-250 years ago... I feel like we're gonna taste some history, and I'm ready to taste this.

-Yeah.

It's exciting, and it's delicious.

-...the foods American colonists were eating had to change.

In the 18th century, I think it would have ended up a vegetarian.

We became even more self-reliant... -And these were called Liberty Teas.

-Okay.

-...as a new nation was being born... -Pepper pot soup actually has freedom written all over it.

-...declaring our food independence from England.

And I've heard that people call it the soup that won the war.

I'm Capri Cafaro, and I'm on a mission to uncover the incredible stories of the foods we grow, harvest, create, and celebrate.

Beautiful, amazing meal.

In this special episode, I'm traveling colonial America's back roads to uncover our founding food traditions from those that are keeping them alive and telling the culinary stories of our ancestors... Mm-hmm.

...on "America the Bountiful's" 250th Anniversary special.

-For over 250 years, farmers and ranchers have sustained us.

American Farmland Trust's mission is to help farms thrive, keeping farmers on that land for generations to come.

Together, we can work to keep America bountiful.

♪♪ -In the period leading up to 1776 and continuing through the Revolutionary War, a number of events led to significant changes in the foodways, agricultural practices, and eating habits of American colonists.

As British trade policies and taxation became more unfavorable, colonists began finding ways to make their food systems less reliant on British imports and allow them to be even more self-sufficient in growing, harvesting, producing, and selling their own food.

Just as he led the continental soldiers in the Revolutionary War, George Washington also led the way in demonstrating to the British just how food-independent the colonies could become by making a major shift in what was grown at Mount Vernon.

Sara Marie Massee is the Historic Trades Manager at the property, which has restored many of Washington's original agricultural facilities.

Prior to the Revolutionary War, tobacco was grown extensively on the property of Mount Vernon, but George Washington in his infinite wisdom as one of the forefathers of the United States had a different vision for what to grow on this property.

What did he have in mind?

-Absolutely.

He was unhappy with how regulated tobacco was.

The British kept the price artificially low.

-Mm.

-And Washington was trapped in a cycle of debt to British merchants.

-Mm-hmm.

-So he switched to wheat as his cash crop.

-So, besides the fact that it was a cash crop and something that could feed folks, why wheat?

-Well, it's unregulated, and so it's something that Washington could grow and then find the best price.

-It sounds like George Washington recognized the value of wheat when it came to becoming less reliant on the British Empire.

-This really was, in a lot of ways, a declaration of independence, you know, 11 years before the Revolution occurred.

-That makes a lot of sense.

What did George Washington do to innovate that process, to get the wheat to a place where it could be sold or consumed?

-Well, ahead of us is actually a reconstruction of a 16-sided threshing barn that Washington invented to improve the technology of processing the wheat.

♪♪ ♪♪ So, all around the outside of this building, we have a layer of harvested wheat.

And if you look at the stocks, 90% of it is not edible, only the grain.

-What do you call this, the berry?

-Yeah, the berry is inside the seed head.

-Mm-hmm.

-And that is the only part we can eat.

It takes quite a bit of effort to get it loose.

So, what's happening is, as the horses trot around, their hooves are knocking the wheat berries free from the stalk.

-I see.

-And they're doing it a lot faster than people could.

-Now, where does the berry -- where does it go after the horses are doing their hard work trying to separate this out?

-That's one of the most brilliant parts because other people had used horses to thresh before, but Washington designed a special floor that is slotted.

-Oh, wow.

-And so the entire building acts as a sieve.

-Wow.

-And he actually had his carpenters experiment.

They tried four different sizes of gaps.

And an inch and a half is 90% efficient at doing the sifting.

So, the grain goes down into the basement, the straw stays up above.

-Now, taking me back to that time in, you know, the late 1700s, with -- Obviously, George Washington designed this... -Mm-hmm.

-...came up with the idea, but I would suspect he's not gonna be the one that is actually working with the horses or dealing with the byproducts.

Who would be working in something like this?

-Correct.

The vast majority of the work is being done by enslaved people.

So, by the time George Washington dies, there are 318 enslaved people living at Mount Vernon and about 17 hired workers.

-Washington first became a slave owner at age 11 when he inherited slaves from his father.

It wasn't until the Revolutionary War that his views on slavery were radically altered by Alexander Hamilton and John Laurens, amongst others.

In 1786, Washington wrote that he wished that slavery in the country may be abolished.

Yet he didn't attempt to free his own slaves until he stipulated in his will that they'd be emancipated upon the death of his wife, Martha.

-So, the enslaved people would be the ones running the horses.

They would be laying down the wheat, raking it out once the first batch was done.

And then the center of the barn, where we're standing right now, would be filled almost to the ceiling with fresh wheat waiting to be threshed... -Okay.

-...because you wanted to keep it dry... -Dry.

-...and inside.

When they were using older methods, about 20% of the crop was ruined each year because storms would come through and soak the grain.

-Sure.

That makes a lot of sense.

And how did they actually harvest the wheat to get here to be stored?

-Yes.

The wheat was harvested in late June.

Washington brought in the latest technology, a tool called a grain cradle.

-Mm-hmm.

-And the enslaved men would be using that cradle to cut the wheat.

-Mm-hmm.

-The wheat would fall into this cradle... -Right.

-...which would create a bundle, a sheaf, and then -- -A bit like this?

-A bit like this, but bigger.

And then children in the enslaved community would come behind and tie the sheaves.

-Mm.

Incredible.

So, how long does this take?

I mean, I feel like the poor horses are gonna get dizzy.

-[ Laughs ] So, it typically takes 30 to 45 minutes for the horses to do one batch.

-Okay.

-And then they go out and get a break.

Now, part of the reason it's so important for them to run the entire time is that horses physically cannot urinate when they are trotting.

-Oh, and so, sanitary reasons, if you're going to be consuming this.

-Yes.

-Now, how did they figure that out?

I mean, obviously, I would assume that they have a lot of experience with livestock, so that's something they would know.

-Yes.

Well, Washington is known as one of the greatest horsemen of his age.

-Mm-hmm.

-And so he was very familiar with horses.

So that is something -- That is why he designs this as a 16-sided barn.

It's basically a circle, but it's cheaper to build.

-Makes sense.

