Open Hearth, Campfire & Period Cookstove Cooking:

Cooking in the Summer Kitchen, Bushong Farm , May 2003

Articles on this Website: Open Hearth Cooking Basics Period cooking implements

Articles / Resources On Other Sites:

• Hearth Cooking website by William Rubel, author of The Magic of Fire
• OpenHearthCooking.com -- website of open hearth cook Mercy Ingraham
• Hearth Studios -- Alice Ross's website (check out the "articles" section for some particularly good stuff, including article on making cornbread)
• "Cooking Over an Open Fire" -- article on FreeTechSupport.com
• "Seven Secrets of Dutch Oven Cooking" -- article on Backwoods Home magazine website.
• Dutch Oven Cooking -- from FreeTechSupport.com
• Cooking on a Wood Cookstove -- from FreeTechSupport.com
• Links to Museums with Kitchenalia -- from FoodHistory.com website.
• Pictures of Miscellaneous Objects used for 19th century Food Preparation, from the Illinois State Museum's online exhibit, "At Home in a House Divided". See also Metal Objects and the overall index pages for household objects 1850-1890 and household objects 1800-1850
• Development of the Cookstove from the 18th Century-on, from AntiqueStoves.com -- also try this link for more pictures of early to mid 19th c stoves.
• History of Household Technology -- article on Library of Congress, American memory site

Classes, Workshops & Groups:

• List of Classes & Workshops in Open Hearth Cooking, From William Rubel's website.
• Nearest classes to most AGSAS members are at:
  • Carroll County Farm Museum in Westminster, MD
  • John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC (week-long course)
  • Old Salem, Winston-Salem NC
  • Landis Valley Museum, Lancaster, PA
  • Gunston Hall, Fairfax County, VA
  • Frontier Culture Museum, Staunton, VA, and also:
  • Meadow Farm, Glen Allen, VA (not listed on Rubel's directory)
• An open-hearth cooking / study club called the "Historical Cooking Guild of the Catawba Valley" meets twice at month for cooking practice /instruction in Pineville, NC. Info on Rubel's website. (scroll to bottom of page)

Sources of Supplies / Cooking Implements:

Hearth Equipment & Iron Cooking Pots:

• Rumford Fireplaces - reproduction cooking fireplaces, with or without bread ovens
• Ball & Ball -- carried fireplace cranes & trammels & a clockwork spit
• Historic Housefitters -- apparently carries fireplace cranes, "tin kitchens" and other implements. Although their website doesn't show the full catalog, there is a hard copy available.
• Ironman Forge, based in Florida, has some really good-looking trivets, an actual gridiron (hard to find item), ladles, etc, cooking tripods and S-hooks. They are going to be at the Gettysburg reenactment. They also have some incorrect "reenactor gear", so shop carefully.
• James Townsend & Company -- Rev War sutler that carries good dutch ovens, cast iron cookpots and cauldrons. Avoid the sugar cones -- they are dark Mexican sugar wrapped in corn husks -- not appropriate for mid 19th c.

Tinware:

• The Village Tinsmith --- the Hoovers attend many of the big events and have great stuff, including various cooking pots / kettles, coffee and tea pots, excellent buckets, etc. All items are safe and use lead free solder.
• Richmonville Tinware -- Another very high quality supplier -- coffee pots, a "tin kitchen", cooking pots, etc
• Old Sturbridge Village Giftshop -- Really great looking tin cannisters. Ironwork section has the usual S-hooks, etc but don't get their trivets -- they are the tabletop kind, not tall enough for cooking.

Utility Dishes / Mixing Bowls / Crocks / Glassware, etc:

• Henderson's Redwares -- REALLY good looking reproduction redware and Rockingham.
• Tuckahoe Trading Co. -- Offerings include redware and other earthenware, 18th-19th c glassware, and a very nice set of repro 18th / early 19th c bellows.
• Dog River Glassworks -- repro pickle bottles, food bottles, all sorts of great stuff
• Sugar Tree Country Store, McDowell, VA -- has a very nice line of reproduction yellowware bowls, etc. Our co-organizers for the McDowell reenactment -- say hi to Jim and Lorraine White (proprietors) if you visit.
• Old Sturbridge Village Giftshop -- Nice redware, tin cannisters, etc. Don't get the trivets -- they are the tabletop kind, not tall enough for cooking.
• GooseBay Workshops focuses on 18th century but many of their items would still be appropriate for 19th century. They carry kettles, glassware and a variety of other items
• Julia Smith, Reproduction Potter -- Delftware, stoneware, redware --very good quality

"Old Time" General Stores for Misc. Supplies:

• Lehmans -- great online catalogue for "old timey" stuff, some of which is ok for our period and some of which is not. If you know what you're looking for, this place is great.
• Vermont Country Store -- same as Lehman's, only often with less info on which period the item is appropriate for. Great stuff, but shop carefully.
• Cumberland General Store -- same as for Lehman's and Vermont Country Store -- good general line of "old timey" stuff, some of which works for our era and some of which doesnt.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Open Hearth Cooking Techniques & Implements

• Hearthside Cooking. Virginia Plantation Cuisine , by Nancy Carter Crump, 1986.
• The Magic of Fire, by William Rubel, 2002.
• From Fireplace to Cookstove: Technology and the Domestic Ideal in America, by Priscilla J. Brewer