Cooking Dinner 200 Years Ago |1824 Fried Chicken| Historical Recipes 

We're backkkkk ! Our honeymoon to Virginia was AMAZING and so was the food. We had asparagus and corn (in one form or another) at every meal. Oh, the peanuts. Peanuts...everywhere. Now naturally we had to cook from The Virginia Housewife (1824). Please reference the recipes below written in modern instructions. Oh, by the way, I missed you. * Fried Chickens (The Virginia Housewife, 1824) 1 chicken, cut into pieces for frying Flour Salt to taste Lard, for frying Parsley, as a garnish Dredge the chicken pieces in flour mixed with salt until well coated on all sides. Fry in hot lard till golden. This varies depending on the size of the chicken, but 10 minutes is a good estimate. Drain on a plate with a rag to soak up any extra grease. Garnish with parsley. * Gravy (The Virginia Housewife, 1824) 1.25 cups of whole milk 1 tablespoon of butter 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, diced Salt & pepper to taste In a saucepan combine milk, butter, parsley, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer while stirring frequently. Simmer until thickened, which can take 15-20 minutes. ^ This gravy recipe doesn't mention adding flour to thicken it. If you want your gravy to get thick fast it's still historically correct to whisk in some flour. Other receipts from the time period involve flour. * Cornmeal Mush 1.5 cups of water 0.5 cups of milk 0.5 cups of yellow cornmeal salt to taste (be generous) 3 tablespoons of butter, for frying In a saucepan bring the water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a bowl stir together the cornmeal, salt and milk until well blended without any lumps. Once your water is boiling, stir in the cornmeal mixture with a spoon and continue to mix as it bubbles and boils again. Cook at medium-low heat for 10 minutes stirring frequently. Be sure that the mixture is well blended and smooth. Pour it about 1 inch thick into a loaf pan or pie plate. Let it sit in a cold place, such a refrigerator, overnight or at least 8 hours. Cut into whatever shape you desire. Fry in butter until golden on each side. These taste excellent with maple syrup & are popular for breakfast or as a side dish! * Roast Apples 3-4 apples, cored (don't throw away the bottom 1/3 chunk of the core) 1 tablespoon of cinnamon 0.25 cups of brown sugar 4 tablespoons of salted butter OR unsalted but add a pinch of salt 0.25 cups of chopped pecans In a bowl mix together the cinnamon, sugar, butter & pecans till smooth. Stuff the center of your apples with this mixture. Plug the bottoms with the bottom 1/3 of the core, so that the filling doesn't drain out as it roasts. Be sure that there is a generous amount of the filling piled on top of the apple. Roast in an apple roaster before a fire for approximately 30-40 minutes. If using a dutch oven place the apples on a pie plate and bake with hot coals below and on top. If using a modern oven bake at 350 degrees F/175 C for half an hour in a casserole dish. These taste great with ice cream. * A Simple Asparagus Recipe 2 cups of chopped & washed asparagus 2 tablespoons of butter Salt & pepper to taste Optional, a dash of cayenne In a skillet or saucepan melt your butter. Once hot throw in the asparagus, salt, pepper & cayenne if desired. Cook until soft, or about 10 minutes. ^ Modern asparagus recipes can include garlic and olive oil, but to keep it period correct I've omitted that.

Folks are beginning to realize, Lard is fantastic to fry in! And SO MUCH BETTER than Plant oils! Plant oils, are not near as good, and some are downright unpleasant tasting!!!! Great Grandma , made Lard and buttermilk biscuits, every morning , they were so light and fluffy they would melt in your mouth! Add a fried chicken leg or a little fatback, and some homemade pan gravy , and that's GOOD EATING!! Grandma lived to see 98 years old! She was born in 1885. I learned a lot from her, when I was little. She was not educated, never attended school, but she knew EVERYTHING ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

As an individual with a degree in history, I really enjoy and appreciate your videos. They bring the past alive. Life back then was more simple but it was a lot of hard work compared to today's lifestyle.

I missed these people! Glad they’re back.

