Toast Water Jug

Did you ever hear of a “toast water” jug? The Tea Leaf Club International pictured one in their newsletter. It was on the list of the 40 rarest pieces of Tea Leaf Ironstone. The jug looks like a teapot with a fat belly and a fancy handle. But looking at it from the top shows a strainer inside that blocks the path for the liquid to the spout. Tea leaves would block the holes in the sieve and no tea could be poured. Research helped to explain the name toast water. An 1861 book By Mrs. Beeton gave the recipe for toast water. Stale bread was toasted but not burned, then put in a jug and covered with boiling water. When it cooled, the water was used as “nourishment for invalids.” The strainer kept the bigger pieces of bread out of the water when it was poured. If you have one, please send us a picture.