Historic Vinegar Pie, oh my!
Vinegar pie sound like a contradiction in terms. A pie based around vinegar? For the Historical Food Fortnightly Challenge #5 (Pies), I decided to explore vinegar pie in the 1860's. I had had some vinegar pie at the Eagle Tavern in Greenfield Village this May. The pie was delightful - light and lemony. The technique seems similar to that of Key Lime pie, in which the acid "cooks" the raw eggs. There was only one problem: as I combed through mid-nineteenth century cookbooks, I could not find a recipe for vinegar pie. Except for one. And it didn't sound like it would turn out the way I was hoping, since there were no eggs included. But there was one recipe! That meant the challenge was on! The recipe I found came from The Practical Housekeeper and Young Woman's Friend by Mrs. M. L. Scott (Toledo. 1855) Like most period recipes, the instructions were minimal, assuming a familiarity with the necessary...