Bygone Recipes – Useful Information

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Some of these ‘bygone’ recipes include instructions or ingredients that will be unknown to most people today, hopefully most of them will be clarified here.

Apollinaris

Apollinaris is an historic brand of naturally sparkling mineral water from Germany.

Substitute with your preferred sparkling water.

Browned Flour

Used for flavouring and thickening stews and gravies.

Method 1:

Quicker but requires constant attention

Place a dry heavy bottomed pan over a medium to high heat
Add the desired amount of flour, spread evenly over the bottom of the pan
Stir continuously with a wooden spoon or whisk.
Pay close attention as it can burn very easily and as it starts to brown the browning will accelerate.
As soon as it reaches the desired colour (depending upon it’s use) transfer to a different container to stop the cooking process
Will store in an airtight jar in a cool dry place for up to a year

Method 2:

Slower but requires less attention

Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C Fan, 400°F
Spread the flour in an even layer on a baking sheet or glass baking dish
Place in the oven
Stir and check every 15 minutes, as it nears the desired colour check more frequently. Typically takes 40 to 60 minutes depending on the desired colour
When it reaches the desired colour remove from the oven and transfer to a different container to cool
Will store in an airtight jar in a cool dry place for up to a year

Citron

Citron is not the same as lemon, it is a distinct ancient fruit, it is larger with drier pulp and less juice.

Citron used in old recipes was generally candied; you may be able to get it from specialist retailers, however it can be substituted with candied lemon peel, candied orange peel, other candied fruits or replace it with lemon zest to give a more citrusy flavour.

Entire Wheat

Entire wheat used in old recipes generally is an historical term for whole wheat flour or wholemeal flour.

Flavoring (cakes / fondants / fillings)

In old recipes the most common flavoring extracts were vanilla, almond and lemon extract.

Forcemeat

In old recipes ‘forcemeat’ was a seasoned mixture of finely ground or pureed lean meat combined with fat and often a binding agent such as breadcrumbs or eggs.

It was used for a variety of purposes including stuffing, pasta fillings, sausages, pates, terrines, dumplings or as a garnish.

See Bygone Recipes – Meat

Graham Flour

Graham flour was popular in recipes in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was developed by Sylvester Graham in the 1830’s and was known for it’s coarse, nutty flavour.

Graham Flour Substitute:

To make one cup of graham flour substitute, mix together 84g of unbleached unrefined whole wheat flour, 15g of wheat bran and 1 or 2 teaspoons of wheat germ.

Indian Meal / Corn Meal

Indian Meal and Corn Meal are both ground dried corn. Indian meal is generally a coarser grind than corn meal. They are often sold as ‘Polenta’.

Irish Moss

Irish moss is used as a natural thickener as it has a high carrageenan content, a vegan gelatine alternative.

It is widely sold in its dried, whole form, often marketed as “sea moss” or “carrageen moss”. It is very high in nutrients, with essential minerals like iodine, calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, vitamins A, C, E, K, fibre and antioxidants.

Currant Jelly

In old recipes, currant jelly (especially redcurrant) was a versatile ingredient used to balance rich meats like lamb, game (venison, goose), and poultry (duck, turkey) in sauces and gravies, as a glaze for tarts (sparkling berries), and as a sweet spread for toast, scones, or in cakes and puddings, providing tangy, fruity depth to both savory and sweet dishes.

See Recipes – Preserves.

Junket Tablet

A junket tablet in old recipes contains rennet, an enzyme that coagulates milk to create a soft, custard-like, milk-based dessert called junket (also known as curds and whey or rennet custard).

Rennet tablets and liquid are available to purchase. Rennet tablets however, are much ‘stronger’ than junket tablets so replacing a junket tablet with a fraction of a rennet tablet is difficult. It is easier to use the liquid rennet at a ratio of approximately 20 drops to one junket tablet.

Lowney’s Premium Chocolate

Lowney’s Premium Chocolate was an unsweetened baking chocolate (also known as bitter chocolate) that is no longer available today.

Substitute an equal amount of modern unsweetened baking chocolate . This will closely replicate the original recipe’s intended flavour and consistency.

Oven Temperatures

Before precise thermostats became standard, cookbooks used descriptive terms based on how an oven “felt.” In 2026, these are the generally accepted modern equivalents for electric or gas ovens.

