Regina is an architect who lives with her husband and children in Lawrence, KS. As a LEED Accredited Professional and longtime contributor to Apartment Therapy and The Kitchn, her focus is on healthy, sustainable living through design.
published Nov 21, 2013
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Are you preparing for dessert on Thanksgiving day? Does it include baking a pumpkin, pecan, or apple pie? While that’s quite the tradition today, the Pilgrims didn’t have sweeteners like sugar, molasses, or even honey. It turns out that the desserts on the big day were more likely sweetened by something else entirely:
Dried grapes and raisins!
According to If You Were at the First Thanksgiving, Anne Kamma’s history book for kids:
Perhaps you would have eaten cornmeal pudding sweetened with dried strawberries or grapes.
Dessert wouldn’t have been held for after the meal, either:
When was it time for dessert? Anytime! You could eat your dessert before your meat and vegetables if you liked. The Pilgrims put all the food on the table at once – soups, stews, bread, meat, vegetables, desserts. It didn’t matter which you ate first.
What are you planning for Thanksgiving Day dessert? Does it bear any resemblance to a possible first Thanksgiving dessert?
