Pioneer Handbooks

[Anianna]

This site has free downloadable handbooks with recipes and DIY from pioneer times. Nifty!

[TacAir]

Cool

I see 'cart' and $.0.00 - so if they are free, free, why not just set them up for download? - If I may ask...

If you have used this, what personal information did you have to give up to download?

Did you have to give a credit card to download?

Thanks for the link!

(Ninja edit) Found this on another site

Here is the song and dance about the site though. It requires registration along with a physical address and phone number. 1112 Main St Anywhere, Any World works along with the number for information. OPSEC is we don't randomly give out our personal info. The Grey Knight and I even have disposable email accounts registered under internet names..=P. Once you register and put the manuals you want in your basket, simply check out and they send a PDF file to your email account.

Thanks, but, no thanks. Project Gutenberg is zero risk.

Thanks again for pointing up the site tho!

[Anianna]

I hadn't actually had a chance to use it yet. I had thought it was a direct download and intended to go back in a day or two to get them. That stinks that it's like that.

[TacAir]

I hadn't actually had a chance to use it yet. I had thought it was a direct download and intended to go back in a day or two to get them. That stinks that it's like that.

It is a legit site, and sells other books. It's just that 1880s tech and loss of OPSEC is a no win for me.

You can download a US Army Engineers set of handbooks and manuals that deal with building, plumbing and even surveying (it works, I surveyed my old BOL in UT using the manual!) all for free - all direct downloads.

If only my Kindle would display PDFs decently....

[Tank Woman]

I always sign up for online doodads using TacAir's method.
I grabbed a couple PDFs, so far nothing I've read is worth going out of the way for, but I plan to peruse a few more. One thing I did find is that even though these are scanned documents, they are highlightable and copyable. So I'll include a section on Bread here for y'all to see.

