In the early 1940s, the U.S. government began shipping much of the nation’s domestic meat supply to Europe and the Pacific theater to support troops fighting in World War II (WWII). Meat was rationed in the US from 29 March 1943 until 23 November 1945. Types of meats rationed and availability varied through the war depending on supply.
WW2 Rations 1940: per one person (adult)
Butter: (2oz)
Bacon or ham: (4oz)
Margarine: (4oz)
Cooking fat/lard: (4oz)
Sugar: (8oz)
Meat: To the value of 1/2d and sometimes 1/10d – about 1lb to 12ozs
Milk: 3 pints occasionally dropping to 2 pints
Cheese: 2oz rising to 8oz
Eggs: 1 fresh egg a week
Tea: 50g
Jam: (1lb) every two months
Dried eggs: (12 eggs) every four weeks
Sweets Chocolate: (12oz) every four weeks
Star Corn Pudding
Vintage recipe from 1948 Del Monte advertising
3 tbsp. chopped onion
2 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 tbsp. flour
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 No. 2 (1lb. 4 oz.) can Del Monte Golden Cream Style Corn
Salt and pepper to taste
4 firm tomatoes
Saute onions in butter till limp. Blend in the flour. Add milk gradually, stirring constantly till smooth and thick. Stir slowly into beaten eggs. Add corn; season. Wash and core tomatoes. Cut 3 times across blossom end to within 3/4 in. of stem end. Place in shallow 1 1/2 qt. baking dish and open segments. Pour corn mixture around tomatoes. Place dish in pan of hot water and bake in moderate oven (350˚F) about 40 minutes. Garnish with parsley if desired. Serves 6.
National Wheatmeal Loaf
(Makes 2 loaves)
From: Ministry of Food – Jane Fearnley Whittingstall
1 ½ lb wholemeal bread flour
1 ½ tbsp salt
1 ½ tbsp dried yeast
1 dsp honey or treacle
450 ml tepid water
Mix together all the ingredients and knead for about 10 minutes until you have a soft dough. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave until dough has doubled in size (around 2 hours).
Knock back the dough, give a short knead then cut into two equal pieces. Place in 1.5 litre loaf tins, allow to rise for a further 2 hours.
Pre-heat oven to 200°c then bake loaves for 30 min. To test the loaves turn them out of their tins and give the base a tap. if it sounds hollow they are ready. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
Source: Lavenderandlovage.com
Syrup Cake
4 ozs (115g) self raising flour or plain flour with 2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons warmed golden syrup
¼ of a pint of milk or milk and water
Sift flour (or flour and baking powder), bicarbonate of soda and salt. Heat syrup and milk (or milk and water), pour over the flour and beat well. Pour into a greased 1 lb loaf tin and bake in the centre of a moderately hot oven to cook for 30 minutes or until firm.
Colcannon
3 pounds potatoes, scrubbed
2 sticks butter
1 1/4 cups hot milk
Freshly ground black pepper
1 head cabbage, cored and finely shredded
1 (1-pound) piece ham or bacon, cooked the day before
4 scallions, finely chopped
Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish
Steam the potatoes in their skins for 30 minutes. Peel them using a knife and fork. Chop with a knife before mashing. Mash thoroughly to remove all the lumps. Add 1 stick of butter in pieces. Gradually add hot milk, stirring all the time. Season with a few grinds of black pepper.
Boil the cabbage in unsalted water until it turns a darker color. Add 2 tablespoons butter to tenderize it. Cover with lid for 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly before returning it to the pan. Chop into small pieces.
Put the ham in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes until tender. Drain. Remove any fat and chop into small pieces.
Add cabbage, scallions, and ham to mashed potatoes, stirring them in gently.
Serve in individual soup plates. Make an indentation on the top by swirling a wooden spoon. Put 1 tablespoon of butter into each indentation. Sprinkle with parsley.
Source: Foodnetwork.com
Potato Floddie
8 ounces potatoes, peeled
2 medium onions, peeled
6 ounces sliced bacon
2 ounces self raising flour
salt and black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
4 tablespoons oil or 1 1/2 ounces bacon fat
Shred the potatoes, squeeze out any liquid and place in a bowl.
Shred or finely chop the onions and add to the potatoes with the bacon, flour and seasoning.
Mix very well together.
Stir in the eggs.
Heat the oil or bacon fat in a large frying pan.