I laughed at the cornbread that fell and her ability to still stay in character😭I love these videos because it allows me to think what life was like even before this, my mind always wonders back to the Tudor dynasty since it's my favourite in history❤thanks for the videos! ❤

Hello, Mrs. Rayfield!🩷 You were missed and your dinner looks absolutely divine, Justine! So excited to see and hear all about the wedding, your historic honeymoon and new home news. Be blessed, Rayfields! xoxo

Thank you for this video. Growing up, my father & his siblings talked a lot about "Mush" but, no one could tell me what it was. About the time I was 40 years old, Dad saw me cooking grits and said, "Oh, mush". He said that Grandma would make a big pot in the morning and serve it with a spoonful of jam; at lunch, she would serve it again and for dinner, she fried it in lard. That was during the Great Depression when Grandpa was paid a nickel a day as a farm laborer - raising 8 kids. No wonder they ate mush 3 times a day. Thanks again for your hard work.

Welcome back Mr. & Mrs. Rayfield! I missed you!

So happy you had a good time! You’ve been missed! ❤️

Coring apples with a bayonet is probably the coolest thing I have seen today.

Thanks for ALL your videos TEACHING us how to survive WITHOUT electricity

Growing up my parents would put leftover grits in a loaf pan and put it in the refrigerator. Then the next day they would take it out and slice some of it off, salt, pepper, and flour it, then fry it in bacon grease...oooooooooooo that was so delicious!!!!

It's wonderful to have you back Mrs Rayfield.

200 years ago? My grandparents lived on a farm in Eastern Europe. We spent a sumner in 1975. There was no indoor plumbing, no refrigeration & no gas or electric stove. The entire day was built around meals. I remember my Gramma plucking the feathers off the chicken. All the farming, harvesting, prepoing & cooking. A very simple , beautiful way of life. Lots of family and friends together.

Welcome back, so glad your lives are starting a new journey, congratulations 🎉

One thing I have noticed about your videos that I need to point out is that you consistently demonstrate how to safely cook over a fire, and I really respect that! Congrats, by the way on your marriage/honeymoon!

Missed you! Glad your back 🎉❤! What a great meal!

Welcome back Justine... Congrats you two ❤❤❤❤

Way to go, Mrs. Rayfield!! It was a great privilege & a wonderful experience to attend your fabulous wedding! Thanks for inviting me!! Welcome home!🎉❤😊

Your dedication to recreating historical recipes, like the 1824 fried chicken, is truly remarkable. By delving into the past, you bring forgotten flavors to life, offering a unique culinary experience that bridges the gap between centuries. And I Am Floating Village Life

That entire meal looks absolutely BEYOND DELICIOUS!! job well done!!

This brought back happy memories of cold mornings on the farm in Michigan when I was a child and my father would make fried mush with maple syrup for our breakfast before we headed through the deep snow to get the school bus. So glad to see you again!

That is one awesome dinner -- fit for a king and queen.

Woo Hoo!! I’ve missed you two!!

Lovely to have you back.

Not even 5 minutes in and can see how relaxed and happy you are. How lovely!

Welcome back!

I love all these cooking videos. It's fascinating to see what women went through in the 1800s just to get a meal on the table. We have it so easy in comparison. Great job with this and all the other videos!

Welcome back, this dinner looks awesome! You’re such a great cook

I absolutely love your videos. So much of what you demonstrate is what I ate in my early youth. I never knew how my grandmother prepared most all of our meals and you have unlocked mysteries for me. I can never thank you enough for doing these. Please keep them coming.

I love watching your channel! I just love the appreciation of our American heritage and pointing out that we still eat very similarly. You also make it look so normal to cook and live like this, that it makes it really easy to go back in time while watching.

Welcome back! Thank you for the recipes, they look delicious. I gave to say that am astounded at the amount of butter our ancestors used. Delicious!

Oh, dinner looks so delicious. Welcome home!

Welcome back my dear,what an incredible time you had ty for sharing. Congratulations and so much love ❤️

I came across with your channel a few days ago and now I can't stop watching. I'm in love with everything. I love history and it's amazing to see you not only reproducing the recipes but also using all these beautiful antique tools. Everything in your little cabin is absolutely gorgeous. Also my workplace is a crazy underpressure to be fast all the time kind of enviroment so I feel so so soooo calm when I see you coking with patiente, attention and no rush. It is like terapy for me. I miss slow life. Nowadays I feel that we are always in a hurry... Thank you for this beautiful work. It's so important to preserve history. It's is very impressive how well you cook those recipes, it all seems so yummy. Your channel is a beautiful kind of art. Art that mix cooking and history. 🥰

I had fried mush this morning for breakfast!!!! Yum!!

Incredible! How long did it take to make that? ⏰🍲

We missed you too!!

