Welcome to the final installment of 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 have two recipes. Frozen Cream from 1970 and a wartime Chocolate Sauce recipe

This week on Hydrating Through History, we are looking at Grape Moo from the 1981 Niagara Grape & Wine Festival Specialty Cookbook. This festival began in 1952 to celebrates the region’s grape and wine heritage. As the festival continued to grow and attract more visitors, this cookbook was made for those who wanted more knowledge on ways to enjoy grapes and wine.

This week on Hydrating Through History, we are looking at a rhubarb juice recipe from a 1983 cookbook by the Mack Alumni Association of graduate nurses. The Mack Training School for Nurses, founded in 1874, played a key role in nursing education. Although the Alumni Association disbanded in 2024, their contributions to the community continue to impact St. Catharines today.

This week on Hydrating Through History, we are looking at an 1897 recipe for Grape Juice from Southcott’s Almanac and Cookbook. Written by a local businessman, Harry Southcott, the cookbook combines advertising for his drugstore with domestic hints, recipes, and astrological charts.

This week on Hydrating Through History, we’re looking at Bettie’s Banana Punch from Chorus Niagara’s 2000 fundraising cookbook. More than a recipe collection, the cookbook is a historical record of local food traditions, showing how community recipes bring neighbours together, support shared goals, and promote the choir’s role in Niagara’s arts scene.

In August 1916, the St. Catharines Standard featured a recipe for switchel, a refreshing summer drink popular among farmhands in New England. The recipe combines ginger, sugar, and vinegar, often enjoyed with rum. Today, switchel is revisited with modernized ingredients for contemporary enjoyment, highlighting its historical significance.

Welcome to Hydrating Through History, our summer mini-series all about cooling off with recipes from the past!