Cool / Very Slow Oven
- 110°C–120°C, 225°F–250°F, Gas Mark ¼ or ½, Fan 90°C–100°C
Slow Oven
- 150°C, 300°F, Gas Mark 2, Fan 130°C
Moderate Oven
- 180°C, 350°F, Gas Mark 4, Fan 160°C
Moderately Hot Oven
- 190°C–200°C, 375°F–400°F , Gas Mark 5–6, Fan 170°C–180°C
Hot / Quick / Sharp Oven
- 220°C, 425°F , Gas Mark 7, Fan 200°C
Very Hot / Fast Oven
- 230°C–240°C, 450°F–475°F , Gas Mark 8–9, Fan 210°C–220°C

Powdered Sugar / Confectioners Sugar

Same as icing sugar.

Poultry Seasoning

Poultry Seasoning is typically made from a blend of dried sage, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, nutmeg and black pepper.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons dried sage
1½ teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
¾ teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon finely ground black pepper

Scalded Milk

Scalded milk is milk heated to about 180°F (83°C), just below boiling. This kills bacteria and deactivates enzymes that can affect cooking. While not necessary for safety today because most milk is pasteurized, scalding is still used to improve recipes by helping ingredients dissolve, creating a smoother texture in dishes like custards and puddings, and making breads and cakes lighter.

To Scold Milk:

Place in a saucepan over a low to medium heat.
Stir continuously to prevent a skin forming and also to prevent the milk from burning at the bottom.
Heat the milk until it starts to simmer, forming tiny bubbles around the edges, do not allow it to boil.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool to the required temperature.

Shortening

Shortening is 100% fat and has a high melting point, which creates the “short,” crumbly texture and domed shape characteristic of these vintage recipes.

Lard is the original ‘shortening’ and is classed as UPF free as long as it is 100% lard, some commercially produced lard can sometimes contain additives so check these for UPF’s.

Some alternatives to lard are detailed below.

Butter (The Most Common Swap). Because butter contains about 15–20% water, cookies will be crispier, flatter, and brown more easily than those made with shortening. To mimic shortening’s fat density, some bakers add 2 extra tablespoons of butter per cup, or slightly reduce the other liquids in the recipe.
Ghee (Clarified Butter) Ghee is butter with the water and milk solids removed, making it 100% fat like shortening. It provides a very rich, nutty flavour and a texture closer to the original recipe than standard butter.
Coconut Oil. Refined coconut oil has a neutral taste but has undergone more processing than “virgin” or “unrefined” oil which will add a distinct coconut flavour to your cookies. Some refined coconut oil may be considered UPF.
Grass-Fed Tallow, a traditional beef fat that is solid at room temperature and UPF-free. While less common for cookies than lard, it provides a similar structural benefit.

Soda

Soda used in old recipes generally refers to baking soda (sodium bicarbonate).

Sour Milk

Old recipes using ‘sour milk’ were often written before milk was pasteurized, when raw milk naturally became sour with beneficial lactic acid bacteria. Modern pasteurized milk does not sour safely; it grows harmful bacteria and should not be consumed if it has spoiled on it’s own.

How to sour milk:

To each cup (240 mL) of sour milk required add a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice.
Stir and leave to stand at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes, it should begin to thicken and curdle slightly.
Use as required.

Try out Salt Pork

This is an old fashioned term meaning to render the fat. Rendering the fat requires slowly cooking the salt pork to melt and separate the liquid fat from the solid pieces of meat.

To Try out Salt Pork:

Cut the salt pork into small pieces or cubes.
Cook slowly in a skillet or pot over a low heat stirring frequently until the fat melts and the meat pieces become brown and crispy.
Strain the liquid fat through a fine sieve or cheesecloth.
The resulting fat can be used for cooking.
The crispy meat bits can be used as a garnish or incorporated into a recipe.

Yeast Cake

In old recipes ‘yeast cake’ refers to a compressed block of fresh, moist yeast.

A ‘yeast cake’ was generally used in two sizes, two ounce or half ounce.

A two ounce cake would be used for a large mix with up to around 12 cups (1.44kg) of flour and can be substituted with about 20g of active dried yeast.

A half ounce cake used for a smaller mix can be substituted with half a teaspoon (5g) of dried active yeast