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Tips on Caring for Antiques and Old Furniture

Caring for antiques and old furniture is very important as old and antique furniture often has a high value. With simple means, e.g. B. from the household you can easily and safely care for antique furniture and remove stains that have developed over the years.

We have put together suitable tips and home remedies for care, which you can use to remove annoying stains, for example, and what you should consider when caring for furniture.

1) Maintain old furniture with wax

Antique furniture and old cupboards or old chairs should be treated with antique wax about once a year. Special antique wax protects and cares for the wood on a natural basis. Antique wax is suitable for refining and refreshing raw wood surfaces. This will make old and antique furniture shine and smell fresh again.

2) Consider room temperature and humidity

The right humidity and room temperature are particularly important when caring for antiques, as it has a major impact on the wood and the condition of the piece of furniture. Living rooms used to be cold and damp and rarely heated. As a result, the humidity was up to 70%. Nowadays, however, the humidity has to be increased. Especially to avoid cracks and brittle wood, you can increase the humidity with water bowls with distilled water.

3) Care treatment depends on the type of wood and surface

If old wood cracks and cracks, you should treat the wood surface afterward. A distinction should be made between different surfaces. There is usually special cleaning milk available in specialist shops that are tailored to the wood. This or a care solution should always be applied evenly and thinly to the wood. Usually, you have to let the milk work in and then you can polish the antique furniture wood.

4) Smooth cloths for antique wood

For proper furniture care, you should always treat antique wood and antique furniture with clean clothes with a very smooth surface. With such clothes, furniture can be cleaned quickly and easily. Especially fluffy cloths or scratching sponges should be avoided at all costs so that no scratches or major damage can occur in the old wood.

5) Green soap for perfect care

If the special cleaning agent for the existing type of wood and wood surface does not clean sufficiently, a splash of green soap in lukewarm soapy water will help as a home remedy. However, it should never be wiped too damp. Even then, it should never be quickly wiped down and wiped dry so that no damage occurs.

6) Remove stains from furniture

If you notice ink stains in old wood or in fabrics such as leather, the ink has usually seeped in and settled in years ago. Ink stains can be removed from untreated wood with weak oxalic acid. Old stains such You can easily remove e.g. those from tea with soda dissolved in water.

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Lifestyle

Refresh Old Leather and Polish Leather

Simply refresh leather and polish leather. Whether it’s a leather bag or a comfortable leather armchair, you can give your favorite items a new shine and extend their lifespan. Because what is old does not necessarily have to look old.

Furniture and other leather items are very popular. Because they look good and last a long time. So if you want to refurbish grandpa’s old leather chair or grandma’s beautiful leather bag, then a few tricks and home remedies will help you.

Positive properties of leather

People have been using leather in their everyday lives for centuries. They used it to make clothing and as tent walls or containers. Leather is animal skin made durable by tanning. The leather offered people many positive properties. Because it is particularly hard-wearing and does not tear so easily. In addition, it keeps you very warm and is flame-retardant and breathable.

Consequently, leather is a very durable material. But even the long-lasting leather needs to be cared for from time to time and simple leather care is required. That’s why we show you how to refresh the color of your leather and how to polish the leather. In addition, we have tips for softening leather.

1) Refresh leather with milk

You can give your leather pieces a new freshness by using milk and egg white. To do this, you have to apply lukewarm milk to the surface with a cotton ball and then apply the egg white. The last step to a fresh look is “polishing” with a soft brush. Also, note our tips for removing ink stains from leather.

2) Make hard leather soft again

The leather can become hard over time. But why does it get hard and how can you make it soft again? One of the reasons for hardened leather is lack of care and the leather drying out. Your leather can be softened again with the following means:

Castor oil as an emollient

Leather belts, leather jackets, leather bags, and leather pants can be softened again with the miracle cure castor oil. It is particularly suitable for dark and very dry leather. For this, you have to spread out and prepare the piece of leather. Then put some castor oil on a sponge or rub it in with a bristle brush. The drier the leather, the longer the oil has to act. This can also take up to 24 hours. As a result, the leather becomes soft again and feels much better. Castor oil is also a tip for beautiful nails.