Again, innovation, ingenuity, and cost sensitivity.

-Yes.

-All things that are necessary for the longevity of making, you know, the dollar or whatever currency we're dealing with.

Pound sterling.

-Yes.

-Once the remaining wheat berries drop through the floor, Sarah collects them for winnowing.

-This is one of my favorite 18th-century chores.

-Okay.

-It's called winnowing.

So, let me give you a couple handfuls... -Thank you.

-...of wheat.

And we are going to back up, and -- We're gonna stand up and then back up a little bit out in the field so we're not... -Alright.

-...showering anybody.

Alright, so the first trick to this is we want to find the wind if there is any and put our back to it.

-I feel wind going this way.

-Right, so we're gonna want to put our back to it 'cause we don't want this to blow back in our face, right?

-Yep.

-Then -- You've got it right.

Your basket is less flexible than mine.

So, flat is good, and for you, you're just gonna go kind of up and down, right?

-I don't know how good of a job I'm doing with catching this, but I would suspect someone that would be doing this on a regular basis would be pretty skilled in ensuring that it stays in the winnowing basket.

-Exactly.

And, you know, this isn't perfect, but this is actually ready to be sent to the mill.

Washington installed the latest technology for his mill.

And in the 1790s, as president, he learned about a new system called the Oliver Evans milling system that allowed him to upgrade even further.

-Wow.

Who is Oliver Evans?

-He's an American inventor, an American farmer and miller.

And he is the person who created grain elevators.

-Wow.

-And so they allowed people to drop the grain into the mill.

And then the mill would take the grain from story to story of the mill so it could go to the different machines.

-Mm-hmm.

So, they really -- I mean, Washington, together with the implementation of this Oliver Evans system, really put the United States on the path to becoming food independent, utilizing wheat as that cornerstone.

-Yes.

-While wheat was a major cash crop, it wasn't the only plant being grown at Mount Vernon that was used to symbolically declare food independence from Britain.

Just up the hill from the wheat fields, ornamental and herb gardens held a variety of plants that colonists would use to make what became known as Liberty Tea.

Melanie Welles is a horticulturalist at Mount Vernon's historical gardens, and Bruce Richardson is a tea historian and author of the book "The Social History of Tea."

Now, what is this particular tea?

I know tea in the 18th century had a very important role in the history of the birth of this nation.

-It did, and this is one of the iconic teas of that era, because this is, by the way, one of the five teas thrown overboard in Boston Harbor in 1773.

-Uh-huh.

-That's why it's important.

-The infamous Boston Tea Party.

-There were 340 chests of tea thrown overboard December 16, 1773.

The majority of it -- 240 chests -- almost $1 million... -Was this?

-...was this tea called Bohea.

But by the 1770s, one in every three households of Massachusetts was drinking tea such as this.

-Okay, well, I have to... -So, cheers.

-...have a little bit of a taste.

-In Boston, we say "huzzah."

-Huzzah.

-Huzzah.

-Alright, you two, let's see.

It smells lovely.

It's very -- -Yeah.

-It's very aromatic.

It tastes, to me, a little bit like a modern-day Earl Grey.

-The notes of the -- -Yes.

-The way it wraps around your tongue.

-Mm-hmm.

-It's a classic black tea blend.

So it'd be a great morning tea even today.

-Well, at some point, this tea is no longer available due to, you know, different laws that were put into place, right?

-Well, mainly because of the political atmosphere of the day.

-Right.

-It wasn't politically correct to drink a tea that had been taxed by George III.

It was a political statement to say, "I'm not gonna drink that tea anymore."

-Drawing a line in the sand that, "We want independence from George III."

-Exactly.

-So, what did they substitute when they decided, you know, "No longer, we're gonna draw this line"?

What happened?

-Well, one thing we forget is that the colonists were as entrenched in the ritual of tea as their cousins back in London or Bath.

So they would go into their orchards, into their herb gardens, into their fields, and find anything that would make colored water come out of their teapots.

-Mm-hmm.

-They had a specific name for that teapot.

They would call it the liberty teapot.

And these were called Liberty Teas.

-Okay.

How would they know the right plants to utilize to substitute for the tea leaves that they had been accustomed to?

-Well, there are lots of plants that they would have known about you can use medicinally and to flavor different dishes.

And we have three examples here from growing at Mount Vernon, and I can show you how to harvest all of them to use for tea.

This is an Old Blush rose, and we're gonna be harvesting the rose hips, which is the fruit of the rose plant.

-I don't think I've ever seen something like this.

A fruit of a rose plant.

Huh.

-And each rose, the hip looks slightly different.

It's actually very beautiful.

-They are gorgeous.

-And if you cut it open, you'll actually see there are seeds inside.

So, for making the tea, you'd actually want to take the seeds out, and then the skin would be dried.

-What kind of, you know, medicinal properties or health properties would have a rose hip given to someone that would have been drinking it in the 18th century?

-Even before that, back in Greek and Roman times, they referred to roses as the "dog rose" because they thought at the time that they could cure the bite from a rabid dog.

-Oh, interesting.

-I don't think it actually worked.

However, who knows?

-Who knows?

-Who knows?

Now, today we know that roses are really high in vitamin C... -Mm-hmm.

-...rich in antioxidants, and so they are said to be great for your skin health and for boosting your immunity.

And also they might even help with joint pain.

-This is just fascinating.

I am so glad that you're showing these things to me.

-This is yaupon holly, a naturally caffeinated plant that is native to the southeast United States.

Yaupon has a really interesting history.

So, at least 8,000 years ago, indigenous people were drinking this plant.

-Mm.

-So, there was Timucua, and they resided in the area that is now Florida and southern Georgia.

-Mm-hmm.

-They called it cassina, and they made an infusion of the leaves with hot water.

And they drank it before going into battle because they thought it gave them strength and energy.

-Mm-hmm.

-And they also used it in ceremonial and other rituals, such as purification rituals.

And then when the early European settlers were here -- and the early Americans -- they were drinking this plant, as well, or the infusions of it, with the hot water, and they actually exported the plant to Europe, as well.

-Right?

Because it would have been totally exotic to European consumers, right?

Because this is indigenous to North America.

-Exactly.

-And has that great caffeinated property.

-Exactly.

-Any other interesting medicinal or health properties to this particular plant?

