Thursday, October 21, 2010

Devonshire Junket

From A New System of Domestic Cookery, Formed Upon Principles of Economy, and Adapted to the Use of Private Families [1807].

Devonshire Junket.
Put warm milk into a bowl; turn it with rennet; then put some scalded cream, sugar, and cinnamon, on the top, without breaking the curd.


Verdict: You may notice that there is no picture. This is because I failed utterly. Four days in the fridge, aaaaaand... nothing. Hints, anyone?

8 comments:

Nonna said...

Junket is tricky to make since it's a form of cheesemaking. It was a very popular with kids when I was growing up. I think the company that made an instant version of Junket might be out of business. Kids used to buy it and use it as a wet your finger and dip in snack...
Sorry it didn't turn out for you but as always a valiant effort is much appreciated !

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junket_%28company%29

Jana said...

So what do they mean by "dissolve"? I just stirred it around in water, do you have to stir it until it truly dissolves, like jello?

Nonna said...

Yes, that's right Jana.Here's a link to a bunch of junket recipes that might just work for you:

http://oldrecipebook.com/junketrennetrecipes.shtml

P.S. An old trick I learned to thicken things that just won't thicken is 1/2 tsp. of corn starch for every 2 cups of liquid dissolved in a little bit of cold water or milk and added to the rest of a hot mixture will thicken it up like magic as you stir it vigorusly and not effect the taste at all.

Jana said...

Aw, but cornstarch would be cheating! Maybe I'll try this recipe again...

Nonna said...

I admire your honesty ( and your Thomas Edison spirit: he failed thousands of time before perfecting the lightbulb ) but isn't cooking and baking a kind of science ? Accurate measurements, temps, techniques etc. to produce a perfect product ? I wouldn't call cornstarch cheating, just "tweaking" the recipe a bit so it works...didn't they have cornstarch back then anyway ? Good luck on your next attempt !

Jana said...

It is indeed! And to get it a little thicker, I'd be fine with using cornstarch. But it didn't thicken at ALL, I think using cornstarch for all the thickening would be too much like just making pudding. More experimentation! Excelsior!

Karen K. said...

I'm so impressed by your attempt. The idea of making cheese is more frightening to me than canning. Too much science involved -- I can handle cream of tartar and baking powder, but that's about my limit.

Jana said...

Some kinds of cheese aren't too bad. Hey, maybe I'll post one!