Vintage Millbury Article-August 1860 party at the mansion

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By Special to the Millbury-Sutton Chronicle

Posted Apr 21, 2020 at 4:11 PMUpdated Apr 21, 2020 at 4:11 PM

On an August weekday in 1860, the Waters family held a party for 60 friends and acquaintances in the Millbury Mansion. I recently came across the menu which consisted of:

12 quarts of ice cream

7 quarts of chicken or lobster salad with small crackers

4 and ½ dozen apples

5 pounds ground coffee

2 and ½ receipts of confectionary gelatine

Cake

Wine

What I find fascinating about this look into the past, is that there was no item that seemed too extravagant. Yet, when you look closely at each item, you realize that not only is each item made from scratch, but that for the times, some of the methods and ingredients were very pricey. All of the ice cream had to be hand-churned and then stored in an ice house. If you have churned ice cream, you will realize what an exhausting task this can be. The chicken and lobster salad would have had to have been cooked and then picked apart and the mayonnaise would have been hand whipped. The lobster would have been brought in from the coast. Crackers would have been baked in the kitchen and although commercially available, quality was not regulated and for households that employed a cook, this would have been done in-house.

One thing that you may have noticed is the “receipts” of gelatine. “Receipts” was the term commonly used in place of the word recipes and gelatine was a common menu item for special occasions. Gelatin was first produced by cooking down calves or pigs’ feet, which was a lengthy and stinky process. By boiling down for about 6 hours, collagen was released to create a gelatin. Calves’ foot jelly was a common item made in the 19th century and was given to those recovering from ill health. For more elaborate affairs, gelatines were made with Isinglass which was obtained from the bladder of freshwater fish such as sturgeon. This was very expensive to produce so was not available to the general public. Although in 1795, a process to obtain Isinglass from cod was discovered, which helped to make it more readily available. The use of Isinglass also enabled more delicate flavors and colors to be included in gelatines. In 1842, the first instant unflavored gelatin was invented in Scotland and in 1845, Peter Cooper created the first pre-made gelatin in the United States although it didn’t really catch on. What did this 1860 party gelatine taste like? Most likely, it was made with fruit juices, sugar and possible sliced fruit. Pretty similar to what we have today.

What can we take away from look into the past? We can realize how similar are tastes are to those who came before us more 150 years earlier. We also can also appreciate the value of ingredients and the time that it takes to prepare these homemade items. So, look around your pantry and the ingredients you have on hand. No time like the present to churn your own ice cream or bring an elaborate gelatine to the table to impress your family.

Kristen Livoti is the executive director of the Asa Waters Mansion. She was formerly a pastry chef in Massachusetts and Connecticut and owner of BellaCakes of Marlboro and Clinton.