-Now, the benefit to the yaupon in comparison to some of these other caffeinated beverages or, you know, food items, is that, from the yaupon, you can get the energy without the crash.

-Ah.

Was that part of their, you know, promotional materials?

-That's definitely, I think, one of the things now with the resurgence of the yaupon and drinking it for tea as a big positive for it.

-Well, eventually I'm gonna have to try this out as a tea, but in the meantime, we got a nice little group here.

What other plants in this region or at Mount Vernon would be utilized for tea?

-Well, another plant that we can look at is lemon balm.

-I can absolutely smell the lemon.

-Yes, lemon balm can be very intense.

-I love it, though.

-It is.

It's a great plant.

Now, it's a member of the mint family, which you can tell by the square stem.

-Yep.

-It's been recorded as early as 300 BC... -No kidding.

-...in ancient Greek and Roman writings.

Yes, very interesting.

-How did it end up here?

-Well, lemon balm is basically cultivated in gardens all over the world now.

They do think that the Moors brought it to southern Spain in the 7th century.

-It would seem that a plant like this would be a great candidate for a Liberty Tea.

-Absolutely.

So, obviously, you've already mentioned you can get the very strong lemon scent.

Since it is in the mint family, there's supposed to be a hint of mint in there as well.

And interestingly, lemon balm is supposed to help with actually calming anxiety and being a stress reliever... -No kidding.

-...and then supposedly even helping to improve your digestion, helping you sleep better.

And it also has antimicrobial properties, as well.

You know, back in those times, when people were using these plants not just for food, but also for medicine, a lot of that knowledge was passed on from generation to generation.

-Well, I think we have enough maybe to make some teas.

-I think so.

-So, this is the rose hips.

And what are the properties on this one again?

-So, very high in vitamin C and other antioxidants.

-Okay.

-Should be a little tart.

-Yeah, it is tart.

I was gonna say there's a citrusy note that I feel there.

That's nice.

That's nice.

-Yeah.

-I like that.

-And even today we use this in a lot of blends when we're blending teas.

-Mm-hmm.

-It gives it a nice color and good tartness.

-So, this is the yaupon holly.

-Uh-huh.

-And after you harvest the leaves, they need to be dried.

And after it's been roasted, then you can go ahead and put it with the boiling water to create your tea.

Energy without the crash.

-That, again, tastes a little bit like a black tea to me.

So, black tea I know has caffeine properties, caffeinated properties, and I could see how this could be a fantastic substitute for the 18th-century palette that might be, you know, looking for that tea that they threw overboard.

And this is a good Liberty Tea substitution.

-Well, and a lot of colonists were already drinking this... -Mm!

-...from the Virginias down into the Florida panhandle.

-Mm-hmm.

-So it would be easy just to incorporate it into your tea pots instead of tea.

-Oh, that makes -- that makes a lot of sense.

And, you know, you get that energy without the crash, so a great way to keep your pep in your step as you're trying to fight for independence, so... Now, what's our last -- Our last one here is the lemon?

-Last one here is the lemon balm.

So you should get, obviously, a lemony taste.

-[ Sniffs ] And I can smell it.

-I'd be interested if you can also -- Do you get a hint of mint since it is a mint family member?

-Absolutely.

Absolutely, you do.

It's -- I actually feel like there's a little bit more mint than the lemon in its own way.

There's no question there's a citrusy flavor, but the fact that it's part of the mint family... -Mm-hmm.

-...really shines through on this, too.

Liberty Teas -- you know, the settlers absolutely had some fantastic options to make themselves tea-independent... -Right, right.

-...right from the King.

-[ Chuckles ] Huzzah.

-Huzzah!

While cultivated in wild plants and herbs were dried by colonists to make tea, many of the same nutritious greens were also consumed by the animals colonists kept on their homesteads for dairy.

While some milk would be consumed fresh, it spoiled quickly, so colonists often made cheese, which could be stored for much longer.

Rebecca Suerdieck is a living historian and leads immersive 18th-century cooking demonstrations.

She's often joined by Maureen Anderson, who keeps goats like Luna to use goat milk for making soap and, on occasion, cheese.

-Cheese making is essential because, prior to refrigeration, milk would go rancid in a few days.

-Right -But if you can turn it into something that makes it last longer -- ♪ Ahh ♪ The art of the cheesemaker.

And that goes back thousands of years, certainly would have been in common knowledge from the English people that are settling here and then bringing that knowledge with them.

So, they have something to eat on the ships.

They have something to eat when they arrive because cheese is portable.

-It seems to me that making cheese on your own in your home would be hard.

-No.

No, it's easy.

-Okay!

Girls at a young age would know how to do that.

That was probably one of the first things they would do in the mornings, gather the eggs, milk the goat, and get some protein on the table first thing in the morning, what we call breakfast.

And usually the men are headed out of the home for their work in the fields or work in town.

-And they need that protein.

-They need quick, fast protein, and cheese -- Fresh cheeses can be a quick, fast protein.

-Could put it in your pocket.

-Cheese is my absolute favorite thing.

If I can carry cheese around with me, that is my snack go-to.

So maybe, in that respect, I would have fit in very well in the 18th century.

-Yeah.

-Now, I've never milked a goat until now.

I've never made cheese from scratch, either.

So maybe you can help me out.

And I would love to learn 'cause I love cheese so much.

I would love to see how the women of the 17th and 18th century were actually able to do this for their family and for their communities.

Dairy goats like Luna typically produce three to four quarts of milk per day, which would translate to about a pound of cheese.

-So, we've got the milk straight from our goat.

First thing we're gonna do is heat it up.

-Why heat the milk?

-You have to force a chemical change... -Mm-hmm.

-...to separate the curds.

Let me get this on the fire.

-How long does it need to be on the fire for?

And without a thermometer, how does somebody be able to tell?

-Once you get to about 160 to 165... -Mm-hmm.

-...you start to see steam coming off the top, and we will see that.

-And we'll look for that then?

-Oh, yes.

By the time you get to 165 to 170, there starts to be a skin on the top.

-Okay.

And that's -- Is that the fat starting to separate?

-Yes.

-Okay.

-Well, it's just the thickness, the protein and the caseins that are coagulating on the top... -Mm-hmm.

-...just on the heat.

