Depression Era Meals

[Stanley Doble]

My dad was a boy during the depression. He told me when he was little he would ask my grandmother what was for supper and she would say "Portland cement". Until he was 16 he thought Portland cement was a dish lol.

No she didn't cook cement it was her joke, whatever she cooked was good. She fed a family of 9 children on a cement mason's earnings.

 

[Stanley Doble]

How did turtles get on the list? I thought turtle soup was something millionaires ordered at Delmonico's in Victorian novels?

I've heard that during the depression on the east coast, poor people would catch lobsters if they were real broke and hungry but it wasn't something you wanted the neighbors to find out about.

 

[Undertow]

I've had many of these meals, and I find they aren't all that out-of-date.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

My grandpa was born in 1930 and loves to tell stories about the depression. His favorite is about Lard sandwiches. He loves to tell a story about how he was fishing for dinner and the sun turned the sandwich into mush, which was so terrible, he just put it on the hook as bait lol

I'm not sure why most of these are on here. We still eat most of this stuff. Heck they have cheese sandwiches in the vending machines at work.

 

[dhermann1]

I dunno, Tom. Cheese sandwiches in the vending machines sounds pretty depressing to me.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I've heard that during the depression on the east coast, poor people would catch lobsters if they were real broke and hungry but it wasn't something you wanted the neighbors to find out about.

There are actually a lot of lobstermen right here in my town today who eat lobster several times a week because it's a better deal to eat it themselves than try to sell it. Prices at the boat are rock bottom, and "lobsterman" is pretty much a synonym for "working poor."

When times were tough in our house, my grandfather would go down to the shore with a pail and come back with a load of clams for supper. Try that now and you get arrested.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Even more depressing, I've eaten them before lol

I dunno, Tom. Cheese sandwiches in the vending machines sounds pretty depressing to me.

 

[Renault]

Here's an interesting article from a blog about Depression era eating habits.
http://thesurvivalmom.com/2011/12/29/could-you-stomach-these-great-depression-meals/

Has anyone other that some of us country boys in Texas ever hear of a "Hoover Hog" ?????

Renault

 

[Stanley Doble]

Is that a large vacuum cleaner?

 

[Renault]

Is that a large vacuum cleaner?

LOL! Nope, but a good guess, nontheless! Here it was the armadillo...... They were popular fare in the southern part of the state where they were more common. Wild game did not fare well here during the depression. Poaching was rampant. State game wardens had their hands full. And many were sympathetic to the poacher as they knew they were simply trying to feed a family.

Renault

 

[LizzieMaine]

Best served with Hoover Soup (ketchup mixed with hot water) and washed down with Hoover Coffee (the third or fourth pass thru old grounds).

Around here deer were known as Hoover Cattle.

 

[Renault]

Best served with Hoover Soup (ketchup mixed with hot water) and washed down with Hoover Coffee (the third or fourth pass thru old grounds).

Around here deer were known as Hoover Cattle.

LOL! My grand dad (dad's dad) in south Texas always stayed one step ahead of the warden. The warden would hunt him all saturday night, but would be there by dinner time Sunday to be invited in to eat the same deer he'd been trying to catch Grandpaw with the night before. Like I said, he knew Grandpaw was trying to feed a family! He also knew grandmaw was a helluva cook!

On the other hand mom said there wasn't a deer within 50 miles of where she was raised in central Texas. They were hunted out!!! Now that country is crawling with deer. All they had was the occassional squirrel or rabbit for wild fare.

R

 

[Lights]

It interesting to see the list of food considered "Depression Era" quite a few on the list were considered treats when I grew up.

 

[MissNathalieVintage]

These are wonderful to see. I've eaten a quite a few of the foods on the list, too. I can't wait to have a go at the ones I have yet to try.
Adding to the list
Potato pancakes (potatoes boiled in water mashed, add salt, flour, and water. Fry in vegetable or corn oil.)
Fried bread (water and flour. Fry in corn oil or vegetable oil)
Fried bananas (with honey or plain)
Boiled chicken gizzard (on white bread with catsup)
Powdered milk
Lime-ade (with honey or sugar)

In my family we mostly eat tortillas instead of bread, one pack cost only a quarter. Plus we would put sandwich fillings in them cold cuts, cheese, tomatoes, mayo and catsup. And all kinds of meat ou-ah-cheed-ah (its the latino version of stake) was a favourite especially with mashed avocados (add salt and mash it like potatoes). Plus black beans and long grain white rice with avocados on a warm tortilla, was sure some good eating. Tortillas cooked over an open fire on the stove taste way better then the microwaved kind. Hands down this is the best brand of tortillas on the market http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/69/92/21/62/0069922162117_500X500.jpg
Tortillas selecting tips: Always get the ones that come out of the box in the stores warm. They last longer. If you can't the warm ones. To insure you get a good pack of tortillas.
Do this:
Pick up a pack for tortillas and wave them back and forth like you are fanning yourself. If the pack moves you got a good pack. If it does nothing and is hard, toss it back till you get a good one.

 

[Renault]

Tortillas selecting tips: Pick up a pack for tortillas and wave them back and forth like you are fanning yourself. If the pack moves you got a good pack. If it does nothing and is hard, toss it back till you get a good one.

Sometime I'll have to tell you how I accidently broke wifey's nose with a flour tortilla! It was an accident!!!!!!! I assure you!!!! Trust me!! With all the pistols she owns I would NOT have done it on purpose!!!! I still feel REAL bad about it!!!!!!!!! This was maybe 10 years ago!!!!! Honest!!

Renault

 

[1961MJS]

Best served with Hoover Soup (ketchup mixed with hot water) and washed down with Hoover Coffee (the third or fourth pass thru old grounds).

Around here deer were known as Hoover Cattle.

Hi Lizzie

One of the engineers I work with swipes ketchup from McDonald's and a little hot sauce from Taco Bell to make spicy Hoover Tomato Soup. Never married, no kids, 67 year old engineer and cheaper than anybody I know.

Later