Antique Recipes: Refreshing Hot Weather Drinks 1909

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Antique recipes for Lemonade, Fruit Punch, Iced Russian Tea and Chilled Chocolate, early 1900s:

A cooling beverage on a hot day is most refreshing, and, when taken slowly and in moderation, is not injurious to the normal stomach. The thoughtful hostess remembers this, and on a hot, sultry day provides some such refreshment, not only for the invited guest and her own family, but also for the “drop-in” caller, who is sure to appreciate the attention. When serving such refreshment it should be remembered that the eye as well as the palate must be pleased. The daintiest glasses should be used and their contents made as attractive as possible. In the case of “thin” drinks, straws should be provided.

From time out of mind lemonade has been the popular summer beverage. It remained for the resourceful twentieth century housewife to evolve the numerous delicious and refreshing palatible drinks known under various names, but all having for the basic ingredient or foundation a strong, well-flavored lemonade.

To make good lemonade the first essential is the fruit itself. The lemons must be firm and thoroughly ripe, yet not over-ripe. The slightest hint of decay taints the whole lemon and will rob the beverage of the delicacy of flavor which should be one of its characteristics. Again, a lemon which to the eye appears perfect often has a bitter taste which no amount of sweetening will overcome. To ward off this possible danger, each lemon should be tasted before it is used.

The proper proportions for a well-flavored drink are one-half lemon for each tumblerful of water, with sugar to taste. Some lemons contain more acid than others; then, too, some prefer a sweet drink; others enjoy the sour taste. For these reasons, it is impossible to give an explicit rule for the quantity of sugar required.

Lemonade

Wash the lemons clean, then grate off the thin yellow peel, taking care not to grate into the white membrane, which is bitter. Mix the grated peel with a little sugar, mashing the two ingredients with a wooden spoon to extract the flavor which is stored in the peel, and which is sacrificed when the latter is thrown away. Then add the strained juice and the desired quantity of freshly-boiled water. Stir up well, add the sugar and stand aside to cool.

Strain and serve in glasses half filled with crushed ice. When lemonade is wanted immediately, cold water may be used, but the best-flavored drink is made of boiling hot water.

So much for plain lemonade. The changes which may be rung upon it are only limited by the resourcefulness of the person who concocts the beverage. A can of grated pineapple, or the fresh fruit added to a quart of strong lemonade, gives a delicious pineapple-lemonade. Fruit juices, such as strawberry, raspberry and cherry, added to lemonade, produce most satisfactory results. Allow a pint of strained juice to a quart of lemonade. The grape juice of commerce, combined with lemonade, makes an exceptionally delicious drink. These beverages become doubly attractive to the eye when daintily served and prettily garnished with tiny crescents of lemon or berries floating upon the surface.

Delicious Drinks

May be concocted from fruit juices alone. An excellent one is made as follows: Strain one quart of strawberry, raspberry or cherry juice; add a pint of granulated sugar and stand aside in a cool place for six hours. Then put over the fire and let boil up well; skim and drip through a jelly bag. To serve, add two or three tablespoonfuls of the fruit syrup to half a glassful of crushed ice, then fill the glass with ice-water. Fruit juices may also be combined with good results. In preparing them, use the foregoing formula.

Iced Russian Tea

A very satisfying summer drink, especially to the devotees of “the cup that cheers.” For this a strong infusion of tea is necessary; four teaspoonfuls of tea, good tea, to four cupfuls of water is about the right proportion. Fill the porcelain teapot with boiling water and let stand until the pot is very hot; then empty, put in the tea and fill up with fresh boiling water at once. Stand the pot where it will keep hot, but not boil, for four minutes. Strain and pour into a glass half filled with crushed ice.  Drop a slice of lemon into each glass.

Fruit Punch

A popular summer drink on occasions when something more elaborate than a simple fruit or lemonade is in order. An excellent formula for it, one to be found in many modern cook books, is the following: Boil two cupfuls of sugar in one cupful of water ten minutes; add a cupful of strong tea, one pint of strawberry juice, one can of grated pineapple, the juice of six oranges and four lemons. Stand aside to cool; then turn over a block of ice in a large punch bowl and add half a pint of maraschino cherries. The given quantity may be increased or diminished, provided the proportions are preserved.

Chilled Chocolate is an acceptable addition to a luncheon menu on a hot day, or with sweet wafers it is quite sufficient for light refreshments at an informal gathering.

Notwithstanding many recipes to the contrary, good chocolate is made entirely of milk. If the milk is very rich, one-third water may be used without great detriment to the beverage. For six cupfuls, one quart of fresh milk and two ounces of chocolate shaved very fine will be required. Put the milk over the fire in a double boiler. To the chocolate add three tablespoonfuls of hot milk, and stir over the fire until the ingredients are incorporated. When the milk comes to a boil, add the chocolate mixture, beating it in vigorously with a whisk. Take from the the fire and thoroughly chill on ice. Serve in tall glasses, with a garnish of whipped cream sweetened to taste and flavored with vanilla.

Katherine E. Megee, 1909

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