By the time we get to 175 to 185, that skin is the entire top surface of the milk.

So you can tell by just visually looking at it.

And as the heat is rising, the air bubbles are rising and getting trapped underneath this skin that is getting thicker.

-Right.

-And it starts to dance.

And then once it gets to the right temperature, we're going to literally strike it with an acid.

-Okay.

-So, between the heat and the acid, we're going to force a chemical change.

So, I'm gonna take it off the fire.

-Alright.

Yeah, I see.

I see that film.

I see the foam.

-Yep.

Today we're using lemon juice, but there are all sorts of acids that were used for thousands of years.

Any citrus juice, vinegars can be used, as well as animal rennets.

-Can I go ahead and pour?

-Sure.

-Alright, I'm gonna go ahead and pour and -- -Slowly.

-Yeah.

Tell me.

-Go ahead and pour the whole thing.

-Alright.

-Well done.

-Alright, I see some bubbling happening.

-I'm gonna stir it a little.

That's just gonna activate.

There we go.

And it curdles right before your very eyes.

-Yeah.

Okay.

-So, the thickness on the spoon, this is what becomes the cheese.

This is the proteins, the fats, the caseins.

What we want to do now is strain out that liquid... -Right.

-...and keep the good stuff.

-Okay.

And we do that with what?

-Today we're gonna use a cloth.

-Okay.

-They would have used a linen cloth.

Today I'm gonna use a cotton cloth.

So, we're gonna collect all four corners.

-Okay.

-So, the good stuff is in here, and what's coming out is the whey.

-Okay.

So, this is the curd, and that's the whey.

-Yes, that's the watery byproduct.

Now, there are good uses for that... -Like what?

-...'cause nothing would go to waste, historically.

-Of course.

-So, they could put this in bread when they're baking bread.

You could put it with marinades for meats... -Mm-hmm.

-...fermenting vegetables.

So, lots of good uses.

-Wow.

Okay.

So, again, you know, waste not, want not.

In the 17th- and 18th-century kitchens.

-So, what I'm gonna do, I'm just gonna quickly take it outside, and I'm gonna hang it on a tripod.

And we'll check back on that later.

-Rebecca lets the cheese drain in the cloth for roughly an hour.

-Yeah, here we go, the moment we've been waiting.

-Yeah, the big reveal.

-Ah, there's our cheese!

-Alright.

Now, it smells incredible.

It's obviously super fresh, directly from Luna.

-That's right.

-But we can -- We can doctor it up, right?

Is that something that... -Yes.

-...households would do at the time?

-Salt is essential.

We can also add some herbs.

Would you like to add some herbs?

-Please and thank you again.

What have we got here?

-Got some fresh sage from the garden.

-I love sage.

I love sage.

-So, all you have to do is just pick off the leaves.

-I'll have some.

-Here you go.

-Thank you.

-And just gonna rip it up.

We can mash it with the back of the spoon, and we can top it with some honey.

-I feel like we're gonna taste some history, and I'm ready to taste this, so... -It's exciting, and it's delicious.

-I cannot wait for this.

Mmm.

-[ Chuckles ] -That is fantastic.

That may be the best goat's cheese I've ever had.

-Yay!

-And that's because it is direct from the homestead.

Nobody loves cheese like I do.

-[ Laughs ] -So, I'm gonna take this, and I'm gonna replicate it at home.

-Good.

-And I'm gonna think of this place, of all those women, and of how they helped build this country... -Yes.

-...and, you know, keep the whole of their community nourished... -Yeah.

-...one bite of goat cheese at a time.

-One bite of goat cheese at a time.

-Maybe two.

While the keeping of domesticated livestock, such as goats, sheep, and cows, was essential in colonial times, so, too, was the hunting of wild animals.

The harvest of small game for food was incredibly common and often included such animals as rabbits, pigeons, raccoons, and one of the most popular of the era, squirrels.

U.S.

presidents William Henry Harrison and James A. Garfield even named squirrel stew as their favorite dish.

Nate Salzman is a historic educator at the Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum and regularly hunts squirrels on site.

He and his colleague Liz Brant give historical culinary demonstrations, including a popular meal of the era -- squirrel pie.

I don't know how successful I'd be as an 18th-century resident of, you know, what is now the Mid-Atlantic states because I'm not sure how -- I don't know -- good I would be at killing little woodland creatures.

I see you laugh, but I know that this is something -- Look, you know, back in the day, I -- You have to work with what you're given, right?

And, you know, small game is something that was available both to colonial settlers, as well as indigenous communities, right?

-Yeah.

This would have been super imperative for both native groups and colonial groups.

Squirrel is not just a food source, but it's also a threat to your crop.

-Oh, interesting.

Okay.

-Yeah.

And so a lot of your hunting isn't just for sustenance.

It's to make sure that your crop doesn't get destroyed so you have sustenance later.

-Well, and so back in the 18th century, did the colonial settlers, as well as indigenous communities, find squirrels tasty?

-To the best of our knowledge, yeah.

I mean, I'll tell you, as somebody who eats it, they're pretty good.

If you like dark-meat chicken, you'd like squirrel.

-Okay, well, maybe I'll be the judge of that a little bit later.

-Alright.

-We got to get those squirrels first.

How are we gonna go about finding these squirrels?

And is our approach today similar to maybe what the colonial settlers would have done back then?

-That's a great question.

So, actually, the reason why I chose this spot for hunting is to sort of emulate a little bit of how it probably would have gone for a lot of squirrel hunters... -Mm-hmm.

-...which is you're not necessarily going out deep in the woods.

You're going out around your woodline 'cause you want to get rid of the squirrels that are gonna be a threat to your crop.

-Right.

-So, what we're gonna do is we're basically gonna walk along the edge of this woodline.

There's a nice little spot that I have picked out.

We're gonna sit there, hopefully not fall asleep, hopefully let some squirrels come by, and get some lunch.

There's actually a theory that one of the reasons why the colonists were so good at marksmanship when they get to the Revolutionary War is because of things like squirrel hunting.

-Oh, no kidding?

That's good target practice.

-Yeah, if you're shooting at a squirrel and all of a sudden you got a giant guy in red, like, that's a cakewalk.

-[ Laughs ] -Alright, so, what we're gonna do is we're just gonna head in right over here.

