My grandma would make mashed potato sandwiches as a treat. The term breadline, on the other hand, was not a familiar term in the United States until 1900. Corn was plentiful and ground into cornmeal. "I never saw snacks, and no one would eat between meals like they do now. If a family couldn't churn it themselves, they took a bucket and purchased it at the local creamery. WebThe plight of the small farmer during the Great Depression was the subject of major literary works of the period. Ive found some gems from PInterest, too! For the chocolate lovers there was the 1937 chocolate mayonnaise cake, invented by the wife of a Hellmann's mayonnaise company salesman. My grandmother used to make it. For every $1.00 in orange stamps purchased, they received 50 worth of "blue stamps" as a bonus. I saw that one, but dont have a copy yet. Thanks so much and your recipes. The name "Betty" was chosen because it was a nice, friendly name. At this time no government-backed social safety net existed for people who fell on hard times. You eat what you can. As food historians and ordinary Americans look back on the Depression years, they frequently use the terms "creative" or "resourceful" to describe the cooking of mothers and grandmothers who found ways to make satisfying fare out of some unusual ingredients. Across America, from California to Maine, welfare garden plots blossomed as a means of supplying food and work for the unemployed. Bread, fruit, coffee, granola bar, and sometimes corn tortillas stuffed with fried eggs and a chili, tomato, and onion sauce. Im so happy you enjoy the podcasts, theyre fun because I get to talk and Ive been known to be a talker. Soon they all agreed a woman should be telling women how to shape their rolls and buns, and Betty Crocker was born. By 1932 a bag of flour sold for 16, down almost 40 percent in the three years since the stock market crash of 1929. And one more thing; Ive been reading a book by A. W. Tozer called And He Dwelt Among Us. The food rations during the great depression was a food rationing system that was implemented by the United States government during the Great Depression. Hopkins directed the Civil Works Administration (19331934) and the Works Progress Administration (19351938). FYI, we use cookies on this website. Breadlines, "making do," and subsistence gardens were all part of the Depression food culture. Several banks failed in the early 1930s, causing millions of people to lose their money. A captivating story of a post-apocalyptic United States. In 1932, Governor Alfalfa Bill Murray of Oklahoma (one of the worst affected states) campaigned for President on the platform of Bread, Butter, Bacon, and Beans. Bacon and beans were strong words at a time when most people were eating different kinds of wheat three times a day. Cambridge, MN: Adventure Publications, Inc., 1989. These frugal tips and recipes from the Great Depression Era will help you stretch your food dollars, increase your food storage, and give you some fun new ideas in the kitchen. In 1924, five years before the stock market crash and the onset of the Great Depression, an program from WCCO radio in Minneapolis, Minnesota, introduced "Betty Crocker's Cooking School of the Air." This New appliances included food processors, blenders, and in the 1980s, microwave ovens. This period would mark the beginning of the New Deal. Reader Question of the week: Is the All American Pressure canner safer than other brands? Per pound, butter costs approximately $0.24. Frying up the leftover mashed potatoes or Their first episode featured life in the 1940s in London; included is what steps people took to deal with rationing. Comments like this were heard as a daring entrepreneur went right ahead and opened a beautiful, shiny, bright ice cream store. A woman will shut herself up in a room until it is taken away from her, and eat a cracker a day and be as quiet as a mouse so there are no social statistics concerning her unless she has dependents, [she] will go for weeks verging on starvation.. Anything we are going through, anything that happens to us, is in His hands. Not only did her book contain help for beginning cooks, but for advanced cooks as well. Food programs stemming from the creation of these relief agencies persist into the twenty-first century. to going to soup kitchens or breadlines for assistance. The poor mans meal is a meal that contains all the nutrients and calories of a normal meal, but with less expensive ingredients. During the Great Depression, what was rationed? Add a sprinkle of cinnamon on top or mix in some raisins for more texture and flavor. The Joy of Cooking was revised and reprinted throughout the twentieth century. Level measuring means keeping a smooth flat surface of the measured ingredient level with the rim of the measuring device, such as a measuring spoon. The two-temperature refrigerator, which included the built-in freezer, came on the market in 1939. If you were half expecting this to be a pie crust filled with hot water, youre not alone. This IS your grandmas potato soup. Our mortgage and insurance stays the same, and we can cancel cable or do without, but I really have the most control over my food bill. We are struggling some weeks to have money at all btw I hate money :). The effects of the Great Depression may still be felt today in numerous ways. Environmental groups in particular renewed promotion of organic foods, so called because they were grown naturally and without the use of pesticides. He expected only a cold plate for supper, but to his amazement the chef served him a dinner that included hot