Encyclopedia.com. Hundreds of sharecroppers and tenant farmers, who had been put off of the land they had worked but did not own, marched into England, Arkansas. Keep up the good work! People scoured ship docks for any edible scraps. This soup was a staple among Navy sailors, and was also popular in the Great Depression because it was cheap and filling. The AAA was not directly designed to help feed the needy but rather to help farmers get better prices for their crops and reduce their growing surpluses of produce. Newspapers added gardening as a regular feature of their weekend editions. Potato is a story set back during the great depression. It became necessary to feed American soldiers overseas, to feed people at home, and to supply food to European countries whose own agricultural production was disrupted by the war. Filed Under: Dessert, Frugal Living, Homestead-Life, Recipes, Sides Tagged With: Depression Era, frugal living, Great Depression Era. People also planted "liberty gardens" in vacant lots or in yards. It gets its name from the fact that it is bears a striking resemblance to a red flannel shirt pattern when served in a skillet. Lets take a look at 10 ways our Great Depression-era ancestors reused or upcycled common items: 1. My husband is currently in ministry school and he had a rough time in his mens meeting today. Americans' love of cake did not diminish during the Depression. Liver, onions, potatoes, and gravy made for a hearty meal. The young Connecticut homemaker began experimenting with stone ground, whole wheat flour, whole milk, honey, molasses, and butter. therefore less expensive for individual stores. Millions tuned into Betty's cooking school radio program during the Depression and World War II for her advice on low cost menus that would keep their families well fed. The corn had to be cut off the cobs with the big butcher knife and I hated that part. The city plowed up school property and vacant lots, creating five thousand garden plots. For example, demand for fresh fruits declined in favor of the less nutritious canned preserved fruit. The Ritz also became the main ingredient of Ritz mock apple pie. 11 / 16. Diets of ordinary people improved with the new processing and preparation technologies, such as canning and refrigeration, made available through the 1930s. Harry Lloyd Hopkins (18901946). We also ate a lot of potato soup and mashed potato cakes. Britten, Loretta, and Sarah Brash, eds. Cambridge, MN: Adventure Publications, Inc., 1989. She would "make do" using a limited number of foodstuffs kept in the pantry, grown in the garden, or perhaps obtained from the local butcher or even a chain food store. Farmer's cookbook was extremely popular for decades to come, undergoing many reprints and updates. Many gardens failed. New York: Paddington Press, Ltd., 1976. In Orange County, huge mounds of oranges were covered with thick oil to stop pilfering. Emily Thacker, in her book Recipes & Remembrances of the Great Depression, translates for the "measurement conscious world. What did our forefathers and mothers eat? Lack of money often meant lack of food, and the poor became desperate. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. Similar food riots occurred in Michigan, Oklahoma, and in San Francisco, California. Thanks to their versatility, they served as the basis of a wide variety of Many families lived in tents and had no food for days. Under the leadership of Senator Copeland and Representative Clarence Lea of California, and with the assistance of Walter Campbell, head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938 passed through Congress. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1992. There existed greater demand for convenience in food preparation and consumption. Thibodeau, Karen, ed. It was the first women's service program to be broadcast nationally. Meat rations were pretty low per family in the 30s, so to add a little more sustenance, potatoes were mixed in to create this dinner. That creed was: Success was open to all that were willing to work for it. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), [cited October 11, 2001] available from the World Wide Web at http://www.fda.gov. the popular Butter Drop Do cookie at her Toll House Inn near Whitman, Massachusetts, a Boston suburb. Bean sandwiches consisted of bread spread with cooked beans and a slice of tomato and lettuce, if available. I had a bumper crop of potatoes and rather than just storing them, I canned them. There were some wealthy, however, who did support New Deal programs and believed President Roosevelt's intentions were indeed designed to save private enterprise, not undermine it. "The Story of Betty," [cited October 11, 2001] available from the World Wide Web at http://www.bettycrocker.com/meetbetty/mb_tsob.asp. During the later twentieth century, various changes to regulations and available funding tended to differ under each new administration. I will look forward to reading your articles. For special occasions or for a treat, cakes and pies could be made with substitute ingredients. https://melissaknorris.com/handmadebookpackage/, 10 Things Our Grandparents Reused During the Great Depression, 6 Things Our Great-Grandparents Did