Food Preparation and Preservation/ July 25th, 2021

Today we are going to be looking at the average diet of the early pioneers in Ontario. To do this we will explore a number of recipes and share them for you to take a hand at trying!

The Early Days

When settlers first arrived and were setting up their homesteads their diets were not very exciting. They would eat what was available to them. This would include berries and other foods they could grow, along with wild fowl and fish. There was little variety at first and you would often eat the same thing day in and day out.

Bannock was a popular part of diets as it was simple to make and easy to take with you. To learn more about bannock, check out our Bannock making demonstration from last summer!

In the early days it was especially important to be self sufficient when it came to food, as it was often very difficult to have food supplies shipped in and you would often be at least a days journey from the nearest established settlement. Making preserves and starting home gardens were some of the first things settlers would do to ensure their homestead would flourish.

The 19th and 20th Centuries

Once settled, families would often try to make the traditional foods of the place they came from. This was often very difficult when cooking over fires and with the limited access to some of the necessary ingredients. As a result of this, many recipes from this time period are variations of what might be found in Europe or they were something completely new, inspired by the resources available in their new homes.

Explore the gallery below to discover a number of recipes that were common during this time period and to explore the cookbook they come from in more detail click here .