Proper old style! Living on WW2 rations

Owain_Moneysaver

monnagran wrote: »

The National loaf was grey and gritty. People used to white bread hated it. It was never rationed during the war, but it was in 1946 when austerity began to bite and we were helping to feed the starving millions in Europe, many our recent enemies.

The Dutch were eating bread made from brick dust (and there was a distinct shortage of dogs and cats ...)

Datchet

Well done Bouicca21!

There was an earlier thread on this topic, so do a search - it was mostly reminiscing, as opposed to informational.

I recall one story told by a lady that her Dad was astonished people were nostalgic about rationing. He remembered going to bed hungry and being ill from eating raw crab apples.

I also recall being told of relatives who ate nothing but potatoes and runner beans from their plot for a week after being bombed out

My Dad still has a pathological hatred of rhubarb as he was forced to eat a raw stalk dipped in sugar as his weekly sweet treat!

Best of luck! I look forward to reading how you get on.

[Deleted User]

joedenise wrote: »

Was that HM Queen Victoria? or was it a typo and you meant 1950s[/B?

Denise

Definitely a typo:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: my MacBook has a mind of its own at times, I know I'm getting on ,but not that old :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I know I would miss my herbs and spices far too much to want to live on WW2 rations again.The benefit of doing it today is the availability and ability to keep and freeze stuff.
No putting meat into a 'meat safe ' on the shelf in the larder, and not having to wander around the shops daily trying to find ingredients that were in short or no supply

bouicca21

I actually started this just after Xmas so have now survived my first month. I was only going to do it for a month but an unexpected repair bill means that February has more month than money so I will continue. And tbh it hasn't been a hardship.

My big success was discovering Mary Berry's recipe for the vegetable and lentil cottage pie which I have loosely adapted. So far my big failure is egg and bacon pie. I had a go at half and half wholemeal pastry. The pastry was fine but I couldn't roll it out as thin as white pastry and although I'd saved the notional bacon ration, the self imposed shortage of eggs meant there wasn't enough filling and it ended up very dry. And as I am now one of the CFOs, it lasted way too long.

Next week's bacon ration will go into the Hairy Bikers' sausage casserole. Never made it before but it had better be good as even cutting down the recipe will probably leave me with at least 3 portions. I'll have half a can of mixed beans left, so unless I can think of something else to do with them, I'll be making chilli beans.

ancientofdays

Bouicca, the Hairy Biker sausage casserole is good, and although I see that you are CFO, the recipe makes a rather large meal for a family but I'd imagine the leftovers should freeze well.

I was born in 1951 and my mum has told me that some things were still either rationed or hard to get. I think she particularly missed sweets as she has a very sweet tooth. Then again, my mum may not be remembering this correctly.

[Deleted User]

Bouicca, half a tin of beans blitzed up with your choice of flavourings will give you an 'almost hummus' spread/loosened down with a little liquid 'dressing' for salads or veg. I make a white bean spread and another spicy one with red kidney beans that are very acceptable on toast or crispbreads and it would help extend your butter/margarine ration as you don't need that on first, just spread the spread direct .

Piquant Red Bean Spread

1 tin of red kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon runny honey

1 teaspoon more of wholegrain mustard to stir through after processing the above.

Liquidize/food process all the above except the last teaspoon of mustard until totally smooth, stir through the mustard and add salt and black pepper to your taste.

Creamed Bean Spread

1 tin white beans drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon runny honey

Liquidize/ food process all the above until completely smooth. Season to your taste.

Both will keep for a good week in the fridge if they are in a lidded jar and the recipes work with any kind of bean so mixed would be fine too!

THIRZAH

My Dad said he didn't really notice rationing during the war-he was eight when it started. His family were so poor they ate very little butchers meat, sweets etc before the war. His father had some kind of breakdown in the 1930s-probably as a result of his experiences in WW1 and was out of work for a while.

My Granny gave piano lessons to help with the family income. My aunts kept chickens and drove around in a pony and trap selling the eggs. Grandad kept rabbits for meat. They had a goat for milk and grew all their own fruit and veg.

Once the war started a couple of my aunts went into the forces and most of the others were working so things did improve. Also there were soldiers stationed in the village hall and the family were sometimes given things like dried apricots and sweets by them.

bouicca21

Mrs LW, a bean spread sounds good. The butter/marge ration is the one thing I find difficult. I think it's in The Railway Children that the mum tells the children they can have butter on their bread or jam but not both, and I'm beginning to think I need the same rule.

[Deleted User]

I know in WW2 that lots of people learned 'yeast cookery' and currant buns/fruit loaves were very popular as a cake substitute because they didn't need jam or butter/margarine on them and yeasted baked buns featured quite heavily along with the 'national' loaf in keeping people from being hungry. The butter OR jam but not BOTH on your bread was in vogue long before wartime as a normal in less affluent times too.

suki1964

bouicca21 wrote: »

I actually started this just after Xmas so have now survived my first month. I was only going to do it for a month but an unexpected repair bill means that February has more month than money so I will continue. And tbh it hasn't been a hardship.

My big success was discovering Mary Berry's recipe for the vegetable and lentil cottage pie which I have loosely adapted. So far my big failure is egg and bacon pie. I had a go at half and half wholemeal pastry. The pastry was fine but I couldn't roll it out as thin as white pastry and although I'd saved the notional bacon ration, the self imposed shortage of eggs meant there wasn't enough filling and it ended up very dry. And as I am now one of the CFOs, it lasted way too long.

Next week's bacon ration will go into the Hairy Bikers' sausage casserole. Never made it before but it had better be good as even cutting down the recipe will probably leave me with at least 3 portions. I'll have half a can of mixed beans left, so unless I can think of something else to do with them, I'll be making chilli beans.

The hairy bikers recipe is "unctuous " :rotfl:

It is so tasty I often make it without the sausages and just add more beans. It's a right rib sticker, ideal for this weather.