Better Than Us, 17 Self-Sufficiency Tips from the 1940s & Great Depression Live Interview, Time & Budget Saving Tips from the Great Depression & this Homesteaders Kitchen, Handmade Gift Bags & Tags from the Great Depression Era, 7 Depression Era Tips to Stretch Your Food Budget, How to Stay Cool in the Summer Naturally & Old Fashioned Tips, How to Keep Your House Cool in the Summer without Electricity, Surviving Winter Without Power & Great Depression Christmas Traditions, Must-Have Pantry Items For Long-Term Storage, Grow Your Own Food Helpful Tips For The Beginning Gardener, Troubleshooting Chicken Health & Best Herbs for Chickens, Prioritizing Projects (Live Coaching Call), Time-Saving Tips when Cooking From Scratch. We used to beg my mom to make it. I pray Hell feel Gods wisdom and comfort during this time. I think that sometimes we make things too hard for ourselves and God didnt mean it to be hard to serve him. Interesting, Christine. Cooks devised numerous recipes that allowed them to use substitute ingredients and provide a variety of meals. My hands would ache by the end of the day. Its success and the continuing need for food distribution led quickly to further action. This recipe is a very bare-bones meatloaf that really reflects the simplicity of the ingredients that were available at the time. It tasted like sweet corn bread. These are a great addition to food storage and can be used when you don't have regular potatoes for a thickener, mashed potatoes, or potato water for bread products. Breadlines became more of a unique feature of the Great Depression as people lined up on city sidewalks to receive loaves of bread and other food from charitable organizations. It usually consists of foods that are high in nutrients and low in calories, such as vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains. As part of President Roosevelt's New Deal push to create employment for all, between 1935 and 1942 the Federal Writers' Project had various job openings. It was published as Whistleberries, Stirabout, and Depression Cake (Falcon Publishing, Inc., Helena, Montana) in 2000. 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. Clara, who lived during the Great Depression, shows viewers how to make the Poor Mans Meal in this video: peel and cube a potato, then cook it in a skillet with oil and chopped onions until it browns and softens. It was a time of great hardship, and food was often scarce. Refrigeration improvements advanced quickly from there. They were fine and we ate them up. In addition, the Great Depression was followed by World War Two when many food items were rationed. Pies could be made with fruit and other handy items, using substituted ingredientssour cream for butter; honey or brown sugar for white sugar; even Ritz crackers in place of apples. "America Eats" projects were a part of the Federal Writers' Project department of the Works Project Administration (WPA). Unemployed Virginia miners smashed shop windows, filled baskets with food, and fought their way back out onto the street. Finding ways to make more out of little is a Depression Era tip for sure. Spam recipes emerged, it became a staple for soldiers during World War II, and millions of cans per year continued to be sold in the beginning of the twenty-first century. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. What happened at the conclusion of the Great Depression? Those war occupations seemed to have provided employment for the 17 million jobless in 1939. The solution keeps the normal decaying processes from occurring. Increasing numbers of food chain stores stocked the mass-marketed, processed foods. The booklet included charts to use corn syrup or honey in place of sugar for cakes. Big families could be fed with soups from leftover meats, beans, and home-grown vegetables. Sale of these new food and appliance products eventually helped in the nation's recovery from the Great Depression by creating much-needed jobs. One unemployed man described to New Masses on January 23, 1934, his day in the city after receiving his ration in the breadline (quoted in Winslow, Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? You take turns with your sister eating, meaning you eat every other day. You could freeze it, but it's best used in a recipe immediately. By 1932 a bag of flour sold for 16, down almost 40 percent in the three years since the stock market crash of 1929. In the garden, I make sure to eat my thinning of onions and other salad greens. In 1932, in the Imperial Valley alone, 2.8 million watermelons, 1.4 million crates of cantaloupes, and 700,000 lugs of tomatoes were destroyed because they could not be sold. Farmer died in 1915, leaving an estate of nearly $200,000a handsome sum for that period. Depression-era potato pancakes are way ahead of the trend for their ability to transform any leftovers into a new meal. Most of the rich remained quite comfortable throughout the Depression. These soups offered a shortcut to the traditionally long cooking process of simmering ingredients all day in a soup pot. Clara says her grandson and his friends just cant get enough of it. I have a cookbook that was given to my Parents as a wedding gift in 1936. Dessert,Frugal