There was a time so very long ago when the luxuries now known were not quite so varied. If you had the desire to visit a friend in the next town you would plan to either walk or ride upon your horse. If you decided to bring your family you simply hitched your family horse to your wagon and traveled in this manner. When the family planned the common two meals for the next day the options were also very limited. The seasons dictated the main course for our Concord ancestors, with some foods being served year-round. During the autumn harvest the fruits and vegetables were bountiful and our colonial era ancestors tended to indulge for a period of time. The common theme for survival on every front during this early period was planning. Plan your trips, plan your meals and certainly plan for the approaching seasons, especially the long cruel New Hampshire winters.
The very first settlers in Concord lived a lifestyle with hardships on many fronts. The daily routines were difficult and calories were needed to fuel the hard labor that accompanied them from sunrise to sunset.
The most common meal consumed for both breakfast and supper was a bean or pea porridge. This common meal consumed twice per day sustained the earliest generations of settlers and was widely accepted as the expected meal, twice per day. The bean or pea porridge was usually complemented with bread and butter. The day of sabbath was recognized with a special treat, the daily porridge and bread was accompanied by coffee or chocolate. A very special treat encouraging our ancestors to look forward to the sabbath each Sunday morning.
The daily supper, most certainly porridge once again, did vary at times depending on provisions and seasons that accompanied the day. A baked or boiled meat with peas or beans was sometime accompanied by baked or boiled puddings. The daily bread provided the opportunity for the Concord colonial period wife to inject a little creativity, a variety of breads. The most common bread served with each meal was simply referred to as a brown-bread, made from rye and corn meal. The breakfast and supper meals were consumed at a common table within each home, a time for gathering together as a family and discussing the events of the day after the prayer was completed.
The meals served were always produced by the woman of the house. The eldest daughters at times assumed this responsibility in homes where a wife might have passed away. This eldest daughter would also assume responsibility for raising her younger siblings and fulfilling all household chores until the many children were old enough to assume responsibilities. The original recipe used by our Concord ancestors centuries ago was quite simple and common for generations. A quart of beans or peas would be added to four gallons of water. Two or three pounds of beef or pork would also be added depending on availability. The ingredients would be added and mixed into a large iron kettle and placed on the arm extending above the fireplace within the home. The meal was brought to a boil until the meat was completely cooked, once sufficiently cooked the meat was removed and a corn meal was added to thicken the liquid. This completed recipe a sustainable and very satisfying porridge.
Once the porridge was completed the family gathered for their common meal together, they indulged in a special way to consume their porridge. The colonial period in Concord provided very little in the line of kitchen utensils. Most utensils, bowls, plates and mugs were simply made by the master of the house and from wood found in the surrounding forest. At meal time the porridge was dipped or poured into wooden bowls and distributed to each member of the family in equal amounts. The family members would consume their wooden bowl of porridge with a wooden spoon. A delicious hot meal certain to satisfy each and every person living in Concord during the colonial period.
In times of prosperity or celebrations there were additional dishes available. Another common meal consumed on special occasions was known as baked pumpkins and milk. Only available in the autumn when the pumpkin crops were harvested, it was a luxury our ancestors looked forward to after a long day harvesting. The colonist would select a hard-shell pumpkin, remove the stem and carve a hole large enough for a hand to be inserted. The seeds would be scraped from within the pumpkin and saved for roasting at a later time. The seedless pumpkin cavity would then be filled with milk and placed over a very hot fire for cooking. A lid would be set over the kettle to keep the roasting pumpkins baking correctly at this high temperature. The cooking process took about twelve hours, the roasted pumpkins were then removed. Fresh milk would again be added to the inside of the pumpkin when served. The delighted recipient of this colonial era pumpkin and milk meal would utilize a wooden spoon and dig into the inside of the roasted, milk filled pumpkin and consume this delectable special treat. It has been said that New Hampshire Governor John Langdon enjoyed his pumpkin and milk treats while visiting Concord as a boarder at the Deacon John Kimball residence.
The colonial era settlers embraced the life they lived, accepted the hardships and enjoyed life when times allowed. In addition to these common meals there was much pleasure in consuming spirits and a fine cigar at times too. Malt beer was very common during this period and produced by most local farmers since the malt was made with barley locally grown. Cider was widely available during the apple harvest each autumn, stored cider becoming hard cider for those cold winter evenings. In addition to malt beer and cider another common beverage was simply known as flip. This colonial era drink known as flip was made by simply filling a mug, or noggin, with malt beer, adding sugar as a sweetener. The mixture was then heated with an iron poker called a loggerhead. Once the heated loggerhead was inserted into the drink a rapid foam was produced. A half pint of rum was then added and nutmeg sprinkled on top. The common drinks being cider and malt beer, flip tended to be a bit more expensive when purchased at the local taverns, as much as 20 cents per drink.
As we live today in modern society and consume such wonderful delectable food without much forethought or planning, we are most fortunate. Remember to support your local establishments and the people that work within, order an extra noggin of flip and tip most generously.
Vintage Views is a local history column that explores Concord and its surrounding towns. It runs every week in the Sunday Your Life section. The author is a historian and not a member of the Monitor’s staff.