-Okay.

Nate picks a spot along a ridge with sight lines to oak and black walnut trees, both a great food source for squirrels.

-So, what we'll do is we'll just sit right here, we'll wait, and hopefully that squirrel will come out, and if it doesn't, enjoy some sun on our backs and enjoy a nice day.

[ Birds chirping ] -After about 20 minutes, Nate notices some movement in the tree tops and begins following.

-I think I saw it fall somewhere around here.

-I think -- Oh, there it is.

-Look at that.

-Back at the camp, Liz readies the fire while Nate processes today's harvest, along with several others from yesterday's hunt.

-So, we are going to start with frying up our squirrel a little bit.

-Alright, so, we got -- we got a couple squirrels.

-Yes.

So, I've got my squirrels in here.

I'm just gonna pop them in my pan, which is good and hot.

-Now, I saw you use some lard.

-Yes.

-Was lard something that would be, you know, utilized in a, you know, usual cooking situation?

-Yeah, lard is probably your most common cooking fat with, right?

You don't have your canola oil, your vegetable oil.

But you're gonna have lard.

-So, it's my understanding that squirrel was popular as a food with indigenous peoples, as well as colonists, you know, in the, you know, 1700s.

But as, you know, the United States expanded and things changed, so did people's taste for squirrel.

-Yes, definitely.

I know that it kind of goes through phases of popularity, kind of falls out as being a popular dish.

We certainly don't eat it very much these days.

-Yeah.

-Ooh, that's looking good, Liz.

-Yeah.

I think we're ready to go ahead and add it to our stew pot.

-Are we ready to put it in the stew?

-Yep.

Alright.

-Alright.

-Now, what's in the stew pot?

Is it just water?

-Right now, it's just water.

-Okay.

-There we go.

-Oh, that smells so good.

-Alright.

Yeah.

Alright, so, we got a couple different things for our seasonings today.

-Mm-hmm.

-Salt, of course.

You need salt.

We got some pepper.

I've got some thyme and then some rosemary.

-Rosemary!

-And then this one is the one that's gonna be a little different for us.

-Okay.

-This is some nutmeg.

Nutmeg was actually one of their favorite flavors.

So, it's kind of mixing sweet and savory flavors in ways that we don't usually do it today.

-Smells good.

-Smelling good?

Good.

-We got to put the lid back on and let that do its thing, right?

-Yes, it's gonna take a while.

So, while that sits and cooks, we're gonna do a couple other steps.

-Right, 'cause we're gonna make a pie, right?

-Yes!

We're making pie!

-Pie is going to be the vessel for the squirrel.

-Yes.

-Okay.

-So, it's flour, fat, water.

-Yep.

-I'm gonna add in a little bit of salt.

-Alright.

So, just -- -Yep, just -- Yep, rub it in.

-Alright.

-Yeah.

Yeah, this is shortcrust, your standard pie crust.

So, it's kind of that transition.

-Yep.

-So, we'll just cover this and set this aside to rest... -Okay.

-...until we're ready to assemble our pie dough.

-Alright.

Sounds like a plan.

-So, we're going to cook up some veg, as well.

There we go.

-There it goes.

There's our little sizzle.

-Yeah!

So, start out with some onion.

-So, I see some squash here.

-Yes.

So, we have just some yellow squash and then some turnips.

-Turnips.

-And then carrots and celery.

So, we're just gonna let stuff cook down.

-Liz lets the vegetables cook until soft, and after about 90 minutes of braising, Nate begins picking the squirrel meat from the bone while the dough is rolled out.

The squirrel meat is then put back into the stew pot along with the vegetables.

Once the sauce thickens, it's assembled into a pie, which is then baked for about 30 minutes, in a traditional 18th-century-style cob oven constructed from a mix of clay, sand, water, and straw.

The moment we've all been waiting for, maybe the moment Nate's been waiting for.

I don't know about me.

I'm a little scared.

[ Laughs ] -It's no good.

Don't worry about it.

I'll take care of it.

[ Laughter ] -More for you, Nate, more for you.

-Oh, that looks amazing.

Oh, look at that!

That is unreal.

Oh, that looks good.

-It does look good.

-I'm gonna put myself out of my misery and try this real quick.

-Alright.

So, yeah, grab a fork.

-At least I'm honest about, you know, my squeamishness here.

We'll see.

We'll see how it goes.

Let's see here.

I'm gonna do a little bit of this and that, and maybe I'm getting some squirrel, maybe I'm not, but I'm gonna try.

It's not horrible.

[ Laughter ] Um, maybe I wouldn't starve in the 18th century.

The pie itself is actually pretty fantastic.

You know those things that we're familiar with, the veg, nice and aromatic.

Better than I thought.

-Okay.

Okay, I'll take it.

-Yeah, take that, take that.

-Not a commentary on your cheffing.

You all did a fantastic job.

It's me and my bias against squirrels.

-Fair.

-More for us.

-Mm-hmm.

Mmm, mm-hmm.

-Well, you know, it's good because we're actually taking extra bites while we're on camera.

We're not just saying, "Oh, yeah," one bite, and leaving.

-No.

Alright, I'm gonna eat the rest of this, so... -It's all you.

-I'm gonna grab another slice.

[ Laughter ] You have the slice.

I'll have the pie.

-While squirrels could be easily obtained by anyone during the Revolutionary War, colonists relied on local millers to source the flour for their meat pies.

George Washington's grist mill at Mount Vernon was a significant producer, along with other milled grains, such as corn and rye, which ultimately led to Washington distilling the spirit, then known as the patriotic drink of choice -- whiskey.

Prior to the Revolution, rum dominated colonial drinking culture, serving as currency, medicine, and the centerpiece of the triangular slave trade.

However, when the British Navy blocked trade routes during the war, molasses, the key rum ingredient, became scarce, forcing colonists to seek alternatives.

Whiskey made from locally grown corn and rye filled that void and became explicitly patriotic.

Leo Mayhew is a historical educator and serves as the Trade Supervisor at Mount Vernon.

So, how did George Washington come to decide that he was going to produce whiskey in particular here at Mount Vernon?

-So, it was really mostly the idea of his farm manager, a Scottish immigrant by the name of James Anderson.

And he essentially wrote to Washington -- he looks at the Dogue Run farm site and sees really everything that he needs for whiskey production.

It's something that he had had previous experience with in Scotland.

-Tell me a little bit about this process.

I mean, I see the rye here.

-So, what we've got here is essentially what would have been known as a merchant mill.

And it's gonna be used, at least in the early part of Washington's life, for milling things like cornmeal, rye, oats, barley... -Sure.

-...basically anything that isn't wheat.

♪♪ So, the sound that you're hearing now -- this is the lighter staff.

You're gonna hear a loud knock.

[ Knock ] So, that's the water staff.

That's what opens up the trap door... -Aha!

-...allows water to pour into the pitchback wheel.

That's what's causing the millstones to turn.

And what's interesting is it's really just the top millstone that is actually spinning.

-Actually doing it.

-Essentially, what it is, is it's kind of like the motion of a pair of scissors.

It's a continual cutting process.

-Yeah.

-That's what's gonna pull the rye apart, and it's shaped in such a way to direct the flow of the rye into the eye of the millstone -- so, that hole that allows it to actually enter.

And then you see this axle here is called the damsel.

-Okay.

-And it's got those iron bars on the side so that, as the runner stone rotates, it knocks against the shoe, and then it's going to fall down through a small chute down to a machine below called a shaker box.

So, essentially it is what allows us to basically sift out the finer rye meal and then separate it from the husks.

So, you can see the stuff that's coming from the top here is very coarse.

-Right.

Can I feel it?

-Yeah, sure.

-And then I can see it's a powder.

-Yeah.

-It's more of a powder there.

-So, you can see... in comparison to that.

So, which part would be used then?

-So, this is the part that's actually gonna be distilled.

The rye would then go to one of the mash tubs over in the distillery, which is just next door, and that's where it's gonna be mixed together into the mash that's actually fermented and turned into the whiskey.

This is the boiler that we use to boil the water that's used to mix together the mash.

-Okay.

-So, what we do is we transport the boiling water to mash tubs like you see over here.

-Right, a.k.a.

a barrel.

-Yep.

Big barrel.

And as we add it in this boiling water, we add the first couple of ingredients to the recipe.

-And obviously something has to be rye.

We saw that.

So, what is the formula that maybe Anderson or the people working here would have utilized?

-So, it's a rye whiskey because that's the majority ingredient.

-Right.

-That's about 60% of the recipe.

-That's this here?

-What's going in first is going to be corn, which is more like 35% of the recipe.

-Alright, well, that's why we have different sized jars, right?

-Exactly.

-So, the first step is the corn that goes into the mash.

And then the rye?

-The rye gets added in together.

And then they're also adding in the grains.

And then there would be a person here that's using this tool called a mash rake... -Wow.

-...to stir up the mash.

The next step in the process, once it's cooled, is to add a little bit of malted barley.

So, what the barley does that's very important is it takes all the starches in the grain mash and converts them into sugar... -Ah, right.

-...with the added effect of making it a lot more fluid in its consistency.

-Mm-hmm.

-Once the mash cools down below a certain temperature, that's when the yeast will get added.

-Okay.

-The yeast is gonna consume those sugars that have been added by the -- -Right, you need the sugars for the yeast to activate.

-Exactly.

So, the yeast is gonna consume those sugars... -I'm catching on.

-...that have been produced by the malted barley.

And then that's going to produce something that's known as distiller's beer.

They're gonna take that mash and transport it to one of the five pot stills that you see over here.

-And all these five pots basically do the same thing?

-Yes.

So, this top part here -- this is sometimes called the onion or the head.

-Uh-huh.

-We pop that off the top.

So, this can be filled up with mash.

-Mm-hmm.

-They put the onion back on top.

And then a fire is lit underneath.

And so the alcohol -- it's going to turn into a gas.

It's gonna go up into the onion.

With nowhere else to go, it goes down the line arm here and then into a coiling pipe known as the worm.

So, you can kind of see it -- -I see why it's the worm.

Okay.

-Yeah, it's kind of shaped like a spring, is the best way that I can put it.

And so as the alcohol travels through the worm, it's gonna condense back into a liquid.

And then it comes out of a small, subtle pipe on the back.

-And this actually goes through the whole process.

How is it then contained to be able to then distribute to drink?

-So, it would get placed in a barrel similar to the ones that you see back there.

-Mm-hmm.

-And then, in the 18th century, this is -- The demand for the whiskey that's being produced in here is very local.

You know, the whiskey -- -Mm-hmm.

-The amazing thing about it is it's getting sold mostly in Alexandria.

It's getting sold to neighbors, tenants, farmers.

-See, now, that's interesting because, you know, as colonists and settlers are here and they don't have that access to, you know, the imports... -Yeah.

-...from, you know, the -- from the Old World, so to speak, or the British Empire.

-Mm-hmm.

-So it makes perfect sense that, in our independence, people are gonna be looking for something that is distilled local to be able to consume local.

And it's still being produced today here at Mount Vernon, right?

You are producing some kind of whiskey here on the property.

-Yeah, we produce it, and it's good for us because it allows us to get kind of an understanding of the distilling process so we can explain it a lot better to the visitors who visit Mount Vernon.

-Well, I'm a visitor to Mount Vernon, and now that I've gotten familiar with the distillation process, I would love if you would be able to share with me some of the whiskey that you actually have made here on site.

-Yeah, of course.

[ Birds chirping ] -I don't think I've ever seen clear whiskey.

-Yeah, and that's just because most whiskey nowadays, it is -- it's aged in a charred white oak barrel for the most part.

-I see.

-Yeah, it's kind of -- The charring in the barrel, it's kind of like caramelizing sugar in a way in that it breaks down the lignins in the wood.

And so it gives the whiskey some of the features from the wood.

The charring kind of gives it things, flavors like vanilla, caramel, baking spice, and the like.

-Right, and so that's why people in this day and age, it seems, prefers that barrel aged.

-Mm-hmm.

-But, yeah, that's -- I'm really curious, a little bit scared, but very curious to try a clear whiskey.

-Yeah, it's gonna taste a little bit different.

It's going to have a sharper taste to it.

You'll be surprised at, like, the sweetness that follows, and I recommend kind of sipping it, letting it trickle a little bit, rather than just throwing it back... -I am not going to do a shot here, but let's -- Cheers to Mr.

