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a cistern for storing rain water, and a cooling system near the larder.
They had running water and stone sinks; they devised special-purpose ovens
for breads and pies with revolving shelves that would take large numbers.
They built large set-in kettles for making soups, steaming vegetables, etc.
In some dwellings, the dining room was on the same floor as the kitchen.
In some, it was above the kitchen and then they used dumbwaiters.
There was usually a separate dining room for the ministry and another
for farm help (who had been hired from the neighboring area). Some Shaker
families also had a separate dining room for visitors and tablecloths were
used there. They did not make glassware or earthernware, but purchased
the best available. As already indicate, herbs were used liberally in their
cooking. Soups were not usually served with the noon dinner but as a meal in
itself for supper. All Shaker communities had fine fresh water ponds or lakes
and caught fish from them. Fresh water fish or salt water fish, such as oysters,
clams, lobsters, sea bass, pollock, etc., were served frequently and were
not considered luxurious or even hard to get. Oysters were used plentifully
during the fall and winter, being considered nutritious and healthful. The
Hancock, Mass, family, for instance, would pickup a barrel of oysters twice
a month from the railroad station; would keep them covered with cold water
and feed corn meal to them until they were used--in soups, stews or pies,
or fried or pickled.
The Shakers raised many chickens and chicken was often served to
visitors. Chicken fat was used as a butter substitute in many Shaker recipes;