BREAD.
From inferior flour it is possible to make biscuit, mufiius, plain pastry
and pan cakes that are eatable ; but to make good bread you must have
the best of flour. In handling flour, squeeze a handful tightly, and if it
retains the imprint of the hand it is pretty safe to conclude that it is
not the best quality or that it is new flour. In either case it is greatly
improved by sifting enough for each baking into the bread tray and exposing
to the hot sun for several hours, or setting near the stove. Next
in importance to the quality of the flour is that of the yeast, which
should be light and lively. Set the dough to rise in a moderately warm
place, and keep it in an even temperature. Cold arrests the process of
fermentation; too much heat carries forward the work too rapidly, and
makes the dough puffy and sour. In this case, if you do not wish to
throw it away, which is the best possible thing to do with sour bread,
dissolve a little soda in hot water and work it well in. Bread should be
mixed as wft as it can be handled. It will rise sooner, be lighter and
keep fresh longer if this rule is followed. If you can mould it at all, it
http://www.pioneerhandbooks.com
92 THE HOMESTEAD MANUAL.
is not too soft. When it is in managable shape, begin to knead. Work
the mass into a ball, always having the hands and the board well floured;
knead hard, and always toward the center of the mass, which should be
repeatedly turned over and around. Brisk and long kneading, twenty
minutes or half an hour, makes the pores fine and regular. This done,
work the dough into a ball, sprinkle with flour, throw a cloth over it and
leave on the kitchen table to rise. In summer it will rise in four or five
hours—in winter in about six hours. It should come up steadily until
it is treble its original size and the floured surface cracks all over the
mass. Knead again ten or fifteen minutes; divide into as many parts as
you want loaves, and put these into the well-greased pans for the final
rising. Set the pans in a warm place for an hour longer. The
oven should not be too hot. If you cannot hold your bare arm in it
while you count thirty it is too hot. After the bread is in, keep the
heat very regular. If the bread rises rapidly while baking, and the crust
begins to form before the lower part of the loaf is baked, cover the top
with a paper until you are ready to brown it. If the crust should burn,
grate it instead of clipping with a knife. When taken from the oven,
stand the loaves on edge, and cover with a cloth until cool. This position
allows the air to cool all sides and prevents sweating.
German Yeast.—Parch a teacupful of corn, cook it well, but do not
brown much, put this with a good double handful of hops, tie it in a
thin muslin bag, in a kettle with four quarts of water, and boil three
hours; strain through a cullender, put back in the kettle and put in six
large potatoes without paring, boil one hour, strain again and rub the
potatoes through the cullender; return again to the kettle and add a teacup
of white sugar, the same of salt, a tablespoonful of ginger and water
enough to make a gallon. When cool put in a teacup of good yeast, or
two yeast-cakes that you know are good, keep warm until it rises, which
will take about thirty-six hours.
Keep in a jar in the cellar.
Self-working Yeast.—Tie two ounces hops in a coarse muslin bag,
and boil one hour in four quarts of water,and let it get nearly cold before
removing the bag. Wet witli the'|teDid liquor, a little|at a time, nn^
pound of flourj making to a smooth paste. Put in half a pound of white
http://www.pioneerhandbooks.com
THE HOMESTEAD MANUAL. 93
sugar, and one tablespoonful of salt; beat up tlie batter three minutes
before adding the rest of the tea. Set it away for two days in an open
bowl covered with a thin cloth, in a closet which is moderately and also
evenly warm. On the third day peel, boil and mash eight potatoes, and
strain through a cullender into the thickened hop liquor, let it stand
twelve hours longer in the bowl, stir often and keep in the warm kitchen.
Bottle, or put away in corked jars, and it will keep a month in a cool
cellar.
Bread.—Pear three large potatoes and boil in water enough for three
pints when done; have one large spoonful of flour in a gallon crock and
pour on the boiling potato-water, stir it well and mash the potatoes with
a fork or a wire potato masher—a wooden mallet makes them heavy
—
and put the potatoes into a crock,stir well, and when about milk warm
add two-thirds of a teacupful of Glerman yeast, cover the crock, and in
cold weather cover with a cloth and set it where it will keep warm over
night. If the sponge is not as light as a honeycomb in the morning, set
the crock in a pan of quite warm water, and when as light as it can be,
stir in flour enough to make a thick batter, and then let it rise very light
again, which will take from two to three hours; this time have your
tray of flour sifted and warmed, (you will need about five or six quarts),
make a hole in the center and pour in the sponge, rinse the crock in a
very little water and pour it in. Then proceed to mix and knead according
to general directions. The above quantity will make three good
loaves.
Very nice light rolls may be made by taking the desired quantity at
the last moulding and mixing in as much lard or butter as will make it
tender, set very close in the baking pan to make them deep instead of
making them spread.
GrRAHAM Bread.—Make a sponge the same as for white bread, and
finish with graham flour. Ten minutes will suffice for the moulding,
but bake slowly and one-third longer than the time for white
bread.
Steamed^Brown]Bread.—Take one quart of corn meal, scald with
a pint of almost boiling water; if boiling the meal will cook in lumps and
http://www.pioneerhandbooks.com
94 THE HOMESTEAD MANUAL.
be hard to make smooth. Add a pint of graham flour, a pint of sour
milk, half a teacup of molasses, half a teaspoon of salt, and one teaspoon
of soda dissolved in warm water enough to make a rather thick batter.
Steam from four to six hours, a double steamer is the best, if you do
not have that use a flaring basin covered tight with a plate or pie tin,
and set in a common steamer over a kettle.
Baking Powder Biscuit.—Mix three heaping teaspoons of baking
powder thoroughly with two quarts of sifted flour, add half a teaspoon
of salt, rub into it lard and butter twice as large as an egg, mix soft with
cold water or sweet milk, work as little as possible. Bake in a quick
oven.
Quick Graham Biscuits.—Three pints of graham flour, three teaspoons
of baking powder, one teaspoon of salt, mixed thoroughly with
the flour; rub into this a piece of nice lard the size of an egg, and half
as much butter, then pour in water or sweet milk slowly and stir to a
stiff batter. Drop in spoonfuls as in drop cakes, in a 'dripping pan, or
bake in gem cups. Bake in a moderate oven half an hour.
Muffins.—One cup of flour and two cups of corn meal, or two cups of
flour and one of meal, one-half cup of butter, one-half of sugar, two eggs
and two tablespoons of baking powder; one cup of water and a little
salt. Bake in mufiin rings or gem irons.
Graham Muffins.—Add two beaten eggs to a pint of milk; stir in
two and a half cups of graham flour and one teaspoon of baking powder.
Bake in a quick oven fifteen minutes. These are made very quickly and
easily.
Johnny Cake.—One-half pint of sour milk or buttermilk, one pint
sweet milk or water, one egg beaten light, half a teacup of sugar, lard or
butter the size of an egg and half a teaspoonful of salt. Add meal to
make a thin batter, and half a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in a very
little water. Bake from one-half hour to one hour, according to the
thickness of the loaf; this may be from one two inches.
Waffles.—One quart of sour milk, one teaspoonful soda, three eggs,
beaten separately, make a little stiffer than pancakes, sweet m^lk and
baking powder can be used if preferred, some add butter half the size of
an egg, warmed and beaten with the batter.
http://www.pioneerhandbooks.com
THE HOMESTEAD MANUAL. 95
Graham Griddle Cakes.—Take three pints of warm water, one
gill of good yeast, and an even teaspoon of salt, thicken with gaham
flour, a very little thicker than for white flour cakes, set it in a warm
place overnight to rise, and bake on a very hot griddle longer than white
cakes.
Butter Crackers.—One quart of flour, three tablespoons of butter,
one-half teaspoonful soda, dissolved in hot water, one teaspoonful salt
and two cups sweet milk. Rub the butter into the flour, or what is bet*
ter, cut it up with a knife or chopper, as you do in pastry; add the salt,
milk, and soda, mixing well. Work into a ball, lay upon a floured board
and beat with a rolling pin for half an hour, turning and shifting the
mass often. Roll into an even sheet, a quarter of an inch thick or less,
prick deeply with a fork and bake in a moderate oven. Hang them up
in a muslin bag in the kitchen for a day or two.

