Saleratus, Milling of Wheat, Breadmaking as well as Saleratus as a Laundry Agent

With their ox teams, the settlers would go to Manti to gather saleratus. That to be used for bread-making was carefully gathered with a spoon and that to be used for the washing was gathered with a shovel. In the making of bread, water was poured on about a cupful of saleratus, and when settled and clear, the top would be poured off and combined with buttermilk, then used for leavening bread. They also at this time made Salt Rising Bread and later the yeast from the home-made beer was used for the leavening. A beverage known as Brigham Tea, made from a brush called Mountain Rush, was widely used with or without milk or sweeten­ing. This tea was also used for medical purposes. Mt. Pleasant History by Hilda Madsen Longsdorf p56.

In the milling of the wheat, the grinding apparatus consisted of two circular stones fitted together. They were smooth on one side, and were called the upper and lower or nether millstone. which were held together with a perpendicular shaft. The upper stone was turned round and round upon the under one by means of the crank. The lower stone was stationary. A round hole in the upper one admitted a quart or two of grain at a time. As the stone revolved this would gravitate down and out from between the stones and during the slow movement it would be ground into more or less fineness. This then was bolted or sieved through a thin cloth, separating the flour from the coarse particles and bran.

This flour was made into dough and leavened with beer yeast, sour dough kept from the last baking, salt rising made from shorts and salt water set to rise, or saleratus. This last preparation was made by putting a certain amount of saleratus in a vessel and a quantity of water, according to the amount being made, stirring well. and allowing to settle until perfectly clear. This liquid was used to leaven biscuit dough and could be kept on hand some time. About the only saleratus beds to be found in this part of the state or nearest here, were down a little south of Manti.

Wool was washed in two or three warm waters, softened with saleratus, and made white, fluffy and beautiful. Much was also washed and cleaned in the warm springs known as Crystal Springs, south of Manti, which is a soft, warm water, where it was made soft, clean and lovely. p283, p285