Jams and preserves
The cook and housewife's manual
In 'The cook and housewife's manual', Meg Dods describes pickles as 'an important class of culinary preparation, and one about which the cook and notable housewife make no little bustle'.
'The cook and housewife's manual' was first published in Edinburgh in 1826.
The book was a huge success, with 19 editions published in the 19th century.
It includes a chapter on Scottish 'national dishes' and gives information about the availability of produce, as well as advice on selecting foodstuffs, cookery, and presentation.
But Margaret Dods was actually a character in Sir Walter Scott's novel 'St Ronan's Well' — and the author was in fact journalist and editor Isobel Christian Johnston.
Sir Walter wrote the book's introduction, in which he connects Scottish food and culture in a romanticised re-interpretation of the national cuisine.
Title page from 'The cook and housewife's manual' by Meg Dods, Edinburgh, 1826. [Library reference: NG.833.b.4]