Put tablespoons of the mixture into the pan and fry steadily for 5-8 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through.
Drain on kitchen paper and keep hot until ready to serve with sausages and eggs.
Source: Food.com
A Toad In The Hole is a traditional British dish consisting of sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter, usually served with vegetables and onion gravy. During the 1940s, a wartime variation on the original used pieces of Spam in place of sausages.
Toad In The Hole
3 oz flour
1 egg
3 oz milk
2 oz water
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the center.
Break the egg into it and beat, gradually incorporating the flour.
Beat in the milk, 2 fl oz (50 ml) water and seasoning (an electric hand whisk will do this in seconds).
Cook six sausages in a roasting tin, in an oven that has been pre-heated to GM7/425°F, for 10 minutes. Prick it first to allow the fat to run out. Once the time has surpassed add a tablespoon of vegetable or some other flavourless oil to the pan and place the pan on the hob over a direct heat, and heat the oil until it is shimmering and just starting to smoke, then quickly add the Yorkshire pudding mix and replace the cooking tin into the oven. Cook for 30 minutes. During WWII, Spam or Treet replaced the sausages.
Source: Slightlydomesticateddad.wordpress.com
Lord Woolton Pie
Named after Lord Woolton, head of the Ministry Of Food
1 lb diced potatoes
1 lb cauliflower
1 lb diced carrots
1 lb diced parsnips
3 spring onions
1 teaspoon vegetable extract
1 or 2 tablespoon oatmeal
A little chopped parsley
Cook everything together with just enough water to cover, stirring often to prevent it sticking to the pan. Let the mixture cool.
Spoon into a pie dish, sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Cover with a crust of potatoes or wholemeal pastry.
Bake in a moderate oven until golden brown.
Serve hot with gravy.
Woolton Pie Pastry
2 ozs white vegetable fat
8 ozs wholemeal flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
8 ozs cooked cold mashed potato
1 tablespoon milk
Rub the fat into the flour, stir in the salt and work this mixture into the mashed potato, adding the milk a little at a time.
Knead on a floured board until the dough is smooth and fairly soft. Roll out the pastry and use according to recipe.
(Use as required. This pastry is normally baked at 400 °F/Gas 6.)
Source: Lavenderandlovage.com
Baked Vegetable Hash
One lb. (or less) hamburger
Two cups raw ground carrots
Two cups raw ground potatoes
One medium onion, ground
One tbsp. salt
Pepper
Chopped green pepper (optional)
One can cream of mushroom soup
One-half soup can milk
Combine all ingredients; place in two-quart casserole or oblong baking dish. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven two to two and one-half hours. Allow enough time as it takes awhile to cook the carrots.–Yields four to six servings.
Source: Recipecurio.com
Swan's Down Spring Beauty Cake
1 cup sifted Swans Down Cake Flour
1 teaspoon Calumet Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons hot milk
Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift together three times. Beat eggs with rotary egg beater until thick enough to stand up in soft peaks (5 to 7 minutes); add sugar gradually, beating constantly. Add lemon juice. Fold in flour, a small amount at a time. Add hot milk and stir quickly until thoroughly blended. Turn at once into ungreased tube pan and bake in moderate oven (350° F.) 35 minutes, or until done. Remove from oven and invert pan, 1 hour, or until cold. Remove from pan. Pile Strawberry Fluff (clipping ends here).
Source: Recipecurio.com
The food around which American civilians’ dissatisfaction with rationing centred was red meat. Red meat, preferably beef, was highly valued as a prime source of energy, especially for the working man, and its presence on a plate helped to define the food as a proper meal. But during the war most red meat, and especially steak, disappeared into the army bases...There was plenty of meat available but it was not the kind American civilians craved. It is therefore unsurprising that the black market in food was most active in the meat trade. During the war a large number of small slaughterhouses sprang up which traded locally and were able to evade the inspectors from the Office of Price Administration...The American black market never got so out of hand that it was a threat to the economy, but the illegal meat trade was sufficiently active for it to threaten the Department of Agriculture’s ability to meet its supply commitments to Britain.
Victory Garden Soup
6 cups water
6 medium-sized potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 large tomatoes, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 medium-sized carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 medium-sized green bell peppers, coarsely chopped
2 medium-sized onions, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
In a soup pot, combine all the ingredients; mix well and bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 1 hour, or until the vegetables are tender. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Source: Intheirwords.org
Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 4-ounce package of chipped beef
Salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.
