Okay, by the time of cowboys and pioneers cooking stoves are common and cooking multiple meals is common, but in the 18th century food is cooked once a day for 2:00 (or 3:00 depending on culture) dinner. Leftovers from dinner for supper at night. Leftovers from supper for breakfast next morning. This way food is mostly or all used up within a day so it does not go bad. Also the bulk of the cooking and cleanup is done during the day when there is light. If one has ever been without electricity for a period time (hoping Darion passes everyone by and they don’t have to deal with same) it is much easier to cook and clean when there is daylight. Food is cooked on the hearth over charcoal mounds called burners which are made by burning wood down to same and then are moved with small shovel to the hearth – cooking is not done over the fire itself.
Cowboys generally ate well when on the job. Having a good cook was a priority on a trail drive, and good cooks were sought after and paid better than the cowboys. He had only his swamper for help and had to produce good meals for very hungry men. The cook also had to roast coffee beans, which do not keep well after they are roasted. They bought it green in sacks, the cloth sacks being useful for all sorts of things. The beans were roasted and put in a sack and beaten until broken up. “Cowboy coffee” doesn’t need very fine grinding. “Sixshooter coffee” is boiled until you can float a pistol on it.
Of course, beef was no problem, and it was well understood that anyone else’s beef tasted better than your own and was to be preferred. They sometime picked up a steer or two as they passed through a local range, and if the local outfit didn’t have riders out to check passing herds, that steer would be a convenient source of meals.
Any chance for fresh goods, such as when passing a farm, was jumped on. But canned peaches and tomatoes were always on board. Canned tomatoes were prized by the cowboys straight from the can as very refreshing. Cowboys often factored in a man’s reputation for hiring good cooks and feeding men well when they considered who to work for. And a ranch with a sparse table would have trouble getting good hands, although some had to cook for themselves when assigned to line shacks to ride fence.
Gary Fabian over 4 years ago
Love the smirks from the parents and grandpa, because Toby does not have a clue.
mafastore over 4 years ago
Okay, by the time of cowboys and pioneers cooking stoves are common and cooking multiple meals is common, but in the 18th century food is cooked once a day for 2:00 (or 3:00 depending on culture) dinner. Leftovers from dinner for supper at night. Leftovers from supper for breakfast next morning. This way food is mostly or all used up within a day so it does not go bad. Also the bulk of the cooking and cleanup is done during the day when there is light. If one has ever been without electricity for a period time (hoping Darion passes everyone by and they don’t have to deal with same) it is much easier to cook and clean when there is daylight. Food is cooked on the hearth over charcoal mounds called burners which are made by burning wood down to same and then are moved with small shovel to the hearth – cooking is not done over the fire itself.
karmakat01 over 4 years ago
about the amount of food…MAYBE. but the material I REALLY DON’T THINK SO!
Algolei I over 4 years ago
“You have died of dysentery.”
well-i-never over 4 years ago
Mom must be Pioneer Woman.
MeGoNow Premium Member over 4 years ago
Cowboys generally ate well when on the job. Having a good cook was a priority on a trail drive, and good cooks were sought after and paid better than the cowboys. He had only his swamper for help and had to produce good meals for very hungry men. The cook also had to roast coffee beans, which do not keep well after they are roasted. They bought it green in sacks, the cloth sacks being useful for all sorts of things. The beans were roasted and put in a sack and beaten until broken up. “Cowboy coffee” doesn’t need very fine grinding. “Sixshooter coffee” is boiled until you can float a pistol on it.
Of course, beef was no problem, and it was well understood that anyone else’s beef tasted better than your own and was to be preferred. They sometime picked up a steer or two as they passed through a local range, and if the local outfit didn’t have riders out to check passing herds, that steer would be a convenient source of meals.
Any chance for fresh goods, such as when passing a farm, was jumped on. But canned peaches and tomatoes were always on board. Canned tomatoes were prized by the cowboys straight from the can as very refreshing. Cowboys often factored in a man’s reputation for hiring good cooks and feeding men well when they considered who to work for. And a ranch with a sparse table would have trouble getting good hands, although some had to cook for themselves when assigned to line shacks to ride fence.
cuzinron47 over 4 years ago
But that was before all the good BBQ sauces were invented.
karolwithk over 4 years ago
He’s young… Let him enjoy the bubble!
Pedmar Premium Member over 4 years ago
My dad likes to eat outside on the deck, and the mosquitos like to eat me.
Lyons Group, Inc. over 4 years ago
Toby has to realize also they didn’t have internet or wi-fi back then, only the telephone and the telegraph.
John Barleycorn Premium Member over 4 years ago
Reality check time.