[TacAir]

I always sign up for online doodads using TacAir's method.
I grabbed a couple PDFs, so far nothing I've read is worth going out of the way for, but I plan to peruse a few more. One thing I did find is that even though these are scanned documents, they are highlightable and copyable. So I'll include a section on Bread here for y'all to see.

BREAD.
From inferior flour it is possible to make biscuit, mufiius, plain pastry
and pan cakes that are eatable ; but to make good bread you must have
the best of flour.
In handling flour, squeeze a handful tightly, and if it retains the imprint of the hand it is pretty safe to conclude that it is not the best quality or that it is new flour. In either case it is greatly
improved by sifting enough for each baking into the bread tray and exposing
to the hot sun for several hours, or setting near the stove. Next in importance to the quality of the flour is that of the yeast, which should be light and lively. Set the dough to rise in a moderately warm
place, and keep it in an even temperature.

Cold arrests the process of fermentation; too much heat carries forward the work too rapidly, and
makes the dough puffy and sour. In this case, if you do not wish to throw it away, which is the best possible thing to do with sour bread, dissolve a little soda in hot water and work it well in. Bread should be mixed as wft as it can be handled. It will rise sooner, be lighter and
keep fresh longer if this rule is followed. If you can mould it at all, it
http://www.pioneerhandbooks.com
92 THE HOMESTEAD MANUAL.
is not too soft.

When it is in managable shape, begin to knead. Work
the mass into a ball, always having the hands and the board well floured;
knead hard, and always toward the center of the mass, which should be
repeatedly turned over and around.

Brisk and long kneading, twenty
minutes or half an hour, makes the pores fine and regular. This done,
work the dough into a ball, sprinkle with flour, throw a cloth over it and
leave on the kitchen table to rise.

In summer it will rise in four or five
hours—in winter in about six hours. It should come up steadily until
it is treble its original size and the floured surface cracks all over the
mass.

Knead again ten or fifteen minutes; divide into as many parts as
you want loaves, and put these into the well-greased pans for the final
rising. Set the pans in a warm place for an hour longer. The
oven should not be too hot.

If you cannot hold your bare arm in it
while you count thirty it is too hot. After the bread is in, keep the
heat very regular. If the bread rises rapidly while baking, and the crust
begins to form before the lower part of the loaf is baked, cover the top
with a paper until you are ready to brown it.

If the crust should burn,
grate it instead of clipping with a knife. When taken from the oven,
stand the loaves on edge, and cover with a cloth until cool. This position
allows the air to cool all sides and prevents sweating.

