More than 50 million turkeys are consumed on Thanksgiving every year. During the 20th century, as America became more urbanized, families began purchasing their turkeys, fresh or frozen, from supermarkets. By the beginning of the 21st century, over 90% of Americans were featuring turkeys prominently on their holiday menus. Preparation no longer exists solely in the oven. Methods like deep frying, smoking and grilling have become increasingly popular, especially in areas with warmer weather. Sometimes it’s just too hot to turn on the oven.

 

As far as Thanksgiving goes, it’s unclear when or how the turkey became the focus of the meal. Turkeys were abundant during the time of the First Thanksgiving, but there is no evidence that they were actually served or eaten during the 3-day meal. Over time the turkey has become almost synonymous with Thanksgiving. It may be tied to Sarah Josepha Hale’s famous description of a Thanksgiving feast in her book Northwood, a Tale of New England, which describes in luscious detail the roasted turkey at the center of the feast:

 

The roasted turkey took precedence on this occasion, being placed at the head of the table; and well did it become its lordly station, sending forth the rich odour of its savory stuffing, and finely covered with the frost of baking

  Since 1982, in an annual ceremony, the president of the United States has officially “pardoned” a turkey from the Thanksgiving meal. The ceremony takes place in the White House’s Rose Garden. The chosen turkey actually comes from a specially bred flock of turkeys that are trained to be comfortable with flashing cameras, clapping and petting – basically anything a celebrity may come into contact with while visiting the White House. Once the ceremony is over, the pardoned turkey is sent to live out the remainder of its years at Frying Pan Park at Kidwell Farm, a petting zoo in Herndon, Virginia. Historians speculate that this tradition was inspired by Abraham Lincoln, who spared the life of a turkey at Christmastime in response to pleas from his son, Tad.

 

 

 Thanksgiving, Lincoln and Pumpkin Pudding

 Abraham Lincoln, at age 54 – November 8, 1863. Photographed by Alexander Gardner. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

The holiday began to experience a resurgence before the Civil War, when 30 states and 2 territories joined Sarah Josepha Hale’s Thanksgiving cause (read more here, and get a recipe for Sarah Josepha Hale’s Apple Pudding). Sarah’s hope was that Thanksgiving would become a day for the entire nation to show gratitude for its many blessings. Her cause became popular throughout the country. Even Lincoln himself shared Thanksgiving with his family on November 29, 1860, just after being elected president. The Lincoln Thanksgiving celebration featured a roasted turkey, one of his favorite meals, followed by a church service focused on giving thanks for health, good fortune, and family.

 Unfortunately, when Civil War broke out on April 12, 1861, Sarah Josepha Hale’s plans for a national Thanksgiving holiday took a back seat to the violent upheaval between the North and South. Though the national cause was put on hold, smaller days of Thanksgiving were celebrated throughout the war. After the Confederate victory at Bull Run, Confederate President Jefferson Davis called for a Thanksgiving celebration in the South on Sunday, July 28, 1861. Individual Union states continued to observe Thanksgiving on their own, though not as a united nation, as it seemed the war-torn Union had little to be thankful for. This changed on Sunday, April 13, 1862, when President Lincoln declared a national day of Thanksgiving in honor of the victories at Fort Henry, Fort Donelson and Fort Shiloh. The Confederacy had their second and final Thanksgiving celebration on Thursday, September 28, 1862 after their second victory at Bull Run.

 

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There is no official evidence that Sarah Josepha Hale’s letters caused Lincoln to make this declaration, though it’s hard to believe they didn’t play some role in the establishment of a national holiday.


In 1864, Lincoln declared that the holiday would once again be observed on the last Thursday in November. Thanksgiving that year focused heavily on honoring and thanking the Union troops, and shows early evidence of the feast being the highlight of the holiday. What better way to give thanks to the Union soldiers than to fill their empty bellies with a festive meal? The Union League Club of New York made efforts to ensure that no soldier, on land, water or elsewhere, went without a Thanksgiving dinner. They asked for donations from the public, and many restaurants offered to cook the food. The soldiers feasted on turkey, cranberries and many of the other traditional foods we now associate with Thanksgiving. The response from the public was so outstanding that the list of donations in the Union League Report was 37 pages long.

I made the pudding as written, adapting where measurements are vague or not provided. I also added more sugar and less nutmeg than the recipe originally called for (the nutmeg was much too overpowering for modern tastes as written in the original recipe). Puddings were often served with cream sauce, so I’ve included an adapted cream sauce from the same cookbook. There is no way to know if Abraham Lincoln enjoyed this particular recipe, but he very well may have. At the very least, it is likely to have been served at many Thanksgiving meals in America during this time period. It’s a fun glimpse at the way food was approached by Mary Todd Lincoln and other women of her social standing during Abraham Lincoln’s lifetime. Consider adding this dish to your Thanksgiving buffet as a nod to Abraham Lincoln’s role in establishing a national Thanksgiving holiday.


 

Note: Rosewater is water infused with the flavor and scent of roses. Bottled rosewater can be found in Middle Eastern markets.

Whisk in the rosewater, wine, nutmeg, cinnamon and mace till well blended and smooth.

Grease a 2 qt. dish with butter. Pour the pumpkin batter into the dish.

Bake the pudding for 85-95 minutes till the center no longer wobbles.

Remove from heat and allow to cool.

The surface may crack a bit as it cools-- don't worry, it's part of the charm.

 Serve pudding at room temperature or cold, topped with sweetened fresh whipping cream or a sweet cream sauce.

To Make Sauce

Pour the heavy whipping cream into a small saucepan and heat over medium.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 1 ½ tbsp cold water.

Slowly whisk the cornstarch mixture into the cream as it heats.

Whisk in the sugar, nutmeg, and almond extract till well mixed.

Stir the sauce constantly as it comes to a boil. Once it boils, remove the sauce from heat.

Pour it through a wire mesh strainer and allow to cool to room temperature.

 Apple Pudding from the Mother of Thanksgiving

-Sarah Josepha Hale in a letter to President Abraham Lincoln, September 28, 1863


The first Thanksgiving has little to do with how we celebrate Thanksgiving today. Just about every detail is different, particularly the holiday foods we enjoy. So where did our Thanksgiving food traditions come from? When did our turkey-centric feast become such an important American tradition? There is very little information available about Thanksgiving meals and celebrations before the 19th century. It’s difficult to get a clear picture of exactly how the holiday has evolved since that first political meeting between the Wampanoag Native American tribe and the Brownist English Dissenters (known today as Pilgrims). Despite this, the more modern version of Thanksgiving does have its own unique history, clearly traceable to an extraordinary American woman. Many of the traditions we enjoy today can be credited to years of campaigning by a novelist and poet named Sarah Josepha Hale.