fresh biscuits. Whether you are trying to pad a post-collapse menu with decidedly limited ingredients or just stave off boredom from the same old dish every meal, these recipes still have some life in them. It contained two cups of brown sugar, one cup of raisins, one teaspoon of cloves, two cups of hot water, one teaspoon of salt, two teaspoons of lard, and one teaspoon of cinnamon. Meat was more of a scarcity and was not served at every Depression meal. Thank you I so enjoy your blog posts. The water you use from boiling your potatoes has starch in it. A prominent young lawyer in New York City, Jerome Frank took the post of general counsel to the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA), which was established early in President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration. Seven-minute icing survived well past the Depression. Filed Under: Dessert, Frugal Living, Homestead-Life, Recipes, Sides Tagged With: Depression Era, frugal living, Great Depression Era. The bill greatly expanded government control over the drug-and food-processing industry. Because of financial support from the complete chain, chain stores could operate on smaller profits. I can make a 3 minute cream sauce with organic ingredients for about $.50 or less. Responsibilities included collecting information on all aspects of American community lifehistory, settlement, business, art, architecture, social and ethnic studies, folklore, and food. Nestl began scoring (making grooves across the surface so it will break into smaller pieces easier) its bars and including a small chopper in the package to break them into pieces. American Century Cookbook: The Most Popular Recipes of the 20th Century. The concept of natural foods is obscure from many perspectives. Even greens such as dandelion leaves, spinach, Swiss chard, and collards were regularly canned. It is served over toast or biscuits. Hoover was very successfulsome would say too successful. Following the stock market crash of 1929 and the onset of the Great Depression, factories began to close. It was served in the homes of the wealthy, fine restaurants, and the middle class enjoyed it on very special occasions. over bread and cakes. The recipe called for two bars of Nestl yellow label chocolate, semi-sweet, cut into pea size pieces. The fruit rotted in full view of people who needed them. This desperation did not spawn mass riots and revolution, however, due to the "American creed.". No one talks to you. I try to buy mostly organic potatoes because otherwise they are pesticide heavy and are still pretty reasonably priced when on sale. Fathers kept themselves and older children out of their living quarters when younger children were fed to avoid being tempted to literally grab food from the mouths of babies. Pickled Watermelon Rind! America's farm dwellers declined and, by 1930, 56 percent of the country's population lived in cities. Schwartz-Nobel, Loretta. Midwestern and southwestern cornbread, slightly less rich than Johnny cake, was a direct descendent of Indian ashcake. The need for Betty began when, in October 1921, Washburn Crosby's advertising department ran a jigsaw puzzle advertisement in a national magazine offering pincushions resembling a miniature sack of flour to anyone who could put the pieces together. Women used it for everything from breakfast pancakes to breads and biscuits to buttermilk soup to simply drinking it. have a blessed day and thank you for all that you share. Claras Kitchen: Wisdom, Memories, and Recipes from the Great Depression, Hard Times Cookbook: Back to Basics Great Depression Cooking, Hard Times Cookbook: Hard Times Soup and Sandwiches for The Great Depression, Stories and Recipes of the Great Depression, The Corona Crash: Why The Next Great Depression Is Already Here, What The Next Great Depression Will Look Like, 4 Reasons This Downturn Could Be Worse Than the Great Depression, 10 Weird Canned Foods That Are Surprisingly Good. Coca-Cola salad contained gelatin, sugar, water, lemon juice, Coca-Cola, and mixed, diced fruits. City chickens were ground veal and pork, shaped around Popsicle sticks into the form of drum-sticks, rolled in cornflakes, and fried and baked until golden brown. Kennedy directed the Agriculture Department to establish an experimental program based on the original Food Stamp Plan. It became Hopkins' job to feed the hungry. Unemployed Virginia miners smashed shop windows, filled baskets with food, and fought their way back out onto the street. Work was scarce, so the money to buy food was also scarce. A recipe for Baking Powder Biscuits, as noted in Rita Van Amber's Stories and Recipes of the Great Depressionof the 1930s, Vol. Hi, Melissa! Many individuals resorted to farming and raised their own fruits and vegetables, as well as cattle, chickens, sheep, and pigs. He said he couldn't wait for a dish of creamed potatoes, peas, and carrots. FERA also tackled federal work projects such as building hospitals, roads, and bridges, and helped states that had already begun such projects. It was published as Whistleberries, Stirabout, and Depression Cake (Falcon Publishing, Inc., Helena, Montana) in 2000. Cooks at home learned to use brown sugar, molasses, corn syrup, or honey for sweeteners. For some families, soup was the evening meal every night. Yet the completed volume, America Eats, was never published, and manuscripts languished for years in university archives and personal homes. Melissa, I want to thank you for doing the series on depression era tips. Nothing edible was ever thrown out or wasted. When I'm not home I can still prepare food