Soften with steam

You can also treat your leather jacket or another piece of leather with steam. For this, you have to hang up the hardened piece of leather in the shower. Then you run hot water. When the water vapor forms, the humidity increases. Now the hard piece of leather can absorb the moisture and become soft. Thus, the leather quickly becomes supple. Finally, you should let the good piece cool down and grease it with leather grease. This preserves the suppleness.

3) Refresh the leather sofa

Classic leather sofas are popular and look good. However, over time, they can look worn and lose color. If they are used frequently, you should take care of them more often. There are several ways to freshen up your leather sofa. You should first try all tips from the internet on small areas to see how your leather tolerates it.

Maintain with body lotion?

Refreshing leather upholstery can be quite cheap. Milky special care for leather is expensive. But body lotion has almost the same ingredients as leather care. But you should note that body lotion also contains other ingredients that could damage your sofa. Therefore, try the lotion on a small area first. If in doubt, use body lotion for your delicate and soft skin.

Linseed oil and vinegar make it look fresh

Would you like to make your leather sofa shine? Then boil 500 ml linseed oil and let it cool down. Then add the same amount of 5% vinegar. And you can rub your leather sofa with this mixture. Use a sponge or microfiber cloth. Also, note our other tips on vinegar as a home remedy.

4) Polish leather with coffee residue

You can achieve the same fresh effect by polishing with a flannel cloth. For this, you should wrap damp coffee residues in a flannel cloth. You can then use it to polish your leather item. But beware! This polishing method is only suitable for dark leather!!! Also, note our article on cleaning and caring for leather covers.

5) Refresh and polish leather shoes

Polishing leather shoes is a challenge. But the care of leather shoes is important and should be done from time to time. You should follow a few tips for polishing leather. And thus help your leather shoes to have a beautiful leather shine. In addition, note how you can care for patent leather products.

  • Use short-haired brushes to buff leather. Soft towels and real nylon stockings are also suitable.
  • Let the shoe wax soak in and harden for an hour. After that, you can start polishing.
  • Now brush vigorously with a soft leather brush with long strokes. Work the shoe wax or polish into the material. Brush until the shoe wax starts to shine.
  • Finally, polish the leather shoes in a circular motion with a soft cloth or a nylon stocking.
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Food

Old Apple Varieties: That’s Why They’re Healthier

Old apple varieties were long forgotten, but now they are experiencing a renaissance. Because they not only provide more taste variety and biodiversity, but are also healthier – especially for allergy sufferers.

What are old apple varieties?

Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, Gala: These three apple varieties are among the “usual suspects” in supermarket fruit displays. There you will find just a small fraction of the estimated 2,000 apple varieties that exist in Germany. Only about 20 varieties are grown in economically significant quantities. The other varieties can only be found in certain regions, for example, in the gardens of hobby gardeners and self-sufficient people or on meadow orchards. These include many so-called “old apple varieties”, such as Berlepsch, Boskoop, Cox Orange or the Gravensteiner.

Old apple varieties have been cultivated in this country for a long time, sometimes for centuries. However, they have not been overbred like many of the most popular apple varieties in the supermarket. In particular, conventional apples are bred in such a way that they are resistant to plant diseases or are easy to store and transport. These breeds are often at the expense of the ingredients and the variety of tastes. Old varieties, on the other hand, have retained their unique taste.

What makes old apple varieties particularly healthy?

In addition to their special aroma, old apple varieties are also interesting because of their health benefits. These were mainly due to the high polyphenol content in old apple varieties.

Polyphenols are aromatic compounds that are mostly found in or just under the apple skin. There is research by the BUND Group Lemgo in cooperation with the allergy center of the Charité Berlin on the polyphenol content in old apple varieties. They have shown that the high amount of polyphenols apparently contributes to the fact that many apple allergy sufferers can tolerate old apple varieties without any problems. And that’s not all: the studies also showed that people who were allergic to apples had fewer problems with hay fever if they regularly consumed the well-tolerated varieties. In adults, hay fever often occurs in combination with an apple allergy.