Living,Homestead-Life,Recipes,Sides. This was a popular recipe in the 30s because the beef offered some protein while the bechamel sauce provided filling carbohydrates. For all these reasons, prices of goods at chain stores would normally be less than at independent local stores. In the 1930s, what was the American diet like? Hi, Melissa! By 1933 Rosefield was producing his own brand of peanut butter in red, white, and blue tins. Relief was more commonly known in later decades as welfare or public assistance. Fried chicken was a Sunday dinner main course for many families during Depression times. At the close of the 1930s, the looming world war continued to fuel the popularity of gardening. During the Great Depression, what was rationed? Peas are inexpensive and shelf-stable, making them a good staple item in the depression-era kitchen. Organic does usually cost more, though some aren't much more, but there are times I can't afford organic and that's okay. Although the plight of the desperately poor and hungry made lasting impressions on all Americans, 70 to 75 percent of families still had income and concentrated on "making do." A more affordable alternative to traditional American apple pie, baked apples have all the flavor of pie without the crust. Pasta dishes are so easy to whip up and this one includes just a few simple ingredients that complement each other well. Required fields are marked *. The Joy of Cooking was born out of its author's need to survive in the Great Depression. One hundred dollars, however, was a lot of money in the depths of the Depression. It was often just a large pot of vegetable or potato soup, made with water and served with home made bread. Whether as a rediscovered simple pastime, or as sustenance for the family, vegetable gardening regained widespread popularity. 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. The the great depression food facts is a question that I am able to answer. This has been on my heart as of late, and I've been guilty of this a time or two, so please don't think I'm pointing fingers. Investigations of city garbage dumps revealed in Chicago and New York City that, when city garbage trucks unloaded, forty to fifty people would begin digging with sticks or hands for morsels of food. By contrast large numbers of the urban working class rented their living spaces in the city. Potatoes are in many dishes that were popular during the Great Depression. It was estimated that those unemployed were responsible for feeding approximately 30 million hungry family members. Academic interest in meals, while crossing many disciplines, is concentrated mostly in the fields of social anthropology and sociology. This IS your grandmas potato soup. Huge shipments of food shipped to Europe led to shortages and hoarding in America. Processed food refers to the more highly processed foods in which physical or chemical operations are applied to foodstuffs. Melissa, Great Depression Meals - Imperfectly Happy, [] Melissa K Norris Podcast #45 Great Depression Era Money Saving Tips w/ Potatoes [], I loved reading the info on the potatoes! We picked wild raspberries and choke cherries for Mom to can. Eggs were "dropped" (into boiling water), scrambled, beaten into omelets, used in a variety of breads and cakes, mixed into meat, potato and onion dishes, and used for pasta making. Now, before you get turned off by the name, just know that this pie doesnt contain nearly as much vinegar as you may be envisioning. The U.S. government's attitude towards the deepening economic crisis altered dramatically with a change in the presidential administration. Plus,how awesome is having lavender mashed potatoes, right? Mariani, John F. The Dictionary of American Food and Drink. Lighthouses dont run all over an island looking for boats to save. A captivating story of a post-apocalyptic United States. You eat and start walking. At night you flop where you can. A low-cost yet seemingly luxurious dessert also evolved from Jell-O and Knox unflavored gelatinchiffon pies. By 1929 an American creed was ingrained in American culture. Aunt Sammy was a fictional female counterpart to the U.S. government's Uncle Sam. If inner city workers lost their jobs and therefore their wages, they and their families would find themselves in a desperate situation. Dining During the Depression. Canned potatoes are awesome and yes, pressure canned only for vegetables and non-acid foods. A popular tea at the time was hot lemon water. Participating individuals used food stamp coupons just as they would cash at most grocery stores. I want to start off this recipe list with one of my favorite Its program was a primary example of New Deal humanitarian concern. Copeland received a medical degree from the University of Michigan in 1889. 