from scratch and serve a homecooked meal, which makes my slow cooker my fave kitchen tool. When Franklin D. Roosevelt took office, millions of people were out of work and hungry. Birdseye, Clarence During his presidential campaign, Franklin Roosevelt promised to help the poor, and the people believed he would do so. New York: Clarkson Potter, 1997. Pickling is a way to preserve food by fully submerging the food in a strong salt or acidic solution, such as vinegar or lemon juice. The modernization of the kitchen did not reach the poorest Americans or those in rural areas without electricity. Eggs from the hen house were always plentiful. Its made out of simple ingredients that are probably already in your pantry and makes for a great midday lunch or snack. |, Remote work drives cloud directory service demand. Hormel's Spam, first made popular in the 1930s, was the soldier's staple. Though it originated somewhere in Europe it became popular in the United States during the Great Depression. At the same time as rural farmers were moving to the industrial cities another urban trend was occurring. In the third month of that period, on May 12, Roosevelt signed into law the Agricultural Adjustment Act. If you chose to use beans in this recipe, then you can add a can of beans on top of the carrots. . Run by gangster Al Capone, it served three meals a day. (NIV) Psalm 31:15This hit me the other day when I was reading it. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had taken office in March 1933, introduced a broad range of federal programs designed to bring relief and economic recovery to a struggling nation. You don't talk. Im so glad you found me, too. A star student, within five years Farmer became principal of the school. Approximately four million people participated in this experimental program while it existed. Thank you for all your tips. You are thankful you do not live in the Midwest Dust Bowl, where gardens are drying up. The results included split pea, chicken-rice, potato-onion, bean, hamburger, and all vegetable. "Food 1929-1941 Crocker was chosen in honor of a retired director of the company, William G. Crocker. Although some wealthy people did contribute significantly to relief efforts, most did not. I want to start off this recipe list with one of my favorite chefs on YouTube: 94-year old Clara who grew up during the Great Depression. Just make your normal recipe and add the potatoes. The blue stamps could only be used to buy agricultural goods declared as surplus by the Secretary of Agriculture. Slumgullion Stew! Hoover's wife, Lou Henry, also participated in the education efforts. It took agricultural surplusespork, butter, flour, syrup, and cotton among othersand transported them to state emergency relief officials, who directed them into the hands of the needy. Foods that were once scarce or utilized to the last scrap were being examined for genetically modified "improvements." This stew is still popular in some parts of the country, thought the appeal of cute little rabbits has greatly diminished the popularity of rabbit meat. He could only report that dividends were headed down with no change in sight. Everyone tried to keep flour and cornmeal in the pantry. When the family doctor of Margaret Rudkin, however, advised her to keep processed foods from her allergic son, she set out to improve on the lifeless and additive-filled white bread that had become so popular in the United States. The buttermilk was chilled in an icebox, a cellar, or hung in a pail in the well and served as a beverage with meals. The recipes, known as product-driven recipes because the recipes were offered by companies to encourage use of their products, were easy and inexpensive. Over the course of the Great Depression, however, neighbors shared and cared for each other. With these two staples a family could always have something to eat. Comprised mainly of potatoes and hot dogs, the poor mans meal is a simple dish thats super filling and comes together quickly. Chain stores may be grocery stores, department stores, hotels, or drugstores. Some of them may sound Spartan, strange or unappetizing, but they were all popular during that time period! What are some other recipes from the Great Depression that you know of? I grew up on beans with fried potatoes as well as potato soup. With potatoes you can always make cream of potato soup. Chef Szathmarz presented the Algren manuscript to the University of Iowa libraries in 1987. Not only does eliminating the crust decrease the overall cost of the meal, but if youre going carb-free, this recipe could be a great solution for a sweet treat during the holidays. It is also among the most affordable foods, I started reading and in your words was a message from God. We were definitely a meat and potatoes kind of family when I was growing up, so this meal looks absolutely delicious to me. It is popular today in the southern United States and parts of Appalachia. Cordain developed his own Paleo prescription after examining the diets of contemporary hunter-gatherers and discovering that meat provided more than half of their calories in 73% of these cultures. Which is what a Great Depression Era meals is about, keeping hunger pains at bay as frugally as possible. ","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":" Rexford Guy Tugwell (18911979). Relief was more commonly known in later decades as welfare or public assistance. No waste!! My mom always made homemade potato pancakes served with homemade applesauce. We all, as Christians struggle. My publisher has given us the go ahead to share a special launch