Getting and storing yeast was vital to pioneer cooks. Here is a recipe for yeast made with hops. “Add one quart of water to one pint of hops. Simmer until the strength is out, about 20 minutes. Then use the liquid to make a thick cornmeal mush. When it is cool, work in more cornmeal and then pat into little cakes. Dry the little cakes on plates and store them.”
Bessie Steeley
lola, Kansas
Back in 1955 a call went out from the editors of the then CAPPER’s Weekly asking for readers to send in articles on true pioneers. Hundreds of letters came pouring in from early settlers and their children, many now in their 80s and 90s, and from grandchildren of settlers, all with tales to tell. So many articles were received that a decision was made to create a book, and in 1956, the first My Folks title – My Folks Came in a Covered Wagon – hit the shelves. Nine other books have since been published in the My Folks series, all filled to the brim with true tales from CAPPER’s readers, and we are proud to make those stories available to our growing online community.