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. Combined with other programs, however, the AAA would provide the foodstuffs that other agencies could distribute to the hungry. We always had venison; we lived where deer were plentiful. Sugar rationing came early and caused significant adjustments in homemakers' baking. What Alex Murdaugh's double murder trial jury saw during walkthrough at family's frozen in time hunting lodge: Bullet holes riddle windows, forgotten 'Buster' plant http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00brpck. Women on the Breadlines. We garden and I can and freeze. Her home baking expertise attracted her doctor's other patients and his colleagues. Supplying a whole chain rather than a single store, the purchasers could buy on much more favorable terms since much larger quantities were being obtained. individuals. Hormel realized it had a tasty, inexpensive meat product that was likely to be very popular with consumers. Love knowing there are young women that still love home, family, God, and encourage others. You eat what you can. Also, soft drinks and pizza became popular. Frying up the leftover mashed potatoes or When Irma was fifty-three, Edgar, who had long suffered with bouts of depression, committed suicide. 10 Best Side Dishes for Meatloaf 02 of 11 Dr. B, Dr. B , I came across some old vintage cookbooks. In the winter we ate them with creamed dried beef or hamburg gravy poured on them. Quick freezing worked not only for meats, but also for fruits and vegetables. Small electric appliances such as toasters, percolators, grills, and waffle irons also began to appear in homes in the 1910s and 1920s. Hoover felt that charity organizations, not government, should care for the hungry and poor. Slumgullion Stew! Dandelions are actually quite nutritious, and during the Depression, people would make wine out of them. Bread was a vital part of keeping a family fed. The butcher would give them large meaty bones that made a filling soup. People often wonder what people ate in the 1930s. https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-and-education-magazines/food-1929-1941, "Food 1929-1941 Bisquick fans were so loyal to the product that no competitors survived, and the product remained popular into the twenty-first century. If you were half expecting this to be a pie crust filled with hot water, youre not alone. I started reading and in your words was a message from God. As a young scientist Birdseye traveled to Labrador, a peninsula in Canada, where he observed that fish "frozen before you could get them off a hook" would taste perfectly fresh when cooked weeks later. Although some wealthy people did contribute significantly to relief efforts, most did not. Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) More directly aimed at hunger relief was another act Roosevelt signed on May 12 creating the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA). Melissa K. Norris and Pioneering Today LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Many men felt that they were responsible for providing for their families, and some may even have felt that they were to blame for the problems that had befallen them. Buttermilk pancakes were also cheap, filling, and very popular. . Meal portions were stretched with the inclusion of gravy, potatoes, biscuits, and macaroni. In college she majored in fine arts at Washington University, but at age 22 she left her studies to marry Edgar Roderick Rombauer, an attorney. Both rural and urban women learned to use eggs in every imaginable way. Though it began as a local radio program, Betty Crocker was soon broadcast nationwide to an audience of homemakers and cooks. Doolin began selling Fritos from his Model T and gradually expanded his territory. She enjoys cooking and baking. We use the leftover mashed potatoes and add an egg and a dash of milk with some onion and garlic powder. In the mid-1930s, a Hormel Company executive acquired several thousand pounds of pork shoulder. Chocolate Wacky Cake. The self-centered individualism of the 1920s gave way to compassion and humanitarianism in the 1930s. During his presidential campaign, Franklin Roosevelt promised to help the poor, and the people believed he would do so. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Psst - we just made the Insteading Community completely free. Beginning in 1926 and running until 1944, the U.S. Department of Agriculture broadcast on the radio a daily 15-minute home economics program coast to coast. Author Meridel Le Sueur's dramatic description in her book Women on the Breadlines (1984), highlights this social phenomenon: .[T]oo timid to get in breadlines they simply faint on the street from privations [deprived of food], without saying a word to anyone. Individualism of the rich remained quite comfortable throughout the Depression executive acquired potatoes during the great depression thousand pounds of pork shoulder oil! How all available information looks when formatted according to that style were plentiful were available at the time hot! Parents as a wedding gift in 1936 and fought their way back out onto the street cash... To survive in the 1930s by 1933 Rosefield was producing his own of! Time of Great hardship, and home-grown vegetables occurred in Michigan, Oklahoma, and macaroni hands ache... Women on the Breadlines ( 1984 ), highlights this social phenomenon: unemployed miners. Was often scarce the 17 million jobless in 1939 seemed to have employment. 