German Yeast.—Parch a teacupful of corn, cook it well, but do not
brown much, put this with a good double handful of hops, tie it in a
thin muslin bag, in a kettle with four quarts of water, and boil three
hours; strain through a cullender, put back in the kettle and put in six
large potatoes without paring, boil one hour, strain again and rub the
potatoes through the cullender; return again to the kettle and add a teacup
of white sugar, the same of salt, a tablespoonful of ginger and water
enough to make a gallon. When cool put in a teacup of good yeast, or
two yeast-cakes that you know are good, keep warm until it rises, which
will take about thirty-six hours.
Keep in a jar in the cellar.

Self-working Yeast.—Tie two ounces hops in a coarse muslin bag,
and boil one hour in four quarts of water,and let it get nearly cold before
removing the bag. Wet witli the'|teDid liquor, a little|at a time, nn^
pound of flourj making to a smooth paste. Put in half a pound of white
http://www.pioneerhandbooks.com
THE HOMESTEAD MANUAL. 93
sugar, and one tablespoonful of salt; beat up tlie batter three minutes
before adding the rest of the tea.

Set it away for two days in an open
bowl covered with a thin cloth, in a closet which is moderately and also
evenly warm. On the third day peel, boil and mash eight potatoes, and
strain through a cullender into the thickened hop liquor, let it stand
twelve hours longer in the bowl, stir often and keep in the warm kitchen.
Bottle, or put away in corked jars, and it will keep a month in a cool
cellar.

Bread.—Pear three large potatoes and boil in water enough for three
pints when done; have one large spoonful of flour in a gallon crock and
pour on the boiling potato-water, stir it well and mash the potatoes with
a fork or a wire potato masher—a wooden mallet makes them heavy
and put the potatoes into a crock,stir well, and when about milk warm
add two-thirds of a teacupful of Glerman yeast, cover the crock, and in
cold weather cover with a cloth and set it where it will keep warm over
night.

If the sponge is not as light as a honeycomb in the morning, set
the crock in a pan of quite warm water, and when as light as it can be,
stir in flour enough to make a thick batter, and then let it rise very light
again, which will take from two to three hours; this time have your
tray of flour sifted and warmed, (you will need about five or six quarts),
make a hole in the center and pour in the sponge, rinse the crock in a
very little water and pour it in.
Then proceed to mix and knead according
to general directions.
The above quantity will make three good
loaves.

Very nice light rolls may be made by taking the desired quantity at
the last moulding and mixing in as much lard or butter as will make it
tender, set very close in the baking pan to make them deep instead of
making them spread.

GRAHAM Bread.—Make a sponge the same as for white bread, and
finish with graham flour. Ten minutes will suffice for the moulding,
but bake slowly and one-third longer than the time for white
bread.

Steamed^Brown]Bread.—Take one quart of corn meal, scald with
a pint of almost boiling water; if boiling the meal will cook in lumps and
http://www.pioneerhandbooks.com
94 THE HOMESTEAD MANUAL.
be hard to make smooth. Add a pint of graham flour, a pint of sour
milk, half a teacup of molasses, half a teaspoon of salt, and one teaspoon
of soda dissolved in warm water enough to make a rather thick batter.
Steam from four to six hours, a double steamer is the best, if you do
not have that use a flaring basin covered tight with a plate or pie tin,
and set in a common steamer over a kettle.

Baking Powder Biscuit.—Mix three heaping teaspoons of baking
powder thoroughly with two quarts of sifted flour, add half a teaspoon
of salt, rub into it lard and butter twice as large as an egg, mix soft with
cold water or sweet milk, work as little as possible. Bake in a quick
oven.

Quick Graham Biscuits.—Three pints of graham flour, three teaspoons
of baking powder, one teaspoon of salt, mixed thoroughly with
the flour; rub into this a piece of nice lard the size of an egg, and half
as much butter, then pour in water or sweet milk slowly and stir to a
stiff batter. Drop in spoonfuls as in drop cakes, in a 'dripping pan, or
bake in gem cups. Bake in a moderate oven half an hour.

Muffins.—One cup of flour and two cups of corn meal, or two cups of
flour and one of meal, one-half cup of butter, one-half of sugar, two eggs
and two tablespoons of baking powder; one cup of water and a little
salt. Bake in mufiin rings or gem irons.