Polyphenols are found in much larger amounts in old apple varieties because they were bred from new varieties. According to the NDR, polyphenols normally ensure that the pulp turns brown after the apple has been cut. Such breeds no longer have the alleged problem of an unappetizing appearance, but they also lack the health-promoting effect of the polyphenols in the apple.

In addition to positive effects for apple allergy sufferers, polyphenols have also been shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and blood pressure-regulating properties.

Why old apple varieties are important

Breeding and crossing of different apple varieties have been taking place for centuries. Over time, a large variety of varieties, flavors, shapes and colors has emerged. But there is not much left of this diversity today. The modern, global economic system focuses on maximizing yield and year-round availability of apples. As a result, apples are mainly only grown in such a way that they are easy to transport, store and resistant.

So far, old apple varieties have not been able to assert themselves against the mass of optimized supermarket apples. But thanks to the increasing interest in sustainability and organic farming, many old apple varieties are being rediscovered. Efforts are being made to conserve or revive these varieties so they don’t die out completely. This promotes variety.

The environment and regional agriculture also benefit from the growing interest in old apple varieties. Some of these strains only thrive in certain regions. Local farmers have less work with apple varieties that are perfectly adapted to the environment. And consumers can be sure that they are shopping in a more environmentally friendly way if they choose seasonal and regional apples.

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Cooking Tips

Apple Varieties: Old and New Apples and What They are Good For

Apple varieties: You should know these old and new apple varieties

Depending on where you shop, you probably know a handful of apple varieties and can identify them. But how do they actually differ? This image gallery introduces you to important apple varieties and shows when and how to use them.

The apple variety Boskop

The Boskop apple variety produces particularly large apples and is usually red-green in colour, only the “red Boskop” is red. Taste & Use: The Boskop tastes tart and sour and is considered an intense apple that some find too sour – ideal for applesauce and baked apples, for cooking and baking. Sustainability: This apple variety originally comes from Boskoop in the Netherlands, but is now also native to Germany. The season lasts from late September to mid-October, then from storage to March. Worth knowing: The apple contains few apple allergens.

The Topaz: often organic

Topaz is a young apple variety that was bred in the Czech Republic in the mid-1980s. The basic color of the apple is pastel yellow with red stripes, speckles or red colored areas. Taste & Use: The firm, tangy flesh makes the Topaz an all-rounder – it can be used for cooking and baking and tastes fresh and lemony. Sustainability: Because the Topaz is considered to be robust and not very susceptible to diseases, it is often used in organic fruit cultivation. Although the Topaz apple comes from the Czech Republic, it is grown throughout Central Europe. Season from the end of September, until March still from storage. Worth knowing: The allergy potential of Topaz is comparatively low.

Berlepsch: old apple variety with lots of vitamin C

The old apple variety Goldrenette Freiherr von Berlepsch was bred in 1880 on the Lower Rhine. It is flat round with a brown-red base color and light brown spots. Taste & use: The Berlepsch is highly aromatic with balanced acidity and, with its very crisp and juicy flesh, is a great table apple. Sustainability: The apple variety likes mild and moist soils, such as those on the Lower Rhine, where it is also cultivated a lot. The Berlepsch is freshly harvested from mid-September and is available as a good storage apple until the end of March.

Apple variety Santana: for allergy sufferers

The apple variety Santana has been on the market since 1996. The Santana is large, spherical and often has a greasy skin. On the sunny side it is bright red, otherwise yellow. Taste & use: The apple tastes slightly sour with a delicate tropical aroma and is suitable as a table apple, for cooking and baking. Sustainability: Once bred in the Netherlands, the Santana is now grown throughout Central Europe. The harvest begins in September. It can only be stored for a limited time (see: Storing apples): its quality decreases from January and you should avoid it then.