Welcome back, and CONGRATULATIONS

So glad you are back, CONGRATULATIONS to you both!! Fried chicken, girl, you can't go wrong there! YUM

Welcum back!!!!🦋

Great videos with the music makes for the best times. Thank you for all!

Welcome back! You were missed!!

You both have been missed but I'm so glad that you had a wonderful time.

Welcome back. God bless you both and stay awesome.

What a delicious looking meal! Congrats on your marriage and welcome home!

Oh Justine, thank you so much !!! The hubby loved it, he loves the gravy over the chicken that's the first time he raved over gravy, thank you , ❤❤❤❤😊

Yes! You are back…Glad was honeymoon was amazing…Bless you both on this new chapter in your lives…..Christmas this year from my husband, included gifts from “Justine”. 2 cookbooks and mushroom catchup & Anchovy sauce! These videos bring me peace…

Hello Ms. Rayfield. Glad you are back doing those delicious meals.Congratulations on starting a new journey in your lives. I've been absent for a while. I'll be tuning in again on watching your videos.enjoying up to date chit chats. love your cooking skills. Looking forward to tuning in for new videos. Have a pleasant eveving. ❤❤

Again congratulations and the wedding and i am sop happy for you guys! Bless you both and may you always be smiling with each other for many years to come!

So glad you had a such a good time in Virginia (my home state), and very glad to see you back! Love everything you're cooking, too. 🥰

Greetings across the Atlantic, many congratulations to your wedding. I do hope the documentary will be availability to watch in Europe, too! I watched the frontier patriot episode first and kept wondering what 'mush' was, I only knew things like mushy peas. Turns out you are eating what we call polenta in Europe, very popular in northern Italy and southern Switzerland, now available in many parts of Europe.

I missed you both! Welcome home Mrs. Rayfield I love everything you made tonight! My grandmother made fried chicken just like you did! I make baked apples just like you do, I never thought to put the core back in the bottom-it’s a great idea! I’ll have to try the cornmeal mush now too!💖💖

Fried mush is a favorite of mine. Has been as far back as my memory goes. Truly enjoyed this video.

Mrs. Rayfield, welcome back and we have missed you! I am glad you got to relax and see a lot of things. We went to Colonial Williamsburg and ate in tavern with music and stories and people reenacting being people from back then. But it so hot, I am older and I over heated myself . But I did enjoy it ! Jamestown too.

Congratulations on your wedding and I am so happy to hear that you really enjoyed Virginia, my home state. I am so happy to see you back.

So good to see you are back! Congratulations!! I was born and raised near St Louis and St Genevieve is one of my favorite places on earth. Ill be back and see ya'll soon. The two of you have been missed.

So glad to see you are back. Mrs. Rayfield I hope you had an amazing time. ❤

So glad to see you back! Wishing you both all the joy in the world. What a meal. Thanks for sharing and can't wait to hear more about your guys' adventures. Much love. =)

Loved watching you cook with the thrush singing outside your window. So lovely. Welcome back!

So glad you loved Virginia. It truly is beautiful. And we're so happy you're back!!!!

good to know that there's video good quality video and youtube in 1824. imagine what we can have in 2024

That meal looks delicious.Glad to have you back. Congrats again to both of❤😊 you.

You’ve been missed! So glad you’re back and cooking. Also happy you had a good time. Welcome home 💜

Congratulations on your marriage May God bless your union.

Looks delicious!!!Right down my alley,and I love fried mush!! Welcome back,I missed you guys!!!😍🥰Big hugs,too!!

Ohmygoodness 😋 every part of that meal looks absolutely delectable! Welcome back, Mrs. Rayfield 🎉 💃

First off: CONGRATULATIONS on your marriage to Ron. So happy for you both! Secondly, now I am craving cornmeal mush. I used to have it just cooked in a bowl with a bit of butter and brown sugar on it, and I LOVED IT. Guess I am dating myself, but this was a staple in our family of 7 children, where both parents grew up during the depression. I have made it a few times, but not in ages! Now I am going to have to get some more cornmeal. Sending you prayers for the VERY BEST of everything. God bless!

Congrats to the both of you,and very happy sbout the wedding.Glad to see the pictures of the fried chicken and how it is cooked,that is a 360 degree difference from how they do it here in NYC.Glad to see the both of you back.

Welcome back, definitely missed you both but so happy you two had this time to enjoy your honeymoon. This meal looks delicious!

