War time recipes

YoungBlueEyes

That was our method too @PipneyJane. Thing was himself was getting a little... erm.... overly padded so they easiest way to get him to eat less was for me to not be leaving anything! He used to a hollow-legged sort but then he hit 50 and he sure ain't like that now  

Nelliegrace

I have enjoyed this thread.
We are doing the WW2 ration challenge again this year with Carolyn from the 1940’s experiment. It is pretty much how I cook anyway.
She is a great resource for recipes and has put the Ministry of Food information leaflets on her blog.

https://the1940sexperiment.com/100-wartime-recipes/

https://the1940sexperiment.com/original-40s-downloads/

The Wartime Farm and The Wartime Kitchen and Garden are to be found on YouTube.

We use vintage Denby Manor Green crockery, my sister uses the green Woods Beryl ware we had at home, the tea cups seem tiny.

The freezer is a blessing for ration portions. I buy the economy strong cheddar and cut it into weekly 100g portions to freeze. It goes further grated as you said, @London_1 and DH uses less from a small chunk than he would from a 400g slab. It lasts the week. Butter and bacon portions are frozen. For the 1s 2d meat ration we allow £2.50 each or 500g. I buy the larger, more economical packs and freeze portions. Like Nella, we have our three chickens in the garden and some fruit bushes and fruit trees, and I forage a bit. I make jams and wartime marmalade, (orange peel and apple jelly.)

Last time we did this we had the allotment, 6 beehives, meat rabbits, ducks and quail, and incubated a dozen fertile Light Sussex eggs from the poultry auction, for meat birds. 
I learned to prepare poultry and rabbits for the table. 
We are still in the Smallholders’ Association and I’m in the WI.

PipneyJane

Nelliegrace said:

I have enjoyed this thread.
We are doing the WW2 ration challenge again this year with Carolyn from the 1940’s experiment. It is pretty much how I cook anyway.
She is a great resource for recipes and has put the Ministry of Food information leaflets on her blog.

https://the1940sexperiment.com/100-wartime-recipes/

https://the1940sexperiment.com/original-40s-downloads/

The Wartime Farm and The Wartime Kitchen and Garden are to be found on YouTube.

We use vintage Denby Manor Green crockery, my sister uses the green Woods Beryl ware we had at home, the tea cups seem tiny.

The freezer is a blessing for ration portions. I buy the economy strong cheddar and cut it into weekly 100g portions to freeze. It goes further grated as you said, @London_1 and DH uses less from a small chunk than he would from a 400g slab. It lasts the week. Butter and bacon portions are frozen. For the 1s 2d meat ration we allow £2.50 each or 500g. I buy the larger, more economical packs and freeze portions. Like Nella, we have our three chickens in the garden and some fruit bushes and fruit trees, and I forage a bit. I make jams and wartime marmalade, (orange peel and apple jelly.)

Last time we did this we had the allotment, 6 beehives, meat rabbits, ducks and quail, and incubated a dozen fertile Light Sussex eggs from the poultry auction, for meat birds. 
I learned to prepare poultry and rabbits for the table. 
We are still in the Smallholders’ Association and I’m in the WI.

I am in awe of you doing this challenge, @Nelliegrace. Do tell of your experiences.  (While I've daydreamed about it, I'm not that organised.)

- Pip

Nelliegrace

I have read a lot about the home front, and diaries of the time. Nella Last wrote quite often about managing on the food ration. We decided to do the challenge again this year when Carolyn mentioned it.
It is not really difficult, we used the fairly limited range of fresh ingredients from Asda during lockdown, to eat healthily, cooking from scratch, on a set budget, and this is much the same. 
It is easier cooking for two on rations, it allows a little more flexibility. 
Carolyn struggles on 2oz of tea a week, but 4oz is plenty for two.

DiamondLil

This is a great thread !

Thanks to @Katiehound for starting it. I grew up in the fifties, and nothing went to waste. Family of five with one small dustbin emptied weekly; and that included the ashes from the Aga and the open fire. I remember sitting on the floor listening to Listen with mother on the wireless with my bowl of currants that were our "sweets". Sweets were still rationed until around 1953 ish ?