Summer apple: Gravensteiner

The Gravensteiner is a very old apple variety and has been known since 1669. The often crooked apples with a very oily, waxy skin come in color variations from green to red with yellow. Taste & use: The strong, spicy apple smells very intense and can be used for all preparation purposes. Sustainability: The Gravensteiner is grown in the north of the world, in Europe mainly in Scandinavia. This apple variety is a summer apple: it is harvested from August. Due to its poor storability, it is rarely offered until the winter months.

Apple variety that always tastes good: Rubinette

The Rubinette was not bred, but happened by chance in Switzerland in the mid-1960s. The yellow-orange-red coloring of the Rubinette Rossa can also be very red. Taste & use: The Rubinette apple variety has an intense fragrance and a very balanced apple aroma and is mainly consumed as a table apple. Sustainability: The apples grow up to medium altitudes and are therefore often grown in regions that are not typical for apples. Rubinette is harvested in mid-September, but does not store well, so sales usually end in December.

Elstar: classic among the varieties

Elstar is an apple variety bred in the Netherlands in 1955 from Golden Delicious and Ingrid Marie. Its fruits are spherical and bright orange-red with yellow. Taste & use: Elstar is a sweet apple variety with a slight acidity and intensely spicy aroma with citrus and banana notes and is a good all-rounder for all types of preparation. Sustainability: Elstar is the apple most grown in Germany. The harvest takes place in September. It can only be stored to a limited extent and is therefore available until February at the latest.

Pinova: Apple variety from Dresden

The Pinova was bred in Dresden from the apple varieties Clivia and Golden Delicious. The medium-sized apples, tapering downwards, are golden yellow with partly large areas of orange-red. Taste & use: The rather coarse but firm flesh is slightly reminiscent of quince. Pinova apples are ideal for eating raw. Sustainability: The Pinova apple variety likes it warm and sunny and grows, for example, in the Rhineland, in the Old Country and around its “birthplace” Dresden. The Pinova is in season from the end of September. It can be stored until May, but then it becomes increasingly sweet and dry in taste.

Jona Gold: Central Europe’s most apple variety

The ball-sized, yellow to strawberry-red Jonagold apples were bred in the USA from Golden Delicious and Jonathan. Taste & Use: The flesh is yellowish and juicy and becomes soft after prolonged storage. Jonagold apples have a full-bodied sweet taste with a fine acidity and balanced aroma. Jonagold is equally suitable as a table apple as it is for baking and cooking. Sustainability: Although the Jonagold originally comes from the USA, it is now the most cultivated apple variety in Central Europe. In northern Germany, the Jonagored variant matures better. Jonagold is harvested from October and can be stored extremely well, so it can still be on sale until June.

Granny Smith – not a ‘green’ apple?

The light green Granny Smith is one of the best-known apple varieties. Discovered in Australia in 1868 by “Granny” Maria Ann Smith, it conquered the global fruit market thanks to its good transport properties. Taste & Use: Because of its pronounced acidity, Granny Smith is well suited for baking and cooking. Sustainability: This apple variety cannot be grown in Germany and comes at least from South Tyrol, but mostly from Chile, New Zealand or Australia in our fruit basket. From southern Europe he comes to us from October. In the southern hemisphere, Granny Smith is harvested in our spring and is therefore available “fresh” from April – with a corresponding ecological footprint.

Golden Delicious: cooking and baking apple

The Golden Delicious apple variety is an old apple variety from the USA. The apples are greenish to creamy yellow and uniform in shape. Taste & use: Good, sweet-aromatic table apple that does not disintegrate much when heated and is therefore also suitable for cooking and baking. Sustainability: The Golden Delicious is rarely grown in Germany and mainly comes to our stores from Italy, Austria or Switzerland. The season starts in mid-September. Thanks to its good shelf life, Golden Delicious can be offered until June, but the long refrigeration then increases its ecological footprint. Worth knowing: In the GDR, the Golden Delicious was grown excessively as a “yellow delicious”.

Gala Royal: Take a close look at the origin of the apple!

