes and dry in the oven (use a dehydrator if you have one). Store for future use.
Thicken gravy: Grind dried, shredded potatoes to make powder. Add half potato powder and half flour to your gravy.
For breads: Use potato powder on your counter instead of flour. Use 1/4 potato powder in place of flour within the recipe.
For cakes: Line pan with butter and a 1/2 and 1/2 mix of flour and potato powder to prevent sticking to pan.

My favorite tip out of her book: "Dry mulberry leaves for tea, save the berries for wine no matter what Annabelle says." Annabelle is my grandmother who to this day loves mulberry jelly.

Wow! That's AWESOME!!!

 

[cmom]

I was born in the 1940's, I do have some recipes and cookbooks from my mother. I have used potatoes as a thickening agent. They work great. Dehydrators are great too. Getting ready to give my sister some dried sourdough starter. I do use AP flour (bleached or unbleached) when re-hydrating dried starter. I have always been a bread maker but started with the sourdough breads around Thanksgiving. I have had some decent bread and some flops. It is getting easier now that I've learned it's not rocket science and I have tried many different methods. I'm finally getting a grip on it. Bread making tomorrow. May make some scones and muffins too.

 

[Serenashome]

@sunflour I have not laminated them, but that is a really good idea. I'd have to destroy the book to do it though. She wrote these out at some point in the early 70's in a spiral bound notebook. She filled almost every page. Here's a picture of one of the pages to show you.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

I would consider it, especially because it is a note book. You could cut the wire binding, laminate, and then rebind. Or just place in a binder, to make things easier.
I realize that that would take away from the original look...but what is more precious? The handwritten pages, or the original look?

 

[Serenashome]

I would consider it, especially because it is a note book. You could cut the wire binding, laminate, and then rebind. Or just place in a binder, to make things easier.
I realize that that would take away from the original look...but what is more precious? The handwritten pages, or the original look?

Oh you are completely right. I need to preserve it. I may ask the historical society what they do and if they can refer me to someone to do it for me. I would worry about my doing it myself since there are oils and food on the pages from where she used it. It is precious enough that I'd like to do it right.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

I would consider it, especially because it is a note book. You could cut the wire binding, laminate, and then rebind. Or just place in a binder, to make things easier.

I realize that that would take away from the original look...but what is more precious? The handwritten pages, or the original look?

Oh you are completely right. I need to preserve it. I may ask the historical society what they do and if they can refer me to someone to do it for me. I would worry about my doing it myself since there are oils and food on the pages from where she used it. It is precious enough that I'd like to do it right. 

I am sure they would be very happy to help

 

[poppycock1974]

Egg question- my hen just started laying so the eggs are about small/medium size. If a cake calls for 2 large eggs, how would I tweak it with the smaller eggs? Should I just add a 3rd?

 

[User395221]

Egg question- my hen just started laying so the eggs are about small/medium size. If a cake calls for 2 large eggs, how would I tweak it with the smaller eggs? Should I just add a 3rd?

I think that'd be too much egg, unless they are really small. I'd probably just whack in a bit more milk, but I'm a bit slap-dash when it comes to cooking.

 

[poppycock1974]

I think that'd be too much egg, unless they are really small.  I'd probably just whack in a bit more milk, but I'm a bit slap-dash when it comes to cooking.  

I'm always slap dash when cooking but when I bake I try to stay close to the recipe as far as measurement. It could be too much egg but how would that affect the cake? Too dense?