Stir in flour until smooth and heat until bubbly.
Gradually stir in milk and continue stirring to keep from getting lumpy. The mixture - which is white sauce - will gradually thicken.
Add the chipped beef, separating the slices, and keep over low heat about five minutes. Add salt and pepper as desired. Serve over toast. Makes four servings.
Source: Intheirwords.org
During the war, there were shortages of various types of food that affected just about everyone on a daily basis. Food was in short supply for a variety of reasons: much of the processed and canned foods was reserved for shipping overseas to our military and our Allies; transportation of fresh foods was limited due to gasoline and tire rationing and the priority of transporting soldiers and war supplies instead of food; imported foods, like coffee and sugar, was limited due to restrictions on importing. Because of these shortages, the U.S. government’s Office of Price Administration established a system of rationing that would more fairly distribute foods that were in short supply. Rationing meant finding creative ways to overcome challenges when you couldn't always get the foods you were accustomed to eating. The U.S. Government began printing recipe books with tips on how to stretch rationed food to last as long and feed as many as possible.
War Time Cake
2 cups castor sugar
2 cups hot water
2 Tbsp lard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 package seedless raisins
Boil all together. After cold, add 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in 1 teaspoon hot water. Bake about one hour in a slow oven (300-325°F).
Source: Firstwefeast.com
War Cake
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups hot water
2 teaspoons shortening
1/2-3/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
In a medium-size sauce pan, mix together the brown sugar, hot water, shortening, raisins, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Boil for 5 minutes after the mixture begins to bubble. When the mixture is cold (and it must be cold), add flour. Mix baking soda with hot water and add to flour mixture. Mix well. Pour into a greased tube pan and bake for about one hour at 350° to 375° F. (Be sure to test the cake's doneness - sometimes an extra 10 minutes is needed).
Source: Honorflightnewengland.org
WWII Oatmeal Molasses Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups oatmeal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup shortening
2 eggs, beaten
5 tablespoons light molasses
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oatmeal, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In another large bowl, beat the sugar with the shortening until smooth and creamy; mix in beaten eggs, molasses, and vanilla. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients. Stir in walnuts and raisins. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until slightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until slightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Source: Honorflightnewengland.org
Apple Brown Betty
2 cup Bread cubes
6 tablespoon Butter or margarine, melted
6 cup Sliced apples or any other seasonal fruit
1 cup Honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Grated rind of lemon, (optional)
¼ cup Cold water
Whipped topping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss bread cubes and melted butter together. Combine the honey, cinnamon, lemon rind and water. Reserving some of the bread for topping, place half of remaining mixture in bottom of baking dish. Top with half the fruit; pour half the honey mixture over fruit. Repeat layers. Top with reserved bread cubes. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until apples are tender and top is browned. Serve warm with whipped topping.
Fake Whipped Cream
2 egg whites
1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
1 c. grated apple
1 tsp. lemon juice
Beat egg whites until stiff. Add half the sugar while beating. Then add the grated apple and rest of sugar, alternately while continuing to beat. Stir in lemon juice quickly. "Plop" dollops on fresh strawberries and reminisce.
Source: Honorflightnewengland.org
Wartime housewives cooked mostly from scratch, served vegetables from their own “Victory Gardens” and managed their family’s rationing points. The Office of War Information encouraged people to grow vegetables on any unused land such as their backyard and to can the surplu. During the war, people cheerfully did without as an act of patriotism, a way they could do their part for the war effort. Anywhere there was a piece of land, you would find a victory garden. Neighborhoods share vacant lots, taking turns working the garden. At its peak in 1944, over 20 million victory gardens produce a phenomenal 8 million tons of food -over half of the vegetables consumed in America
Welsh rarebit using stale crusts
1½ oz stale crusts, soaked in water and squeezed
4 tablespoons milk
2 oz grated cheese
1 teaspoon mustard
1-2 teaspoons salt
Pinch of pepper
½ oz margarine
4 slices of toast
Mix the soaked bread and milk, half the cheese and the seasoning. Beat well. Melt the margarine in a saucepan, then add the bread and cheese mixture and cook until hot and well blended. Spread it on the slices of toast and sprinkle with the remainder of the cheese. Brown gently under the grill. Serve very hot. Serves 4.
Source: Historylearningsite.co.uk
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