Main dish and dessert pies made with white flour crusts were very popular among the English in this time period, and had been for centuries. Primary source cookbooks prove this out.
In 1621 New England we know the English could have had some wheat in store, which they refined themselves. We know there were all kinds of squash including some varieties of pumpkins. The Pilgrims also brought salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves across on the Mayflower.
They had chickens for sure, so there were some eggs to work with.
Additionally there is reason to believe they had goat’s milk (see the facts in The American Patriot’s Treasury of Historical Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas, Second Edition )
The English started out with refined white sugar in 1620, but whether or not they had any left for the feast is debatable. Even if not, natural maple syrup was available.
In short, all the basics for pumpkin pies were there. The English had even had enough time to build ovens, and to harvest oils and cooking fats, so I figure pies would have been high on the English preference list for the feast of 1621.
I think it sounds fun to experiment making pumpkin pies with goat’s milk and maple syrup!
Tags: pumpkin pie bake, recipes pumpkin pie, thanksgiving real, thanksgiving true
Posted September 3, 2009 by Admin under Food
