Old recipes are things of beauty.

Looking through old recipes books is a lot like reading pages of history.  Recipes are a history of our tastes and habits as they change through the years, as well as a history of our economic and social changes.  Think of the differences in cookbooks from the 1930s, compared to now!

My hubby bought me a bunch of old recipe books at the thrift store and I found a home canning book to be especially wonderful!

I’m excited to share these recipes and found some of them to be quite curious, like Tomato Butter.  I’ve never heard of it!  Does it sound good to you?  Would you eat it?

Some others that sound fun are….Apple-Pineapple-Coconut Conserve, Gooseberry Conserve, Quince Honey, Elderberry Jam, Prickly Pear Marmalade, Bar-le-Duc, Ground Cherry Preserves and Maraschino Cherries!

Every winter, I enjoy jams that I’ve made the previous summer, and I’m definitely going to have to make some of these.  What better way to spend a crisp, winter morning than by sipping coffee, looking out over the snow covered gardens and daydreaming about spring, while eating homemade jam on toast?  Cozy!

These recipes are from the Ball Blue Book Home Canning of Freezing Recipes and Methods, 1956.  Please note that not all the recipes mention a hot water bath for preserving.  Please use safe and up to date home canning methods.

Hope you find a new favorite!