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By Lisa Sharp1 Comment
These 1940s ration recipes are a look into the past and the struggles of rationing during WWII. Try one of these vintage desserts or dinner recipes today!
During World War II rationing was implemented by many governments in an effort to make sure that military and civilians had fair access to scarce resources.
Rationing systems varied by country buttypically involved the government issuing ration books and coupons or stamps to households that could be exchanged for specific goods at designated shops. The number of coupons or stamps a household received was based on its size and composition, and they were typically limited to a certain amount per week or month.
In the United States, rationing began in 1942 and lasted until 1947, though most ended in 1945. Sugar was rationed until 1947. The rationing system covered a wide range of goods, including meat, dairy products, sugar, coffee, and gasoline. Families were issued ration books, which contained stamps for each type of product. The stamps had to be used to purchase the corresponding item, and once the stamps were used up, families had to wait until the next month to receive their next ration.
In Britain, rationing began in 1940 and lasted until 1954, long after the end of the war. The system covered a similar range of goods as in the United States, but the British government also rationed clothing and household goods such as soap and washing powder. Families were issued ration books and had to register with a local shop to exchange their stamps for goods.
Rationing was a significant hardship for many people during the war, as they had to adapt to a restricted diet and limited access to essential goods. However, it was also seen as a necessary sacrifice for the war effort, and many people supported the system as a way to ensure that resources were fairly distributed.
In addition to rationing, many countries also implemented other measures to conserve resources during the war. For example, governments encouraged people to grow their vegetables in victory gardens, people were also encouraged to keep animals like rabbits and hogs for food, and they introduced recycling programs to collect scrap metal and other materials for use in the war effort.
Reading wartime cookbooks is a really good way to see what it was like to try and feed a family with rations. It could be very hard and often people were left feeling hungry and many didn’t agree with how food was rationed. Some even bought extra food on the black market.
Many ration recipes have survived and are still enjoyed today. They are still a great way to save money and make your food go further.
1940s Ration Recipes
Give these ration recipes a try for a look at our past and a time when people had to get creative to feed their families while helping the war effort.
This old-fashioned ice box cake uses chocolate wafer cookies and whipped cream to make a delicious “cake”. Also known as “Zebra cake”, these types of cakes became popular during the war era because of sugar rations.
Also known as War Cake, Wacky Cake is mixed in the pan that it's baked in. And it has no eggs, milk, or butter due to the rationing of those ingredients. It's moist and tender and perfect with a cup of coffee.
A British dish that is eaten for breakfast, lunch, a snack or dinner, beans on toast has kept UK families sustained for years. It was very popular during wartime.
The classic World War 2 cheap vegetable pie with a delicious shortcrust pastry crust and loaded with lots of seasonal root vegetables. One of the best rationing meals during World War 2.
This is a recipe much like the National Loaf which was a bread made from wholemeal flour with added calcium and vitamins. It was created to help with the shortages of white flour and sugar.
Grandma's War Time Orange Drop Cookies are an old family favorite dating back to the second world war when rationing was in force. Grandma always came up with a great cookie for everyone enjoy!
I have ordered some wartime cookbooks and will be sharing more ration recipes over time so be sure to stick around. If you sign up below you will not only get a vintage dessert e-cookbook for free, but you will also get to see more vintage recipes and homemaking.
A typical weekly ration per person, when at its lowest level, was butter 4oz; bacon and ham 4oz; loose tea 4oz; sugar 8oz; meat one shilling-worth; cheese 1oz; preserves 8oz a month. By 1942, most foods were rationed except vegetables, bread, and fish.
These books contained brown stamps, which were used for meats, canned milk, canned fish, butter, cheese, lards and fats. Examples: 1 pound of pork chops - 7 points. 1 can of condensed milk - 22 points.
A: Millions of ration books were issued during World War II. They were intended to prevent the hoarding of such goods as coffee, sugar, meat and other items in short supply due to the war. Ration books generally sell in the $5 to $25 range, but unlike savings bonds, you can't cash them in as you wish.
People's diets were restricted but relatively balanced, emphasizing available root vegetables and bread due to the scarcity of meat, cheese, and sugar.
Even though thousands of items became scarce during the war, only those most critical to the war effort were rationed. Key goods such as sugar, tires, gasoline, meat, coffee, butter, canned goods and shoes came under rationing regulations. Some important items escaped rationing, including fresh fruit and vegetables.
Rationed Foods. The categories of rationed foods during the war were sugar, coffee, processed foods (canned, frozen, etc.), meats and canned fish, and cheese, canned milk, and fats.
The overall condition of the booklet as well as the stamps have the biggest impact on the resale value, with a large number of these available on the market. With 100+ stamps and in very good condition your 1940's era War Ration Book would have a fair market or resale value of between 25-50 dollars.
Stamps also accumulate value over time. Depending on the stamp's rarity, those tiny squares could be worth a huge amount of money. There are two main types of stamps, definitive and commemorative. These can be collected in mint or used condition or with a postal cancellation marking applied on top.
Old ration books from a financial point of view have very little value, however from a social history point of view, they are priceless. Without the issue of them to ensure that what food was available was distributed fairly, many people would without doubt, have gone hungry.
Military helmets from throughout history have always been among the most popular collectibles. Military uniforms are also consistently sought after, though they can be difficult to care for and display for a beginner. Then there are the military decorations, including medals and buttons.
Amid the shortages experienced during World War II and the Holocaust, many people relied on the black market to obtain food and other necessary items illegally. The black market facilitated resistance and survival, but it also provided opportunities for people to enrich themselves at the expense of others in need.
A sample brunch menu includes: orange juice topped with mint, creamed ham and mushrooms, waffles de luxe, maple syrup, apple butter, coffee, and milk. Notable breakthroughs: General Mills rolls out CheeriOats in 1941; the name is changed to Cheerios in 1945.
Rationing was introduced in 1940 and lasted 14 years. For most of that time, meat, cheese, butter, cooking fats and sugar were heavily restricted, but potatoes, other root vegetables and bread were freely available. People ate a diet much higher in carbohydrates and lower in fats.
An English Breakfast during WWII. Breakfast tended to be porridge with milk if available but some families would use melted lard! OMG. A special treat was toast or bread and jam (we always had jam apparently – my grandmother would make it, but so little sugar, she relied on the fruit.
The government began rationing certain foods in May 1942, starting with sugar. Coffee was added to the list that November, followed by meats, fats, canned fish, cheese, and canned milk the following March.
Rationing remained in effect until the early 1950s. Meat was the last item to be derationed and rationing ended completely in 1954, nine years after the war ended.
On 19 May 1950 rationing ended for canned and dried fruit, chocolate biscuits, treacle, syrup, jellies and mincemeat. Petrol rationing, imposed in 1939, ended in May 1950 followed by soap in September 1950. Three years later sales of sugar were off ration and last May butter rationing ended.
July 21, 1946 – Bread is rationed for the first time in Britain. Though the war ended in 1945 rationing continued in Britain for a further nine years to sustain an economy ravaged by war. On 21 July 1946, the Labour government introduced the rationing of bread, flour and flour confectionery.
Introduction: My name is Nathanael Baumbach, I am a fantastic, nice, victorious, brave, healthy, cute, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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