The first settlers who came to America brought with them the traditional recipes and ingredients that were first used in England but as time went on, their cooking, and their beloved dishes, evolved. While life was simply in the colonies, it was also challenging as the settlers were not used to the harsh conditions and were wholly unfamiliar with the land they had settled on. All of these things impacted the food that the early New Englanders ate, as well as the dishes that were the most popular from day to day.

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Much like today, meals throughout the day were separated into breakfast, dinner (which was what we now consider to be lunch), and supper. For each meal, they would have dishes that were simple but filling. Additionally, there were those who took their hard labor and turned them into profit by starting bakeshops, which were the modern-day equivalent of bakeries. However, just because they were able to sell their goods did not mean that this was a profitable way to make a living - in fact, it was quite the opposite during the 18th century.

Breakfast, Dinner, And Supper Meals

Obviously, breakfast was nothing like it is today. The early settlers did not have the luxury of cracking eggs open over an open fire, cooking up some bacon in a skillet, and flipping pancakes to create a full, well-balanced meal. Orange juice was not squeezed and ready in a container and, quite honestly, any type of fruit was a challenge to get ahold of originally. With so much that had to be completed on a daily basis, it was customary for New Englanders to awake early in the day and head off to do their chores with little time beforehand for food or drink. Therefore, breakfast usually consisted simply of a pot of porridge that had been cooking overnight, and a quick glass of cider or ale to start the day. Suddenly, that hot cup of coffee is sound very good to us! Further in town, it common for the same drinks to be served alongside a cornmeal mush that would be flavored simply with molasses. It wasn't until the 19th century that pastries, such as muffins, toasts, and wafers, would become customary with a side of coffee or tea.

For dinner, which was actually lunch as it was served fairly early in the afternoon, many settlers would head to a common hall for an hour or so to sit down and enjoy a meal. For colonies that weren't as well-off as others, a communal pot of stew from a trench would be served for dinner. Stew on any given day would contain pork, cabbage, and sweet corn, or any other vegetables that were currently in-season or had to be used up quickly. Alongside that, a piece of stale bread was usually given out, as there was no way to keep bread fresh during that time. For families who were well off, dinner actually consisted of two courses, one of which would usually be a soup while the other would be a selection of meats and meat puddings, fritters or pancakes, and side dishes such as pickles or sauces. It also wouldn't have been uncommon for an assortment of spiced cakes to appear for dessert, as well.

Supper, traditionally, was not the heavy dinner that most of us are familiar with today. Rather, for most early colonial families, it was considered a light, late-night snack of leftovers from the day or days prior. Some families didn't even have supper, or if they did, it could be something as simple as a roasted vegetable or gruel, which wasn't all that appetizing.

The Earliest Bakeries

Known as 'bakeshops,' there aren't many records that were kept regarding them, according to foodtimeline.org. What we do know is that bakeshops began during the 18th century in America and working in one, as well as owning one, was hard, labor-intensive work. While working in a bakery today is no slice of cake (no pun intended), centuries ago, it would take an entire day to produce a fraction of what can be done today.

For all of that work, the profits in return were small, making the business of baked goods on that wasn't all that efficient during colonial times. Bakers would bake what they knew which usually included different types of bread loaves, and perhaps an English pastry here or there. Additionally, bakeshops were one of the warmest places in town so often, there were be customers - but none who paid, just those who were quick to get out of the rain or cold.

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