Kitchen Collectibles for the Modern Cook

This time of year I spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing daily meals in addition to making batches of favorite cookies, pies for friends and family.  My kitchen has its share of gadgets but by no means is a billboard for the ultra outfitted kitchens being designed to meet current standards of folks who either love to entertain and/or love to display their ability to have the best of everything and not have to use any of it.

So as I was measuring the sugar for a new Southern recipe I was trying, I began to think of what the kitchens of earlier days might have included. There have always been some sort of bowls to hold food.  My kitchen bowls are the 1940 classic 4 Pyrex mixing bowls that came in the primary colors, yellow was the largest, green, red, and blue was the smallest bowl.  They have been with me a long time.  I am sure other cooks have used wooden bowls, pewter, possibly even tin.

 Pyrex Mixing Bowls

 My recipe then called for some freshly squeezed lemon juice I could have purchased lemon juice in the grocery store sold in a bottle or in a little lemon squeeze container.  I do use my vintage squeezer that is shaped like a hat with a rim that catches the juice as the lemon is squeezed on the top "hat."

 Orange and Lemon Squeezer

An early lemon squeezer was patented in 1887.  The machine had a place to set the lemon.  When a long handle was pressed down the juice dripped into a large cup that was placed underneath the handle.  the lemon squeezer of 1887 would not fit in a kitchen drawer!


The next ingredient was flour.  Today we can buy pre-sifted flour in 1, 5, and 10 pound bags for home use.  I do have a collectible sifter but it is more for decoration than practical use.









Bromwell Flour Sifter

 

Many of the gadgets we use today, like coffee grinders, coffee makers, colanders, potato mashers, were also used cooks during earlier times.  Designs change, the materials from which the gadgets are manufactured change.  The colorful plastic kitchen tools of today are delightful to look at, though I doubt they will withstand the years of use my vintage kitchen gadgets have endured.

 

By the way, I'll let you know how the cake turned out.  It maybe something new you want to add to your holiday table this year.        

 





 

 

Till next time, stay well, stay happy

 

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