Happy Easter

Sunday, March 27, 2016, is the celebration of Easter. For some Christians this day involves attending service followed by family celebrations including a large meal together. One traditional meat served at Easter is ham. Today ham is easily purchased at a local grocery story or a local specialty store. The person in charge of cooking the ham (or just warming it up) will put it in an oven, or microwave if you really want to be quick. When a timer goes off the ham is sliced, put on a platter and served.

Thinking back to the time frame of when this church was established, a popular book for housewives was The American Frugal Housewife by Mrs. Child. The edition quoted from in this blog entry is taken from a reprint of The American Frugal Housewife published by Applewood Books, Bedford, MA. The author, Mrs. Lydia Maria Child, provided women with recipes, medicinal cures, parenting tips and other housekeeping tips. According to Applewood Books, Mrs. Child "was an early feminist and abolitionist who supported her family through her various literary activities as a writer, a pamphleteer, and an editor." (back cover)

Back in the early 1800's, anyone who wanted to have a ham for Easter would have go through the following process to cure a ham -- remember too that the ham probably came from a pig on your farm: According to Mrs. Child:

"The old-fashioned way for curing hams is to rub them with salt very thoroughly, and let them lay twenty-four hours. To each ham allow two ounces of salt-petre, one quart of common salt and one quart of molasses. First baste them with molasses: next rub in the salt-petre: and, last of all, the common salt. They must be carefully turned and rubbed every day for six weeks; then hang them in a chimney, or smoke-house, four weeks.

"They should be well covered up in paper bags, and put in a chest, or barrel, with layers of ashes, or charcoal, between. When you take out a ham to cut for use, be sure and put it away in a dark place, well covered up; especially in summer." (pages 41-42)

That is a lot of work to prepare ham compared to what is required for people today.

As we gather to celebrate Easter, we ask that you remember the risen Christ and all those who have come before you.

Grace and blessings to all!