Cooking During the Civil War:
Food During the War | Preparation
Food Substitutions | Food Storage | Recipes

Preparation

Indoor cooking was done over a wood stove, typically filled with hickory or other hardwoods because of the long burning potential. The fire had to be started several hours ahead of meal preparation to ensure a hot bed of coals.

The fireplace sat in the kitchen, usually a separate building from the rest of the house to prevent the heat and fire from consuming the main living quarters. The kitchen fireplace was quite large, with a fixed horizontal iron bar across the top or an iron bar that hinged to one side of the fireplace that the cook could swing in and out of the fire. The cook would hang a pot or kettle from an S-hook attached to one of these bars.

The cook prepared the food in either a Dutch oven or a frying pan. The Dutch oven of the 19th century, unlike those of today, more closely resembled a cauldron, a deep, round pot with three legs that sat directly over the coals. Cooks could make several items in the Dutch oven, including cakes, breads, vegetables, meats, soups and stews. If the cook was frying the food, she would rake some coals onto the hearth and place the frying pan directly on them. The fire itself was used only when boiling water or making coffee.

Food During the War | Preparation
Food Substitutions | Food Storage | Recipes

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