i James Coffey has collected more than 3,000 cook books, pamplets, and brochures because he loves to study recipes and compare them with today’s methods. This old canner called a Conserve was manufactured between 1900-1920. it holds 14 quart jars. A tray in the bottom held water. The conserve was set on a stove and the water brought to a boil in order to process the food inside the jar. Although this method is no longer recom mended or considered safe, it helps show a part of household history. Surrounding the Conserve are some old jars Coffey has collected: a Kerr economy jar with original clamp lid from 1903, a limited-edition Kerr Liber ty Bell jar manufactured for America’s Bicentennial, and a Ball standard jar, which required a wax seal in the early 1900 s. Early Ball and Kerr books were printed in 1909. 5b 3 v « Ht v Lancaster FjUj^nig ?Wsrtiipeee& Chef Collects LOU ANN GOOD Food And Family Features Editor ELKTON, Md. Antique col lections often begin from hobbies or career interests. Such is the case of James Cof fey, who has more than 3,000 “old” cookbooks and numerous canning-related antiques. Coffey grew up watching his grandmother cook and can food from the garden. Soon his grand mother was relying on his help in the process a job Coffey rel ished. “I memorized the canning pro cesses and the times required,” Coffey said. Although the old-fashioned method of water canning has been updated with the pressure canning process in his own kitch en, Coffey still retains the in formation absorbed from watch ing his grandmother. His interest in baking influ enced his decision to attend Bal timore International Culinary Arts. Since then, Coffey contin ues to work as a professional pas try chef. He lives with his mother Mary Coffey in the Elkton community where he grew up. The two have honed a partnership in the kitch en where he cooks and his moth er washes the dishes and helps with some food prep work. When he is not in the kitchen, Coffey can be found pouring over cookbooks that he reads for pleasure or canvassing the In ternet and yard sales in search of additional cookbooks to add to his collection. Although he has some newer cookbooks, Coffey much prefers the “old” ones, especially those printed by canning companies and by Amish and Mennonite communities. He has hundreds of pamphlets and booklets that he preserves in archival binders and files. One of those he most values is “Handy Housekeeper” printed by Farm Journal in 1886. In addition to recipes, the book includes articles on the art of soap making, the care of household pets, the process of butchering and canning, drying Coffey uses these books to help him determine prices and history of his collection: “Collector’s Guide to Ball Jars” by Wil liam Brantley and “A Guide to Collecting Cookbooks” by Col. Bob Allen. Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 15, 2003-B2 Cookbooks* foods, and even instruction about Coffey frequents yard sales, proper manners and etiquette. flea markets, and paper sales in “Ask him to find a recipe or a search of rare finds. Finding cookbook, and he can find it im- missing copies of a series of print mediately,” his mother said. “I - ed cookbooks is especially re don’t know how,” she said as she warding to Coffey. He tries to ac shakes her head at the mass ac- cumulate every piece of literature cumulation of cookbooks that\ published by Kerr, Ball, Altrista, can be found in every room of the Bernadin, Golden Harvest, and house. In addition to seven book- other canning companies, even cases, Coffey has stacks of his those from Canada and Ger collection stored in boxes. many. At left is a copy of “’’Mary at the Farm, 1915, and “Our Successful Farming Cookbook,” 1932. In 1886, “Farm Journal” published the Handy House keeper, which Coffey preserves in an archival binder. “Gastronomic Bibliography” by Katherine Bitting was printed in 1939 and reprinted in 1981. The cookbook au thor gave Coffey her personal copy with her notes, be cause she wanted her private collection preserved by a Kerr collector. Vi Cannin r ‘s' ri WJPs® n lies u Suvv 1
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers