How to Boil Pudding.
Today’s post answers a question that I’ve long had about the mystery of boiled puddings. You’ll often come across recipes for boiled puddings tied up in cloth, but I could never picture how this functioned practically: If you have a liquid mixture tied in a bag and then placed into a boiling pot of water, it just seemed like things were bound to turn out messy.
Drum roll….
Rules to be observed in making Puddings, &c.
(sorry for the print bleed – this is a 220 year old book)
Mystery solved. You butter the dish, put in the mixed ingredients, tie it up with a cloth and place it in the boiling water. Essentially it is a water bath on top of the stove – or more likely fire in this case.
Finally, everything is clear!
Here’s a boiled custard pudding recipe to try out the technique:
Source: The art of cookery made plain and easy, 1805
More Fun Discoveries from Antique Cookbooks
Convivial Supper 
Witty Remarks and Insights Welcome~