Early American Cookware
- Ceramic containers made by Native Americans were so finely made that they elicited the admiration of European travelers who thought them as good as any being made in Europe at that time. The pottery utensils were entirely handmade and often very large. Once dried, the pots often padded to compress and strengthen the walls and then fired in large bonfires. Early Americans also used small and large grinding stones, which were invaluable for tasks such as nut cracking, pounding and powdering dried meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, seed and root. In the Southwest, where wood was scarce, stones were used to grind corn. The corn, a staple part of the diet, was transferred from coarse to finer stones, as a group of women knelt before them to grind fine flour for their community. Soapstone, a soft stone, was also used to make small bowls and griddles.
- Early American clay cooking pots were usually founded with open mouths and pointed or sharply rounded bottoms. They sat over the heat on stone tripods, usually constructed from thin rocks placed in a vertical position and spaced far enough apart to place gently burning branches between them. The pots were lined with flat rocks, chosen for their heat retaining properties. As early American people tended to have one large meal a day, the clay cooking pot simmering over a small fire took care of most of the preparation. Soap stone utensils often took their shape from the original rock from which they were carved.
- Pottery is one of the oldest forms of cookware and the most versatile, as it allowed for a variety of shapes and sizes. Early pottery coatings were made of plant gum. Clay pots were hung over fires of placed directly in a bed of low-heat burning coals. Earthenware pottery was popular because it was easy to make and affordable. The development of bronze and iron metalwork skills was responsible for the introduction of metal cookware but, until the mid 17th century, most American homes stuck with the tried and tested traditional kitchen, which features a cast-iron cauldron, some earthenware and a spit for roasting.
- Kitchen gadgets began to be introduced into American kitchens in the 19th century. Fruit preserves were a key part of the American diet and the preserving kettle was intended to be used in the process of preserving fruit by cooking it with sugar. For the best results, fruit and sugar were left in the kettle overnight. Sloping sides, pouring sprout and tipping handle were features of a preserving kettle. The Papin Soup Digester, introduced in 1890, was the predecessor to the modern pressure cooker.
- Before European influences, early Americans did not use metal cookware and only used copper utensils in ceremonial rites. This led to a high level of skill in stone, clay and wooden utensils, which are still prized by collectors and historians.
