What Did the Pilgrims Really Eat!

The first Pilgrims did brings hens with them on the Mayflower. However, the record does not say how many, and if they survived the first great winter or not. We can safely assume, some of the Pilgrims most likely ate eggs.

We know, from Winslow's writings, that the Pilgrims did not eat fresh beef, enjoy milk or fresh cheese, butter and cream, until 1624. This is when Winslow mentions he made a voyage back to England that year, and returned from England with cattle.

The following is a list, which most likely was the fare of the first Thanksgiving, here we see some changes for the good. These items were mentioned in Edward Winslow's diaries, and were readily available, because of the help the Pilgrims received from the Native American Indians.

From the Ocean:

Cod fish, lobster, clams, seals and eels

From the Land:

Wild turkey, duck, rabbit, deer, partridge, goose and even eagles. Plums, pumpkins (which the colonists would stew or fry) and wild grapes and pumpkin. Beans, onions, lettuce, carrotts, and leeks, round out the vegetables available at that time. The Pilgrims had olive oil, wheat flour and Indian corn. They enjoyed walnuts, acorns, dried currents, and chestnuts.

Of interest, is the Native American Indians taught the colonists to make a certain dish, out of beans and corn. With just a slight variation on the recipe, this dish is still known today as "succotash."

Winslow's writings further tell us the Pilgrims ate "stewed or fried pumpkin", not pumpkin pie. No mention of cranberries and all the trimmings which come with the celebrating of Thanksgiving today. However, their diet was far better during the first harvest and improved each year as they learned from Native American Indians further skills in planting and harvesting.

There is no indication of a 2nd harvest celebration. The celebration of Thanksgiving, becoming a United States national holdiay officially, did not take place until approximately 280 years later through an act of United States Congress. We can only know for sure, that the Pilgrims were brave and courageous, and learned to endure from their many hardships, coming to a new unknown land and colonizing it. Indeed, they must have been truly thankful....expect maybe, for those hard biscuits!