How to Read an Old Recipe Card: Oleo, Scant Cups and a Moderate Oven
You've found the card. The handwriting is clear enough. Then it says "butter the size of an egg" and "bake in a quick oven," and you're stuck. We collect old recipe cards, close to 3,000 of them now, and these are the words we see again and again.
Oven temperatures
Before ovens had dials, cooks judged heat by hand. When thermostats arrived, the old words stayed on the cards.
| On the card | Today |
|---|---|
| Slow oven | 300°F to 325°F |
| Moderate oven | 350°F to 375°F |
| Quick or hot oven | 400°F to 425°F |
| Very hot oven | 450°F to 500°F |
Ingredients
- Oleo is margarine, short for oleomargarine. Butter works in its place.
- Sweet milk is ordinary fresh milk. It's written that way to tell it apart from sour milk.
- Sour milk is milk that has soured. Use buttermilk, or stir a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice into a cup of milk and let it stand for five minutes.
- Saleratus was an early leavening, the ancestor of baking soda. Use baking soda.
- Shortening usually means Crisco or a similar vegetable shortening, though older cards sometimes mean lard.
- 1 pkg. yeast is one packet, about 2¼ teaspoons.
- 1 box cake mix is the hardest one. Boxes have shrunk over the years, so a card from the 1970s expected more mix than a box holds today. Add a little extra, or use a scale if the card gives ounces.
Measurements
- Scant means slightly less than the amount. A scant cup is just under a cup.
- Heaping means piled up above the rim.
- Butter the size of an egg is about ¼ cup.
- A teacup is about ¾ cup.
- A gill is ½ cup.
- T or Tbsp is a tablespoon. t or tsp is a teaspoon. On a handwritten card they can look the same, so check whether the amount makes sense.
- C. is a cup, pt. a pint and qt. a quart.
Can sizes
Cards often call for cans by number rather than by weight.
| On the card | Roughly |
|---|---|
| No. 303 can | 16 oz, 2 cups |
| No. 2 can | 20 oz, 2½ cups |
| No. 2½ can | 28 oz, 3½ cups |
Instructions that assume you already know
- Scald the milk means heat it until it steams and bubbles form at the edge, without boiling.
- Cream the butter and sugar means beat them together until pale and fluffy.
- Bake until done is the cook trusting you. Use a toothpick in the center of a cake, or a light golden edge on a cookie.
- A missing step is very common. She knew it by heart and didn't write it down. Look up a modern recipe for the same dish and use it to fill the gap.
When you can't read the handwriting
Photograph the card in good light and zoom in on your phone. Compare a hard letter with the same letter somewhere else on the card. Ask someone who knew her, since they'll often recognize the word before they can read it. And look at the back of the card. A lot of recipes finish there.
Keep the card the way it is
The stains tell you which recipes she actually made. The pencil notes tell you what she changed. If you frame a recipe card, keep all of it. That's what makes it hers.
At a glance
- What it is
- Your handwritten recipe card, printed large on fine-art paper and framed, exactly as it was written.
- What you send
- One phone photo of the card. The original stays with you.
- Prices
- Prints from $39. Framed from $109.
- Sizes
- 8 × 10 to 16 × 20 inches. Frames in 8 colors.
- Preview
- Free, before you pay.
- Shipping
- Ships in 3 to 5 business days. Free on every US order.
Questions
What does oleo mean in a recipe?
Margarine. Oleo is short for oleomargarine, and butter works in its place.
What is a moderate oven in Fahrenheit?
About 350°F to 375°F.
What is a scant cup?
Slightly less than a full cup.
What if my recipe card is faded, stained, or hard to read?
That's the best material we work with. Stains, fades, and tears tell the story of how often the recipe got made. We prepare your photo for print and keep every stain and crease. If a card is so faded that words are illegible, you'll see it in the preview before you order, so there are no surprises.
