In Victorian days, what you could cook depended greatly on the time of year. While some foods could be stored for longer periods of time (apples and potatoes might be kept in a cool "root cellar"), others were only available in certain seasons. Hence, cooking articles and columns frequently offered advice to the Victorian housekeeper as to what products were available or at their best during a particular month or season, and how to prepare them. This section brings you recipe collections tailored for a specific month or time of year.

Monthly Recipe Guides

Model Menus, by Phyllis Browne(Girl's Own Paper, 1893)

A sample menu for each month of the year, with detailed cooking instructions.

Recipes for the Month (Girl's Own Paper, 1896)

Recipes for nearly every month of the year.

Recipes for the Month (Girl's Own Paper, 1897)

More recipes for nearly every month of the year.

Things in Season, in Market and Kitchen (Girl's Own Paper, 1899)

Monthly recipe guide.

The Cuisine, by Mrs. De Salis (Lady's Realm, 1901)

A variety of interesting recipes for January through June, along with a pair of menus for entertaining in the last article.

Spring

Spring and Early Summer Dishes, and How to Prepare Them (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1876)

Spring Cookery, by A.G. Payne (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1880)

Savoury Dishes for Spring, by Lizzie Heritage (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1890)

Spring Soups, Salads and Vegetable Dishes (Girl's Own Paper, 1896)

Cookery in May, by Lucy Yates (Girl's Own Paper, 1897)

A collection of gooseberry recipes.

Cooking in May (Girl's Own Paper, 1897)

Some nice recipes for trout, salmon, and asparagus.

Seasonable Recipes (May) (Girl's Own Paper, 1897)

While this collection offers some delicious-sounding main courses, it's the desserts that carry the day: Rice Shape, Bread-and-Butter Pudding, Raspberry Cream Tart, and Green Gooseberry Jam!

Housekeeping in May (Girl's Own Paper, 1900)

How to decorate the table, and prepare several dishes appropriate for spring.

Summer

Food for Hot Weather, by A.G. Payne (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1875)

Soups for Hot Weather (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1882)

Delicious soups for the summer season.

Attractive Serving (Ingalls' Home Magazine, 1888)

Choice summer dishes, and tips on decorating the table with summer flowers and greenery.

June Jottings - Table Delicacies, by Laura Willis Lathrop (Ingalls' Home Magazine, 1888)

'Tis the season for strawberries and raspberries, for which this article offers some delicious-sounding recipes.

Through the Heated Term/Some Excellent Dishes by Laura Willis Lathrop (Ingalls' Home Magazine, 1888)

Tips on keeping one's home cool during the summer (in the days before A/C), and recipes for the hot weather (including Green Corn Pie and Imperial Pudding).

Late Fancies in Table Appointments; June Fruits & Vegetables, by Laura Willis Lathrop (Ingalls' Home Magazine, 1889)

A look at new fashions in table services (colored glass is giving way to cut glass!), along with fruit and vegetable recipes recipes for June.

[Summer] Holiday Fare, Indoors and Out (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1889)

Tea-Table Delicacies for the Summer Season, by P.H. Davis (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1889)

Tempting recipes, including Blancmange, Biscottines, and Sponge Cake.

Summer Vegetables (Girl's Own Paper, 1891)

Some Summer Dishes (Ladies' Home Journal, 1892)

Dainty Dishes for Summer's Last Evenings, by Lucy Helen Yates (Girl's Own Paper, 1901)

Salads, jellied meats, and fruit tarts.

Fall & Winter

Food for Cold Weather (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1877)

Winter Soups: How to Make Them, by A.G. Payne (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1880)

The Busy Days of October, by Laura Willis Lathrop (Ingalls' Home Magazine, 1888)

Lovely recipes for autumn fruits such as apples and quince, as well as tips on preparing the household for winter.

Delicacies for the Winter Tea-Table, by P.H. Davis(Cassell's Family Magazine, 1890)

Such treats as Apple Mould, German New Year Cake, Orange Gingerbread, Christmas Cake and Chocolate Tea-Cakes.

Festive Fare (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1890)

Cookery Recipes for November (Girl's Own Paper, 1896)

This month offers us Savoury Sandwiches, Italian Meat Cakes, Cauliflower Au Gratin, Macaroni and Tomatoes, Beef and Kidney, and more.

A Breakfast Menu for the Month of September (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1892)

A prize-winning paper that gives a month of menus, which include such breakfast items as pigeon pie, pork pie, mutton cutlets, and brawn.

Dishes for the Winter Table (Ladies Home Journal, 1896)

Potato pancakes, hominy pudding, stewed kidney, mushroom curry, chicken pie, and more.

Food for Cold Days, by Lucy Helen Yates (Girl's Own Paper, 1897)

Healthful ways to use roots, cereals, grains, nuts and oils.

Household Leaks, by Annie E.D. Thornley (Girl's Own Paper, 1896)

An article on coping with cold weather, with a number of useful cooking tips.

See also

• Mixed Recipe Collections

• Holiday Recipes