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Kitchens can be fascinating if you know what to look for when it comes to gadgets and historical facts. I thought I would sharesomeof my most
recently learned knowledge about the history of items we all remember from Days Long Ago. All of these great facts can be found in the book, “300 Years Of Kitchen Collectibles, Krause Publications, 2003, by Linda Franklin.
....the Hunter Sifter is a must have for a kitchen collection. It was advertised over 100 years ago as combining”...12 kitchen utensils in one. It is a Mixer, Scoop, Measure, Weigher, Dredger, Rice Washer, Starch, Tomato, Wine, and Fruit Strainer. It is the most useful kitchen utensil made.”
...Some wire baskets were for gathering eggs....Another type...often mistaken for a salad washer....is a snail basket....they are the same size or slightly larger than lettuce baskets, sometimes have a lid, a bulging body with narrowed neck.
...The “Magic Mop” mfd. by Pro Diet Mop, Inc., of Belle Chase, LA, is made of a special plastic that “attracts grease from food like a magnet.” It was developed to use in ocean oil spills. Later it was made into mops used to stir hot soup and other food from which grease has to be skimmed or removed. Patent No. 3,748,682.
...Bread Dockers. Used to mark bread before baking.....”We make these dockers in any shape& of any number of letters. they cost according to the number of letters”...Jaburg Brothers Catalog, NYC, 1908.
...Collectors sometimes ask if it’s safe to use old cake pans for baking, even if they have a bit of rust. It’s safe to the user, not quite as safe for the pan, but only if you don’t carefully wash and dry thoroughly after use. the solder used in such late pieced pieces is not dangerous, and rust only adds a bit of extra minerals to your cake.
...Figural cookie making was practiced in Europe at least as far back as the 16th century.
...The American Agriculturist, Sept.1846, published a tip on “How To Boil Green Corn,” with advice on eating it too. “The proper state in which to eat green corn, is at the time that the milk flows upon pressing the kernels with the thumb nail. It is best when boiled in the ear with the husks on, the latter of which should be stripped off when brought to the table. The ears should then be covered with butter, with a little salt added, and the grains eaten off the cob. Over-refined people think this vulgar, and shave them off, but in so doing they lose much of their sweetness.
...A jagger is a pastry cutter, generally one that makes a jagged (actually zig zag) edge. They are also called pie wheels, pie rimmers, pie jiggers, pie cutters, trimmers, jagging irons, gigling irons (very archaic term), jiggers and probably other names.
...Springerle boards are intaglio carved (that is, carved into rather than carved relievo-raised relief, where the background is carved away, leaving the design raised like a cameo).
...Here’s what Mrs. S. C. Lee of baltimore, wrote in her 1884 Practical Housekeeping about waffle irons: “The waffle iron is a very peculiar machine. the waffle is put in, locked up, baked on one side to a lovely brown, turned over, prison and all, until the other side is a still lovelier brown, and then released steaming hot ready for the table.”
...Wagner Mfg. Co. of Sidney, Ohio used a lettering system to identify their styles. In addition, they used a four-digit catalog number. Though the pan may not be marked with “Wagner” or “Wagnerware,” the letter or a combination of letters and numbers identify the piece as Wagner.
...Early Griswold baking pans , when marked, were marked “Erie” but many were not marked either “Erie” or “Griswold.” They are identifiable as Griswold, however, by a three-digit pattern number. Many of these pattern numbers appear to have been inscribed by hand in the mold....
Mama’s Treasures has a large inventory of kitchen items from Primitives through the 1970’s. If the kitchen isn’t your thing, we have lots of Advertising, Primitives, Christmas, China & Dinnerware, Pottery, Home Decor, Garden, Jewelry, Lady’s Hats & Hankies and Vintage Sewing. We’ll always consider any reasonable offer and we love to answer questions. If you love kitchenalia or any kind of Old Stuff, then drop by Mama’s Treasures or visit our new specialty store on eBay, Lotties Kitchen. It’s the place where there is always a treasure waiting to be found. If you join our mailing list, you’ll get a monthly notice of new items, sales, and promotions. Right now you can save 15% Off everything in the store. Sale does not apply to Gift Certificates or Half Price Table Category Items, but does apply to Sale and Already Reduced Items. Every Order enters you in our drawing for a $25.00 Gift Certificate on June 30th.
Mama’s Treasures is a great place to browse and remember that kitchens are fun places as well as functional. Come visit us for all kinds of kitchen items or any old stuff that will bring back memories and put a smile on your face. If you care to shop and buy while you are there, that’s okay too. We also now offer a monthly newsletter on Kitchen Collectibles through Tias. If you care to subscribe you can view a copy on the Tias home page. Just hit the Newsletters link at the top of the page and look for “From Mama’s Kitchen.” Remember Mama’s Treasures believes in striving for quality and affordable prices. Stop by to visit, we love to make new friends!
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