Anderson.

-Cheers.

To Mr.

Anderson.

Yeah.

Now, you'll notice it has kind of a peppery flavor to it 'cause it is -- -You're right.

It does.

It's peppery.

I do taste some kind of a wood residual.

Um, but it is very grain-alcohol-forward.

Let's put it that way.

-Yes.

-I'm eager to compare it to something that maybe is in a little more modern palette, which is this one?

-Yeah, this one you're gonna find is much smoother.

This is gonna really make you appreciate the miracle of barrel aging.

Cheers.

-What I'm learning is independence is pungent.

-Mm-hmm.

-But this is definitely much more similar to something that we would be accustomed to.

I taste a real smoky undertone... -Yes.

-...to it, you know, definitely the wood.

And you're right -- I mean, there is a little bit more of a sweetness.

I think you were talking about how maybe the sugars come out in the barrel.

-Yeah.

You might taste a little kind of vanilla notes to it.

-I just -- Now you -- You said vanilla, and I can taste that a little bit on the back of my taste buds.

-Yeah, you might also taste -- Sometimes people will find a little bit of fruitiness in it.

-Mm-hmm.

-There's sometimes baking spice.

One will find notes of that.

-Mm-hmm.

-Caramel tends to be something that people will sense in it.

-As I go through and journey through the 18th century, I'm realizing just how much of a 21st-century palate I have.

-Yep.

-But I think it gives us a great amount of appreciation of the work that went into surviving in the 18th century, the amount of work that it took from, you know, all walks of life, from enslaved individuals to the farm managers to, you know, leaders like George Washington, to make all of this work in a new land that they were really unaccustomed to... -Yeah.

-...and at a time where they were essentially cut off from, you know, the British Empire.

So they had to make do.

And apparently they're going to get a buzz in the process.

So, let's cheer to independence and 250 years.

-Cheers.

-To the United States.

Washington's whiskey was an immediate success upon the very first release, with 11,000 gallons being sold to roughly 80 customers.

Hundreds more gallons were given to Washington's hired and enslaved staff as a reward for their hard work.

And while it was Washington's whiskey that was given as rations to his workers, it was Washington's soup that was given as rations to his soldiers.

In December 1777, when colonial soldiers were nearing starvation at Valley Forge and morale was at an all-time low, Washington and General Ludwick are said to have fed their troops a meal that Washington's enslaved chef, Hercules Posey, had cooked for him -- pepper pot soup.

Popular legend maintains that the soup so boosted the morale of the soldiers that it helped them to fight on during a time when many thought the Revolutionary War effort would be lost, earning it the nickname "the soup that won the war."

Dontavius Williams is a historical educator specializing in the cuisine of enslaved cooks like Hercules.

So, walk me through what Hercules might have been doing in that kitchen when he was preparing for President Washington, the soldiers, and so on.

-So, it's very simple.

You know, you start with a base.

Any good soup has a good base, right?

So, what we're gonna do is we're gonna add some fat to the pot because fat makes everything better.

-Yep.

-It's not bacon, but it is some pork fat, salt pork.

-And I was gonna say, I noticed that it's salted.

Is this something that would have been utilized in the time in the 1700s?

-Yes, yes.

Actually, part of the diet of the enslaved.

They would have had three and a half pounds of salt pork or cornmeal as their baseline supplements for their diets.

So, what I want you to do is -- I cut a piece here already.

I want you to make a piece look just like that.

-Well, we'll see if I can -- We'll see if I can do that.

-Use the big one.

-Big one?

Yeah.

I think you're right about that.

I've heard so many things about Hercules Posey.

His contemporaries and those that he served saw him as a bit of a celebrity chef.

-Of course, of course.

And mainly because of who he served, who he actually was enslaved by, you know, and the work that they did here at Mount Vernon, the work that they did in Philadelphia.

-Philadelphia.

-So, it just continues.

But, again, it was less about him as a person in that time, but because of who he served, he kind of got -- he was a -- -Right.

The general... -The victor of it all, I guess.

-...the president, and everyone else.

So, what would he do with this next?

-So, what we have to do is we have to render this fat off.

So, let's put it in the heat here.

-Alrighty.

-Now, this fire is cooking, so let's pull it out.

-Alright.

Alright, so, that'll render down.

-Perfect.

-Now, at the time, you know, did those that were not enslaved recognize that these flavors came from an Afro-Caribbean background, you know, those that, you know, came against their will from Africa as property, brought these kind of traditions and incorporated them into menus that, you know, those that were not enslaved would consume?

-Yeah.

I said somebody actually tasted food in the quarters one day and realized that there was some validity to what was being cooked in the slave quarters.

So somebody had to figure it out.

-Somebody figured it out and said, "Hey, we want some of this, too"?

-Yeah, "Let's try this."

Yeah, yeah.

And when you try it a little bit later on, you'll see.

-I understand that pepper pot soup is something that free Black people also were serving and sharing in Philadelphia, you know, as contemporaries of Hercules.

-Exactly.

So, we call these ladies the pepper pot women.

-Mm-hmm.

-And that was how they were able to sustain themselves on those street corners -- so, actually taking something that was not foreign to them... -Mm-hmm.

-...but actually selling bowls of pepper pot soup actually maintained their freedom.

This is a powerful idea... -Yeah.

-...that -- As a former educator, I used to tell my students about cultural diffusion.

-Yeah.

-It's a way to be able to diffuse their culture through another culture... -Yeah.

-...and bring in new ideas.

-And that's what really strikes me about this pepper pot soup, as well, because it is something that would introduce a different cultural identity to a wider audience.

-Just dump it all in there, right?

-Yeah.

-And give it a little stir.

-So, what's our next step?

-Alright, so, let's do some sweet potatoes.

-Sweet potatoes.

Now, again, I always -- You know, at least my understanding of sweet potatoes is one of these -- sweet potatoes, yams -- is an African flavor.

-So, when we think sweet potatoes like this, we -- it's the contemporary to the yam or the yucca.

-How shall I -- -So, yep, you're good.

Just like that.

-Just down this way?

-Yeah, we want to cut it up, cut it in half.

-Cut it in half?

-And then let's make cubes.

-Okay.

-So, let's see here.