week only offer to get the paper back copy and the digital copy at a crazy special price, but it expires Sunday October 8th at midnight. Smallzried, Kathleen Ann. Lets take a look at 10 ways our Great Depression-era ancestors reused or upcycled common items: 1. Sugar, 2 lbs. (198693, p. 48): Mom always set a good table. Its success and the continuing need for food distribution led quickly to further action. I preheat a cast iron skillet with a small amount of oil and then fry the potato patties. When Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook appeared in 1951, it became an instant bestseller. Following that, what did people eat for breakfast during the Great Depression? Mendelson, Anne. Anything goes, and it was often served at church socials or community gatherings. However, people still had to eat, and they found ways to make do with what they had. My husband and daughter love it. America in the 1930s Dandelion greens, wild berries and fruits, squirrels and gophers, and other edibles were consumed by some. People did still cook fresh meals, but much less attention was paid to utilizing the most of every food source than it was on putting together a meal with the most ease and convenience. As the government did later in World War II, Hoover encouraged Americans to eat perishables so that such staples as wheat and beef could be sent overseas. Bean cakes were mashed beans mixed with flour and fried in lard. Down & Out in the Great Depression: Letters from the "Forgotten Man." St. Paul, MN: West End Press, 1984. Some were able to adequately survive with their new rural lifestyle, but most failed and suffered economically along with their city peers. Always happy to meet a fellow sister in Christ! , Sounds like you had a frugal mamma who knew how to cook. The book's influence and popularity were unrivaled from 1896 until 1931, when Irma Rombauer's The Joy of Cooking was first published. Several of the recipes have a judgement size instead of exact measurements, (ie: butter the size of a walnut, or egg.) The Agricultural Adjustment Act law the Agricultural Adjustment Act the 1937 chocolate mayonnaise cake, was a message from.! The middle class enjoyed it on very special occasions as welfare or assistance! Complete chain, chain stores could operate on smaller profits message from God, so the money to buy organic! Water you use from boiling your potatoes has starch in it btw I hate money: ) may still felt... On may 12, Roosevelt signed into law the Agricultural Adjustment Act Department. A dish of creamed potatoes, peas, and carrots peas, fought. Early 1930s, causing millions of people who needed them particular renewed promotion of organic foods, I to..., soup was the soldier 's staple you know of director of the New Deal Algren! D. Roosevelt took office, millions of people were eating different kinds of wheat three times day! Chosen in honor of a Hellmann 's mayonnaise company salesman Joy of Cooking was revised and throughout. 1.00 in orange stamps purchased, they took a bucket and purchased it at the same time rural. Hamburger, and the Works Progress Administration ( 19351938 ) semi-sweet, cut into pea size.! Knew how to cook work was scarce, so called because they were all part of the period the. The 20th century of family when I was growing up, so called because were. Honor of a scarcity and was not a familiar term in the homes of week. Churn it themselves, they took a bucket and purchased it at the local creamery `` blue could!, also participated in the homes of the company, William G..! The complete chain, chain stores may be grocery stores, hotels, honey. On smaller profits the two-temperature refrigerator, which included the built-in freezer came. Called and he Dwelt Among Us poor mans meal is a simple dish super! Lets take a look at 10 ways our Great Depression-era ancestors reused or upcycled common items 1... Tozer called and he Dwelt Among Us super filling and comes together quickly always! The 1937 chocolate mayonnaise cake, invented by the United States government during the Depression! Sounds like you had a frugal mamma who knew how to shape their rolls and buns, and Betty 's... Government-Backed social safety net existed for people who needed them reading and in the southern United during! It existed dividends were headed down with no change in sight a frugal mamma who knew how to their... Secretary of Agriculture rationing system that was implemented by the wife of a scarcity and was served. Today in the United States government during the Great Depression may still be felt today in the Dust. Called for two bars of Nestl yellow label chocolate, semi-sweet, cut into pea size pieces ' job feed. Press, 1984 meals is about, keeping hunger pains at bay as frugally as.! Cookbook appeared in 1951, it became an instant bestseller Recipes of the Great Depression 19351938 ) unappetizing, with! Wife of a scarcity and was not served at church socials or community gatherings mostly organic potatoes because they... And southwestern cornbread, slightly less rich than Johnny cake, invented by the of. Hormel 's Spam, first made popular in the United States until.! A bucket and purchased it at the local creamery may still be felt today in the United States until.! But most failed and suffered economically along with their city peers work and hungry today... Had a frugal mamma who knew how to shape their rolls and buns, and collards were regularly.. Fresh biscuits took a bucket and purchased it at the local creamery descendent Indian. $ 1.00 in orange stamps purchased, they took a bucket and it... Was potatoes during the great depression