The Gala Royal apple is a variety of the Gala apple variety that was bred in 1970 and comes from New Zealand. The well-formed fruits are orange-red with yellow and only medium-sized. Taste & Use: The pale yellow flesh is very sweet and juicy and can be used in both cold and warm dishes. Sustainability: The Gala Royal is mainly grown in southern Germany and Switzerland, but for the European market it mostly comes from New Zealand and Chile and has correspondingly long transport routes behind it. European fruits of this apple variety are harvested in September and can only be stored until the end of winter. Gala Royal apples, which we offer in spring, are guaranteed to come from growing countries in the southern hemisphere.

Cox Orange: in spring from New Zealand

The Cox Orange already has its coloring in its name. The orange-red apple variety was discovered in England in 1825. Taste & Use: Like many old apple varieties, the Cox Orange has a distinctive, very balanced aroma with an intense smell and pleasant acidity. It is ideal for all types of preparation. Sustainability: Cox Orange likes a maritime climate and is rarely grown in Germany. He is mainly from England and New Zealand. If the Cox Orange comes from Germany or neighboring countries, it is in season from September. Apples that are sold from April mostly come from New Zealand. Worth knowing: The apple variety is highly allergenic and not suitable for apple allergy sufferers.

Determine apple varieties

Determining apple varieties is not that easy. In any case, only five to fifteen varieties are usual in the trade and as a consumer you have to go to special suppliers in order to be able to enjoy other and particularly old apple varieties.

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Food

Ethiopia – country with an old coffee tradition

The East African country is not only one of the main producers of delicious coffee beans, but also cultivates its own special coffee culture. The typical Ethiopian coffee ceremony, the so-called jebena buna, is not for coffee drinkers in a hurry. Here you drink three cups of deep black coffee in a row within one session.

And the preparation of the coffee ceremony can also take a lot of time: the green beans are often washed extensively by the women before they are roasted over hot coals. The almost burnt, pitch-black beans are roughly ground by hand with a mortar and pestle before being placed in a clay pot, the jebena. The coffee is then mixed with water in the pot and placed on the fire until steam forms. The dark, sometimes bitter coffee is typically sweetened with sugar and usually served with popcorn in handleless cups.

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Food

Wild Garlic Dumplings: A Recipe for Fresh Wild Garlic and Old Rolls

Wild garlic dumplings are a hearty, vegan dish that you can easily prepare yourself in spring. You can find out here what you need apart from fresh wild garlic.

Wild garlic dumplings or dumplings in general are a dish from southern German and Austrian cuisine. The round treat traditionally consists mainly of old rolls, eggs, milk and wild garlic. But it’s also easy vegan. You can serve them with a side salad or eat them with a sauce.

You can pick wild garlic yourself in many forests in Germany in March and April. It is important that you are able to recognize wild garlic and do not confuse it with the poisonous lily of the valley – these look very similar to wild garlic.

Important: Buy the ingredients for the dumplings with an organic seal. This is how you avoid chemical-synthetic pesticides.

Wild garlic dumplings: recipe with step-by-step instructions

Ingredients:

400 gilte rolls, cut into cubes
2 small onions
6 tbsp vegan butter
225 ml plant drink
4 tsp locust bean gum
200 g fresh wild garlic
salt, pepper and nutmeg
possibly some flour or breadcrumbs

Directions:

Place the bun cubes in a bowl.
Peel and chop the onions.
Heat two tablespoons of the vegan butter in a pan or saucepan and sauté the onion pieces in it until translucent.
Add the sautéed onion to the bun cubes.
Then add the plant-based milk and the locust bean gum and mix everything together roughly with your hands or a wooden spoon. Let it swell for half an hour.
In the meantime, wash the wild garlic, chop it up and mix it into the bread roll mixture.
Season the dumpling dough with salt, pepper and nutmeg. If it is too soft or runny, you can add some flour or breadcrumbs and knead it in.
Bring salted water to a boil in a large saucepan.
Use your hands to form round dumplings from the dough and add them one by one to the boiling salted water. Turn the heat down and let it steep for about 15 minutes.
Lift the dumplings out of the water and let them drain.

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