I am so glad you are back! This video is extra special to me for maybe an odd reason. My mother has a favorite bird. We've only ever heard it; we have no idea what it looks like or what it is. I have tried to find it by searching birds that are in my region and listening to recordings of songs and haven't been able to locate it (yes, every single bird that ever appears in my region and that's a lot). I recently downloaded an app that allows you to record the birdsong you hear and it will tell you what bird is singing. I have heard it twice since I downloaded the app but was not in a position to pull out my phone (at an outdoor theater, where it would be rude to look at my phone, and on a hike with no service). That bird, my mother's favorite bird, is in the background of this video and this app tells me it's a wood thrush. I'm crying because my mother and I have been trying to identify this bird for 35 years. Thank you for this. And thank you for recording videos the way you do without extra sounds that would have drowned out our wood thrush.

I'm so happy you're back. This food looks amazing, and the green looks fantastic on you!!

Walked through colonial Williamsburg this past weekend thinking of you guys!

Glad your back, the wedding pictures you showed looked beautiful

So glad to see your back, so Happy for you and Ron . Congratulations,❤❤ love the chicken dinner , my favorite food.😊

I spy some new cookware/servingware wedding gifts! Congratulations to you and Ron!

Congratulations to you both.

I’m SO glad you are Cooking 🍳 again Mrs. Rayfield.

We have surely missed you two. This meal is my kind of meal. Looks so yummy!😊

I swear these videos has become even better. The woman's cooking has gotten even better.

I recently got out of Boot Camp... You have no idea how much joy it will bring me catching up on all your videos!

Beautiful Wife. Truly running the homestead as it should be. Any real man, would do anything she needed and or wanted. Class act!

Woohooo welcome back Mrs. Rayfield!!! That ring sure looks nice you are sportin'!!!

Love the Bayonet Apple coring technique.... Can only imagine how well Chef Justine could dice vegetable with a Battle Axe...

Missed you, too, Justine and Ron! So glad you had a lovely wedding and honeymoon. Congratulations!

I've missed you guys. Hope your honeymoon was wonderful. Williamsburg is amazing, I have been there 3 times and my favorite was always the cooking demos. Glad you are back. I have been busy watching your older videos while you were gone.

Missed you both too.

Congratulations! Missed you guys, but it was for a wonderful reason!!! ❤❤❤

This is so heartwarming to watch, simple lives, thank you for sharing this.....Much love from India.

Oh Rayfield’s, how I have waited patiently for you two to return to the cabin!! So happy that your wedding and honeymoon were wonderful❤️ Really looking forward to all of f the new adventures ahead!

Wonderful Young Married Folks ❤❤ Congratulations! May you be blessed, successful, abundant, prosperous, and always covered with The Love and Protection of our Father ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

This looks like an amazing meal! Welcome back Mrs. Rayfield! 💕

I had a few minutes and so I had to watch your video and Justine it was so funny when you dropped the food in front of the fire..and that look on your face... I just was roaring laughing!!! Was just priceless and I appreciate it being a cook by the way

Saw the article in The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and had to come watch. That food looks amazing.

This makes me appreciate Costco roast chicken much more than before!

Greeting Mrs Rayfield. Welcome back. We missed You. This is a meal anyone would love. Oddly ive never had fried mush but id love to try it!

One of my most favorite channels!!!! I ❤ the no taking.

Coring apples with a bayonet -- instant thumbs up

Wearing all those (what seems to be) heavy clothes in 90+ humidity and temps over 90 F, even hotter inside with the fire going, is very impressive! You suffered like that for our benefit? I admire the work you do to make this channel so wonderful to watch. I remember being in the Army in North Carolina in similar weather, completely covered in MOPP 4 gear to protect from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons (full face gas mask, head and body covered in a thick protective foam, thick rubber gloves and overboots, all sealed up with tape) for 8 hours. It was truly a miserable state. People back in the day must have been tough as nails without electric fans or AC, and you actually went there. Much respect! Your cooking videos are relaxing, normally. I watched this one after your post-honeymoon video, and it brought back memories. I am impressed! Congratulations on being a new bride, and many kudos to your awesome new hubby. He really does seem like a great guy. You're a great couple, for sure.

Welcome back Justine! Your first cooking video as a married woman, did not disappoint. Tasty classic foods still popular today. Now, you've got me craving fried chicken. And, I love your apple roaster! I roast apples year-round, it's a favorite. But, never over a fire. God willing, if I'm able to go camping in the fall, fire-roasted apples will be on the menu. Thank you!