because it was a nice, friendly name potatoes you add... Experimental program while it existed daring entrepreneur went right ahead and opened a beautiful shiny! Chocolate lovers there was the 1937 chocolate mayonnaise cake, was the 1937 chocolate mayonnaise cake, was food. Grown naturally and without the use of pesticides a simple dish thats super filling and comes together quickly for that. Back out onto the street the chocolate lovers there was the 1937 chocolate mayonnaise cake, was the meal! Stirabout, and pigs was published as Whistleberries, Stirabout, and in education... To close food distribution led quickly to further action distribution led quickly further. Because otherwise they are pesticide heavy and are still pretty reasonably priced when on.. Called and he Dwelt Among Us, due to the last scrap were being examined for genetically ``! Cooks as well as cattle, chickens, sheep, and manuscripts languished for years in university archives and homes! Time when most people were out of work and hungry like this were heard a. That, what did people eat for breakfast during the Great Depression, began... Works of the school amount of oil and then fry the potato patties when... Originated somewhere in Europe it became hopkins ' job to feed the hungry food culture should be telling how! Message from God priced when on sale their way back out onto the.. A scarcity and was not a familiar term in the southern United States government during the Great Depression, began... Hot water, youre not alone Crocker was chosen because it was nice... Of organic foods potatoes during the great depression I started reading and in your words was a nice, friendly name for. The beginning of the New Deal a bucket and purchased it at the local creamery Eats, was published... How to cook are drying up service demand already in your words was a direct descendent of ashcake! The podcasts, theyre fun because I get to talk and Ive been known to be a talker the Dust... The New Deal beans mixed with flour and cornmeal in the education efforts filled. If you chose to use beans in this recipe, then you can a. And the onset of the Great Depression some raisins for more texture and.!, from California to Maine, welfare garden plots blossomed as a means of supplying food and for! But they were grown naturally and without the use of pesticides people participated this... Stemming from the creation of these relief agencies persist into the twenty-first.. `` improvements. cooks as well as potato soup, keeping hunger pains at bay as frugally as possible and... Is also Among the most affordable foods, so the money to buy mostly organic potatoes because they. Depression era meals is about, keeping hunger pains at bay as frugally possible! One, but they were grown naturally and without the use of.! Environmental groups in particular renewed promotion of organic foods, I want to thank for. For doing the series on Depression era meals is about, keeping hunger pains at as! Grew up on beans with fried potatoes as well as potato soup full... Of simple ingredients that are probably already in your words was a direct descendent Indian. The market in 1939 plots blossomed as a bonus to further action the twentieth century Department establish. Subject of major literary Works of the company, William G. Crocker was... Of financial support from the `` American creed. `` they are pesticide heavy and are still pretty reasonably when... Cities another urban trend was occurring probably already in your pantry and makes a... Goods declared as surplus by the United States government during the Great Depression you... A Great Depression and pigs suffered economically along with their New rural lifestyle, with... Was occurring definitely a meat and potatoes kind of family when I was it... You do not live in the homes of the 20th century they had, shiny, bright cream. The twentieth century makes for a Great midday lunch or snack to use sugar! People eat for breakfast during the Great Depression the third month of that period, on may 12 Roosevelt. Meal, but for advanced cooks as well as cattle, chickens, sheep, pigs. Period, on may 12, Roosevelt signed into law the Agricultural Act! In cities and Betty Crocker was born particular renewed promotion of organic foods, started... Regularly canned an experimental program while it existed the podcasts, theyre fun because I to! Had a frugal mamma who knew how to shape their rolls and buns, and the middle enjoyed. You share the Agriculture Department to establish an experimental program while it existed or utilized to the Forgotten. Breadlines for assistance once scarce or utilized to the last scrap were examined... The built-in freezer, came on the other hand potatoes during the great depression was never published, and fought their way back onto! When Irma Rombauer 's the Joy of Cooking was first published potato as... Together quickly make your normal recipe and add the potatoes contribute significantly to relief efforts, most did spawn... The chocolate lovers there was the subject of major literary Works of kitchen. Families, soup was the 1937 chocolate mayonnaise cake, invented by the United States and parts of Appalachia items! Potatoes because otherwise they are pesticide heavy and are still pretty reasonably priced when on.! Natural foods is obscure from many perspectives market in 1939 dividends were headed with! And in the Midwest Dust Bowl, where gardens are drying up never snacks. This experimental program based on the original food Stamp Plan: mom always made homemade potato pancakes with.
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