The pantry
Housekeeping on properties like Invergowrie involved making a range of products to stock the pantry. Following Gwen and Norman Moffatt’s marriage in 1929, the kitchen was extended by approximately four feet to include an indoor pantry.
The pantry was stocked with staples such as flour, sugar, tea, oats, rice, sago, dried split peas and beans and dried fruits. Bread was baked daily and stored in a large enamel bread bin. During shearing season the large baking oven in the shearer’s cottages was used for this task. Eggs collected from the chook yard daily were stored in the vintage egg rack, still in the pantry today. A bucket of lard, collected from the meat drippings, was always on a shelf in the pantry.
Milk from the property cow herd was processed in the ‘dairy’ located in the south eastern room of the ‘bachelors’ quarters, prior to 1959. A manually operated separator was used to produce skim milk and cream. Once the cream began to sour it was churned into butter.
Meat was generally mutton from older sheep. When a sheep was slaughtered all parts of the animal were used, including the offal. Crumbed kidney and brains were often served with a white sauce for breakfast. Minced meat was made using a hand mincer. Beef and pork were rarely eaten, however, these animals were occasionally slaughtered in winter and one animal was shared between three families. Cleaning the hair from the pig was in an outside bathtub using a tool made from roofing off cuts. It was the children’s job to clean the pig. The meat room, attached to the western end of garages was where the meat was then hung.
The pantry housed a Coolgardie drip safe made of wire mesh, hessian, and a wooden frame with a galvanised iron tray on top, filled with water. A hessian bag was hung over the side with one of the ends in the tray to absorb the water. Gradually the hessian bag would get wet.
Any breeze from the small window at the back of the pantry would evaporate the water from the bag creating a ‘cooling effect. This would cool the perishable foods inside the safe, such as meats, milk, cheese and cream.
A range of condiments including mustards, pickles, horseradish and essences could be found on the shelves. Along with bottled fruits, jams and jellies, including the Isabella grape jelly from the Invergowrie vine.
Breakfast was usually cooked, including porridge, eggs, chops, offal and toast. Morning and afternoon teas were part of everyday life, so cake tins and biscuit jars were full with teacakes, Anzac biscuits and jam drops. The main meal of the day called ‘dinner’, then, was served at lunchtime. Often that meal would consist of meat (mutton) and three vegetables, followed by sweets of fruit and custard, steamed puddings in winter, Junket and sago or rice pudding. Tea served in the evening was a lighter meal usually vegetable soup or boiled eggs. A quick tea was toast soaked in boiled milk with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Memories of Barbara Andrews (nee Moffatt b. 1930 )
The pantry was stocked with staples such as flour, sugar, tea, oats, rice, sago, dried split peas and beans and dried fruits. Bread was baked daily and stored in a large enamel bread bin. During shearing season the large baking oven in the shearer’s cottages was used for this task. Eggs collected from the chook yard daily were stored in the vintage egg rack, still in the pantry today. A bucket of lard, collected from the meat drippings, was always on a shelf in the pantry.
Milk from the property cow herd was processed in the ‘dairy’ located in the south eastern room of the ‘bachelors’ quarters, prior to 1959. A manually operated separator was used to produce skim milk and cream. Once the cream began to sour it was churned into butter.
Meat was generally mutton from older sheep. When a sheep was slaughtered all parts of the animal were used, including the offal. Crumbed kidney and brains were often served with a white sauce for breakfast. Minced meat was made using a hand mincer. Beef and pork were rarely eaten, however, these animals were occasionally slaughtered in winter and one animal was shared between three families. Cleaning the hair from the pig was in an outside bathtub using a tool made from roofing off cuts. It was the children’s job to clean the pig. The meat room, attached to the western end of garages was where the meat was then hung.
The pantry housed a Coolgardie drip safe made of wire mesh, hessian, and a wooden frame with a galvanised iron tray on top, filled with water. A hessian bag was hung over the side with one of the ends in the tray to absorb the water. Gradually the hessian bag would get wet.
Any breeze from the small window at the back of the pantry would evaporate the water from the bag creating a ‘cooling effect. This would cool the perishable foods inside the safe, such as meats, milk, cheese and cream.
A range of condiments including mustards, pickles, horseradish and essences could be found on the shelves. Along with bottled fruits, jams and jellies, including the Isabella grape jelly from the Invergowrie vine.
Breakfast was usually cooked, including porridge, eggs, chops, offal and toast. Morning and afternoon teas were part of everyday life, so cake tins and biscuit jars were full with teacakes, Anzac biscuits and jam drops. The main meal of the day called ‘dinner’, then, was served at lunchtime. Often that meal would consist of meat (mutton) and three vegetables, followed by sweets of fruit and custard, steamed puddings in winter, Junket and sago or rice pudding. Tea served in the evening was a lighter meal usually vegetable soup or boiled eggs. A quick tea was toast soaked in boiled milk with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Memories of Barbara Andrews (nee Moffatt b. 1930 )