Graham Muffins.—Add two beaten eggs to a pint of milk; stir in
two and a half cups of graham flour and one teaspoon of baking powder.
Bake in a quick oven fifteen minutes. These are made very quickly and
easily.

Johnny Cake.—One-half pint of sour milk or buttermilk, one pint
sweet milk or water, one egg beaten light, half a teacup of sugar, lard or
butter the size of an egg and half a teaspoonful of salt.
Add meal to make a thin batter, and half a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in a very
little water. Bake from one-half hour to one hour, according to the
thickness of the loaf; this may be from one two inches.
Waffles.—One quart of sour milk, one teaspoonful soda, three eggs,
beaten separately, make a little stiffer than pancakes, sweet m^lk and
baking powder can be used if preferred, some add butter half the size of
an egg, warmed and beaten with the batter.
http://www.pioneerhandbooks.com
THE HOMESTEAD MANUAL. 95

Graham Griddle Cakes.—Take three pints of warm water, one
gill of good yeast, and an even teaspoon of salt, thicken with gaham
flour, a very little thicker than for white flour cakes, set it in a warm
place overnight to rise, and bake on a very hot griddle longer than white
cakes.

Butter Crackers.—One quart of flour, three tablespoons of butter,
one-half teaspoonful soda, dissolved in hot water, one teaspoonful salt
and two cups sweet milk. Rub the butter into the flour, or what is bett
ter, cut it up with a knife or chopper, as you do in pastry; add the salt,
milk, and soda, mixing well. Work into a ball, lay upon a floured board
and beat with a rolling pin for half an hour, turning and shifting the
mass often. Roll into an even sheet, a quarter of an inch thick or less,
prick deeply with a fork and bake in a moderate oven. Hang them up
in a muslin bag in the kitchen for a day or two.

Thanks!

[Junebug]

Good info...thanks

[rsnurkle]

Thanks for posting--a nice list of things to check for on Gutenberg. E.g., The Art of Camping: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/14681/14 ... 4681-h.htm

[MaconCJ7]

In the process of downloading every book.

I didn't see a donation area or anything. I killed my fb, so I can't do the obligatory "like".

[CraigMeade]

Thanks for visiting my website. I used shopping cart software to develop the site, as a way of learning how to do that, and now I'm stuck with the registration process. But honestly, I don't do anything with the info. Not even monthly newsletters. So put any info in there you want. But you will want to use a working email address. Some of these books can be found elsewhere for sure. But the scan quality may not be as good and they may not be searchable and ready for cut and paste like my versions. But it's no skin off my nose where you get them from. There's nothing in it for me. I just want to see them used and shared. Happy hunting...

Craig Meade
PioneerHandbooks.com

[Tank Woman]

Craig, the cut and paste and search capability is MUCH appreciated and rare in scanned media. Thank you for sharing these books with us!

[TacAir]

Thanks for visiting my website. I used shopping cart software to develop the site, as a way of learning how to do that, and now I'm stuck with the registration process. But honestly, I don't do anything with the info. Not even monthly newsletters. So put any info in there you want. But you will want to use a working email address. Some of these books can be found elsewhere for sure. But the scan quality may not be as good and they may not be searchable and ready for cut and paste like my versions. But it's no skin off my nose where you get them from. There's nothing in it for me. I just want to see them used and shared. Happy hunting...

Craig Meade
PioneerHandbooks.com

Thanks for the feedback. Question - why not have a separate section of the 'free to download' book scans apart from your for sale items and just allow downloads - without the need for your 'cart software' -- should make life easier for you, eh?

Thanks again.

[Anianna]

Thanks for visiting my website. I used shopping cart software to develop the site, as a way of learning how to do that, and now I'm stuck with the registration process. But honestly, I don't do anything with the info. Not even monthly newsletters. So put any info in there you want. But you will want to use a working email address. Some of these books can be found elsewhere for sure. But the scan quality may not be as good and they may not be searchable and ready for cut and paste like my versions. But it's no skin off my nose where you get them from. There's nothing in it for me. I just want to see them used and shared. Happy hunting...

Craig Meade
PioneerHandbooks.com

Thank you for letting us know and for providing the books. I also appreciate the copy/paste and search features.