Welcome to Hydrating Through History, where we are looking back at some refreshing historic recipes the people of St. Catharines used to beat the heat!
This week, we are looking at a recipe for rhubarb juice from a 1983 cookbook written by the Mack Alumni Association of graduate nurses.
The Mack Training School for Nurses was founded in 1874 by Dr. Theophilus Mack, who was instrumental in the founding of the St. Catharines General Hospital. The school was the first of its kind in North America to use the Florence Nightingale system, where students would train for two years with a qualified nurse, gaining practical experience in a hospital. In 1967, the provincial government closed all hospital-based nursing programs and moved them to regional-based schools, and steps were taken to create the Mack School of Nursing. In 1974, the school closed and transitioned into the nursing program at Niagara College. While the Mack School was no longer active, the Alumni association remained active in the community, fundraising and offering financial support to students, graduates, the residences, and the St. Catharines General Hospital. The Alumni Association officially disbanded on June 7th, 2024. Their final donations came in May 2024, when the association donated $25 000 each to the nursing programs at Brock University and Niagara College. Before disbanding, the Alumni Association donated several artifacts to the St. Catharines and Welland Canals Museum. They also supported the care and preservation of their collection through donations.
Original recipe
Over time, books like these become important records of local history. They capture the ingredients, recipes, and resources that were available when they were made, while also offering a glimpse into the kinds of foods prepared and shared in St. Catharines. As community fundraising projects, these cookbooks show how local groups used food, volunteer work, and shared traditions to bring people together, support common causes, and strengthen connections among neighbours.
Recipe
Ingredients:
- 4-5 cups sliced rhubarb
- 1 ½ cups water
- Sugar
Directions:
- Add water and rhubarb into a pot, boil until rhubarb is tender.
- Drain through a sieve (don’t press).
- Measure juice.
- Add ¼ cup of sugar per cup of juice.
- Boil, then bottle and either freeze, seal or chill in fridge and serve over ice.
- Enjoy!
We hope you try this historic recipe for rhubarb juice and let us know if you were hydrated by history!
Joshua Yoon is a program assistant at the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.
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