Now that we have a good start to the, um -- to the onions and to the pork... -Is this our next?

-...let's season some beef.

-Alright.

-So, yeah, dump that out.

And we're gonna add just a little bit of salt to it.

-And what have we got here?

-This is kitchen pepper.

Kitchen pepper is an ancient seasoning that has been around since the 16th century.

But this is a version that I took from an original receipt and kind of made my own.

-Oh, wow.

And, remember, "receipt" is "recipe."

-Recipe, yes, yes.

-That's what folks used to call it, is "receipt."

-But it's what we would call a curry today.

-Mm-hmm.

-A curry is not the turmeric-based things that we see when we eat Indian cuisine today, but it's just a mixture of different herbs and spices, like nutmeg and the paprika... -Yeah.

And those are some interesting, you know, maybe sweeter flavors.

-You would think.

One would think.

But whenever you add the nutmeg to the meat -- Again, the Vikings were using nutmeg to kind of cover the taste of that old meat.

-Ah, oh!

-[ Chuckles ] I hear my pot.

Let's pull this out, and let's get the meat going.

-So, we have these carrots, and this looks like collards.

-It is.

it is.

So, you could use collards or spinach for this, as well.

-Mm-hmm.

-In the Caribbean, they use a vegetable or a leaf called callaloo.

-Mm!

-And it tastes like spinach.

-I see.

-But because of the Afro influence, that collard green is something that we want to incorporate, as well.

-With every ingredient, I feel like this soup is telling a really important American story.

-Yes, yes.

You know, we've been told -- we were taught that America is the melting pot.

-Mm-hmm.

-That doesn't really identify who we really are, though, because when things melt, it's all one homogeneous thing.

-This is the opposite of that.

-America is the pepper pot soup... -It is!

-...of the world.

-America is the pepper pot soup, and that is, you know, why it's such a cornerstone of our diet of independence, it seems like... -Exactly, exactly.

-...there in the 18th century.

And then we have -- What are these?

-Those are Scotch bonnet peppers, yes.

-Now, are we gonna cut these, or are we just gonna, like, throw them in?

-Oh, no, 'cause that'll burn you twice.

-Okay, yep.

-We don't want it to burn at all, so we won't cut it at all.

-Okay.

-So, honestly, I have a lot of peppers, right?

That is a lot.

All we're gonna use today is one.

We'll throw that one in there.

-This is a soup, which means there's got to be some kind of broth happening, right?

-Of course, of course.

So, all the bones from the meat that was cut down gets boiled and turned into a stock.

So, we have a stock here that we keep in a crock and covered with a layer of fat to protect it, to keep it from spoiling.

-Ah!

Again, interesting uses of things in the 18th century that we wouldn't necessarily think about.

-That's right.

So, I'm gonna pull this out.

It's cranking.

-It's smelling incredible.

-So, we're gonna put the sweet potatoes in.

That pepper is still in there looking good.

-I love it.

And I'm sure it's -- -Put the carrots in there for me.

-It's aromatic and permeating.

-Mm-hmm.

-Now, what about a extra little extra spice?

I feel like that kitchen pepper is gonna have to get in there.

-Let's put some -- Let's put some love in this guy here.

♪♪ -Dontavius lets the soup cook for roughly two hours and adds the collard greens roughly 20 minutes before serving.

-I'm gonna be a good host and serve you first.

-Well, thank you so much.

Appreciate that, sir.

-Let's get to the bottom.

-It smells -- -You can you see that?

Doesn't that look amazing?

-It smells incredible.

Oh, wow.

And let's taste some history.

-Mmm.

We did that.

-[ Chuckles ] -We did that.

And the beef -- again, the longer you cook it, the more tender it gets.

-Yep.

Ooh.

-It's just a wonderful bite.

-This is fantastic.

You can taste the kitchen pepper, and that lovely Scotch bonnet -- you do -- you literally feel the heat on the back of -- at least, I do -- on the back of my mouth.

And I feel like this is such a nourishing bowl.

-Yes.

-I can see how this could be something that would sustain the soldiers... -Mm-hmm.

-...and, in its own version... -Mm-hmm.

-...you know, be nourishing the enslaved that would be preparing it... -Exactly.

-...and something that, you know, even people as important as George Washington would enjoy.

-Mm-hmm.

-And so I can't help but just think about Hercules and everyone around him making this and serving this.

-Yeah.

-And so this might be the first time that people have ever maybe heard of Hercules Posey.

What would you want someone to know about Hercules Posey and his story?

-If I could describe it in one word, it would be resilience... -Mm.

-...because Hercules survived in a system and he thrived in a system that didn't consider him as human.

He was property.

But he understood who he was.

He understood the value of who he was, not to Washington, but to America.

-Right.

-This soup speaks to that.

-Absolutely.

-It speaks to the different cultures.

-Yes.

-But he understood who he was, so much so that he knew that he was more valuable than what Washington thought.

So he self-emancipated.

-That's right.

-He found his own freedom and thrived in New York.

-He's not just a prized possession.

-Exactly, exactly.

-He's an incredible individual... -Mm-hmm.

-...and someone with unbelievable talent... -Mm-hmm.

-...and something that -- You know, his legacy lives on through this bowl of soup... That's right.

-...not just, you know, being part of what helped the Revolutionary War... -Mm-hmm.

-...but ultimately helping continue Hercules' independence... -That's right.

-...as a freed man in New York.

-And I am because he was.

-That's right.

-There's an African principle called ubuntu, and that's what I live today in doing this work.

-Well, thank you for including me in this work.

-Thank you, Capri.

Let's eat some soup, girl.

-Absolutely.

While soup alone can't win a war, looking back at our nation's founding reveals essential truths about how our independence came to be.

The fight for freedom demanded self-reliance, but our success also depended on the communities colonists built, local foodways and economies that bound people to one another and to the land they trusted to sustain their pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness.

250 years later, it remains possible to taste the way our nation was born.

But why take my word for it... [ Chuckles ] when you can come experience it for yourself?

"America the Bountiful" Is waiting for you and me.

For more information, visit... -For over 250 years, farmers and ranchers have sustained us.

American Farmland Trust's mission is to help farms thrive, keeping farmers on that land for generations to come.

Together, we can work to keep America bountiful.