Note: This recipe was originally published as “Oriental Punch.” “Oriental” is an outdated term which has been historically used by western societies to describe Asian and North African societies. While we have updated our main heading to reflect modern language standards, we have kept the original name below for archival accuracy.
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 Spiced Citrus Punch from a Cookbook, made in 1928, by the Parish Hall Guild of St. Thomas Church in St. Catharines, Ontario.
Featuring local advertisements, this cookbook gathers the tried-and-true recipes of the women of St. Thomas Church. Likely created as a fundraiser, cookbooks like this show what St. Catharines residents prepared and ate, along with the ingredients available at the time. As fundraising tools, community cookbooks also reveal how local organizations brought people together to support shared goals. They show how recipes, volunteer efforts, and everyday food traditions could help raise funds, sustain community programs, and strengthen connections among neighbours.
Founded in 1872, St. Thomas Anglican Church is an iconic landmark in the heart of downtown St. Catharines, standing tall across from Montebello Park.
Interestingly, in 1925, the St. Catharines Standard reported that peppermint oil had risen to more than $17 per pound by the end of the year. By comparison, its highest price was $4 in 1924 and $1.25 in 1920. The sharp increase was reportedly caused by a shortage following a drop in production by 70%, caused by unexpected frost and heat in May in southern Michigan and northwest Indiana, where 60% of the world’s supply was produced.
Because this book was published in 1928, it is unclear whether peppermint oil prices continued to rise or had stabilized by the time it was included in this cookbook.
Original Recipe
Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1-inch cinnamon stick
- 6 cloves
- 2 lemons
- 3 oranges
- ½ tbsp chopped ginger
- 1 drop of peppermint oil
- Green food colouring (optional)
- Mint leaves (for garnish)
Directions:
- Add sugar and water in a saucepan. Heat until sugar is fully dissolved.
- Add in cloves, cinnamon and ginger into syrup. Cover and let it infuse until syrup is fully cooled down.
- Squeeze the juice out of your lemons and oranges.
- Mix juice and syrup together, add in a drop of peppermint and add in some green food colouring (this step is optional).
- Pour into a serving container and chill in fridge.
- Serve in glasses over ice and garnish with mint leaves.
- Enjoy!
We hope you give this historic punch a try 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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