August in the Wild West could make a homesteader long for winter, especially the cook. Baking, cooking, and preserving often turned the kitchen into the hottest room in the house. With the first mass-produced electric refrigerators decades away, keeping food on the table while staying cool called for ingenuity. Any mention of hot kitchens in summer oversimplifies the situation, though. Sometimes there was no kitchen. Homestead cabins might only have a fireplace, or later a wood stove, in the main room. In rhat case, homeowners needed to prepare food while keeping the whole house from overheating. How did they do it?
The menu mattered. Foods that required little to no cooking made life easier. That usually meant fresh lettuce, cucumbers, peas, onions, beans, new potatoes, corn, and fruit. Pickles, preserves, bread, cold potatoes, leftover meat, milk, and buttermilk likewise did not go amiss. Of course, availability depended on factors like location, rainfall, and the presence of livestock. Distance from a farm, town, or railroad station affected western diets.
Keeping food cool was another matter.
_ELEVATION,_FROM_NORTHWEST_-_Walker_Family_Farm,_Springhouse,_Gatlinburg,_Sevier_County,_TN_HA.jpg) |
| Walker Family Farm Springhouse, Gatlinburg, TN Public Domain Image |
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| Old Root Cellar |
Root cellars built into a hillside, where the earth kept them cool, also helped. These simple methods made a huge difference during the heat of summer.
Yes, homesteaders had ice, or at least some did. In areas with lakes and ponds that froze in winter, families could cut big blocks of ice. These they would pack in thick layers of straw, hay, or sawdust and store in an icehouse to last all summer long.
Icehouses occupied shady locations near homes, dairies, or other buildings where ice was needed. Or homesteaders might place them near ponds or lakes to make harvesting and storing the ice easier. Constructed partly or entirely underground, Icehouses took advantage of the earth’s ability to maintain lower temperatures.
Commercial companies got into the act beginning in 1873 and started shipping ice to western towns and settlements by rail, water, or wagon. Not everyone could afford to buy ice, however, and homesteaders who lived remotely were often out of luck. Those who did obtain ice greatly treasured and rationed it. A cold glass of lemonade, so common these days, was a rare treat in the Wild West.
And yes, homesteaders had lemonade—at least sometimes. Lemons and sugar were transported into much of the West, but were similarly precious. Lemonade wasn’t a regular item for most people and would have been reserved for special occasions. If the household had ice, the lemonade could be chilled. If not, it could still be refreshing served cool from the springhouse, cellar, or well.
And then there was ice.
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Ice Harvesting, Massachusetts, early 1850s; unknown author; public domain image |
Yes, homesteaders had ice, or at least some did. In areas with lakes and ponds that froze in winter, families could cut big blocks of ice. These they would pack in thick layers of straw, hay, or sawdust and store in an icehouse to last all summer long.
Icehouses occupied shady locations near homes, dairies, or other buildings where ice was needed. Or homesteaders might place them near ponds or lakes to make harvesting and storing the ice easier. Constructed partly or entirely underground, Icehouses took advantage of the earth’s ability to maintain lower temperatures.
Commercial companies got into the act beginning in 1873 and started shipping ice to western towns and settlements by rail, water, or wagon. Not everyone could afford to buy ice, however, and homesteaders who lived remotely were often out of luck. Those who did obtain ice greatly treasured and rationed it. A cold glass of lemonade, so common these days, was a rare treat in the Wild West.
And yes, homesteaders had lemonade—at least sometimes. Lemons and sugar were transported into much of the West, but were similarly precious. Lemonade wasn’t a regular item for most people and would have been reserved for special occasions. If the household had ice, the lemonade could be chilled. If not, it could still be refreshing served cool from the springhouse, cellar, or well.
Isabella Beeton's Book of Household Management, published in 1861, includes a lemonade recipe made with lemon rind, lemon juice, loaf sugar, and boiling water. The recipe below is an adaptation.
Ingredients
Instructions
Janalyn Voigt fell in love with literature an early age when her father read chapters from childhood classics to her as bedtime stories. After she grew older, Janalyn put herself to sleep with tales of her own. She trained more formally in writing through Christian Writers Guild.
Janalyn writes in several genres. She is the Amazon-bestselling author of the Montana Gold western historical romance series. New York Times bestselling author, Eric Wilson endorsed and wrote the forward for Janalyn’s medieval epic fantasy series, Tales of Faeraven. Readers often describe Janalyn’s books as lyrical and transporting. Learn More>>>
Vintage Lemonade
- Rind of 2 lemons
- Juice of 3 large or 4 small lemons
- 1 pound loaf sugar (Note: purchase loaf sugar online or substitute 2¼ cups granulated sugar)
- 1 quart boiling water
Instructions
- Rub some of the sugar over the lemons to extract the fragrant oil from their skins. Put the sugar into a jug and add the strained lemon juice. Pour over the boiling water and stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Strain the lemonade through a fine sieve or clean cloth and allow it to cool.
Bringing this Homestead Treat to Your Family
Make this recipe for a special occasion, just as a western homesteader would do. Fill everyone’s glasses with ice in tribute to the effort that went into harvesting it in winter and storing it for summer use. Chat around the table while you enjoy the sweetness.About Janalyn Voigt
Janalyn writes in several genres. She is the Amazon-bestselling author of the Montana Gold western historical romance series. New York Times bestselling author, Eric Wilson endorsed and wrote the forward for Janalyn’s medieval epic fantasy series, Tales of Faeraven. Readers often describe Janalyn’s books as lyrical and transporting. Learn More>>>
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