Civil War Era Cherry Bread (1861)

 

In 1861, tensions were high. The world was moving forward but there were people who just could not see how backwards the country was. All men are created equal. But did that include Black men? Women? The time for compromise was over. Everyone had chosen their sides. Were black men to be freed?

Everyone thought the war would be quick; their side would be victorious. How could it not be? The boys would be home soon. People were reading over the pages of Harper’s Weekly as if they were looking over reports about a recent horse race.

Under an advertisement for the paper there’s a recipe to help readers use up the last of their cherry crop and revive a stale loaf of bread. This recipe is incredibly sweet. A little goes a long way. 

Civil War Era Cherry Bread

Ingredients:

- 2 pounds of Cherries, stoned with the stems removed

- 3/4 Cup of Sugar

- Bread, sliced 1 inch thick

Instructions:

Remove the stems and pits from the cherries. Place the cherries in a large sauce pan, making sure that there is space at the top of the pan in case the cherries splash. If the cherries are dry, add a few Tablespoons of Water. Stir in the Sugar. Stew on low-to-medium heat for about 15 minutes, remove the cherries with a slotted spoon and simmer the remaining juice until it becomes a thickened syrup, about 5 minutes more. 

Cut bread in 1 inch thick slices and place in a “float dish” or soup plate. Drizzle the cherry syrup mixture over top. The syrup is very sweet.

Another contemporary recipe for Cherry bread instructs to cover the cherries with cinnamon and sugar over the top and bake the whole.