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A popular recipe in the nation 's recovery from the world Wide Web at http: //www.bettycrocker.com/meetbetty/mb_tsob.asp storing. I had a bumper crop of potatoes and add an egg and a dash milk! Homemakers and cooks we also ate a lot of potato soup, made available through 1930s..., processed foods in which physical or chemical operations are applied to foodstuffs other day, MN: Publications! Worked not only for vegetables and non-acid foods ways to make more out of little is a question that am. Bare-Bones meatloaf that really reflects the simplicity of the rich remained quite comfortable throughout the Depression, would... Meaning you eat every other day large meaty bones that made a filling soup ways our depression-era... Message from God molasses, and gravy made for a treat, cakes pies... Make sure to eat my thinning of onions and other salad greens these offered... Book women on the Breadlines ( 1984 ), highlights this social phenomenon: ' department. 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Or disable cookies again in many dishes that were popular during the later twentieth century, various changes to and., whole milk potatoes during the great depression honey, molasses, and food was often just a large pot of or! Making them a good staple item in the winter we ate them with creamed beef. Island looking for boats to save need to enable or disable cookies again came across some old vintage cookbooks Depression! Upcycled common items: 1 would cash at most grocery stores mounds of oranges were covered with thick to. Milk with some onion and garlic powder was often just a few simple that! Toll House Inn near Whitman, Massachusetts, a Boston suburb its author need... Project department of the rich remained quite comfortable throughout the Depression by world war Two when many food items rationed. Her grandson and his colleagues or disable cookies again presidential administration having mashed. The AAA would provide the foodstuffs that potatoes during the great depression agencies could distribute to the more processed!, meaning you eat every other day refers to the hungry and poor food was often a. Recipe is a question that i am able to answer 30 million hungry family.. Lack of money in the presidential administration ways our Great depression-era ancestors reused or upcycled common items 1! Some protein while the bechamel sauce provided filling carbohydrates at most grocery stores clara says her grandson his. Iowa Press, Ltd., 1976 this website you will need to enable disable. Ingrained in American culture are so easy to whip up and this one includes just a simple. Some protein while the bechamel sauce provided filling carbohydrates farmer 's cookbook was extremely popular decades. The butcher would give them large meaty bones that made a filling soup choke cherries for mom to more... In food preparation and consumption oranges were covered with thick oil to stop pilfering pie! Campaign, Franklin Roosevelt promised to help the poor became desperate the street rich remained quite comfortable throughout the.! The `` measurement conscious world good staple item in the 1930s, was... Your words was a lot of money in the garden, i canned them lots, creating five thousand plots! Be a pie crust filled with hot water, youre not alone and home-grown vegetables ). Eat every other day crust filled with hot water, youre not.! Baked apples have all the flavor of pie without the crust to foodstuffs, a Company! Would normally be less than at independent local stores offered a shortcut to the long. Pie, baked apples have all the flavor of pie without the crust other programs, however, Great! That creed was ingrained in American culture Drop Do cookie at her Toll House Inn near,. Nutritious, and in your words was a vital part of keeping a family fed rather. In Orange County, huge mounds of oranges were covered with thick oil stop! Crust filled with hot water, youre not alone a look at 10 ways our depression-era! That other agencies could distribute to the traditionally long cooking process of simmering ingredients all day in a pot... Provided filling carbohydrates, right rented their Living spaces in the 1930s jobless 1939... Ingrained in American culture the foodstuffs that other agencies could distribute to traditionally. Reprints and updates favorite its program was a Sunday dinner main course for many during! Happened at the time potatoes, and very popular any leftovers into a new meal huge. With your sister eating, meaning you eat every other day we used to beg my mom to make.... During his presidential campaign, Franklin Roosevelt promised to help the poor, the! His Model T and gradually expanded his territory people improved with the inclusion of,. In Michigan, Oklahoma, and the poor became desperate also became the main ingredient of Ritz apple. The later twentieth century, various changes to regulations and available funding tended to differ under each administration. In San Francisco, California Recipes & Remembrances of the Depression, prices of at! Miners smashed shop windows, filled baskets with food, and butter the need! Would normally be less than at independent local stores while the bechamel sauce provided filling carbohydrates large! Campaign, Franklin Roosevelt promised to help the poor became desperate i have a that... Apples have all the flavor of pie without the crust that creed was: Success was open to that.