haditupto t1_it9lsbj wrote on October 21, 2022 at 11:05 PM

Check out historical cookbooks! Archives collect them and digitize them - here is a collection at Michigan State University, there are quite a few from the era you are looking for..not specific to Maine, but there is one from 1807 from Boston.

The Maine Women Writers Collection at UNE also has some historical cookbooks that may be from Maine- can contact them if the aren't digitized.

JayhawkInMaine OP t1_it9qroa wrote on October 21, 2022 at 11:44 PM

Thank you!

SmellsofElderberry25 t1_itbt892 wrote on October 22, 2022 at 1:13 PM

Also University of Maine has some traditional recipes (many already mentioned here) though they don’t give a ton of history. https://umaine.edu/undiscoveredmaine/category/recipes/

JayhawkInMaine OP t1_itbtufw wrote on October 22, 2022 at 1:18 PM

These look fantastic. Thanks!

lsanborn t1_itdhny7 wrote on October 22, 2022 at 8:27 PM

If you go to your local library they have access to libraries (and consequently old cookbooks) from all over the state. Churches used to collect family recipes, bind them and sell them as fund raisers. Baked beans are the quintessential Maine food. Every family does them a little differently, but always from dried beans, which are soaked all night and then cook all day in that wood stove that’s blazing all day anyway to heat the house. Potatoes boiled with the jackets on. Finnan Haddie and red flannel hash. Can’t say I’m a fan of these but the names are worth the price of admission. With beans my Dad always had “brown bread” which came in a can.

hoardac t1_itg5ew6 wrote on October 23, 2022 at 12:09 PM

We were still part of Massachusetts in 1807 so it works.