Strawberry Jam

Its that time of year again when we begin to preserve the harvest. Before the days of refrigeration and freezing was in household kitchens, many housewives learned and used preservation techniques such as canning.

One of the easiest preserves is jam...and there are so many recipes to choose from. During the rationing of World War 2.. American housewives could apply for an extra 20lb of sugar to help preserve their harvest. British housewives however were not so lucky. To get extra sugar they had to give up their precious preserves ration... save the sugar from your own rations... or take your produce to the local WI for bottling...and then the jars were put back into the rationing system.

This Strawberry Jam comes from "Your Gas Range Cook Book", published in 1940 by the Wyandotte County (Kansas) Gas Company’s Home Service Department

3/4 pound sugar to 1 pound fruit

• Pick over the berries and remove hulls
• Put the fruit on the fire alone, mashing it as it heats: a wooden potato masher is best for this purpose
• Bring the fruit to the boil, stirring almost constantly and crushing any berries that may remain whole 
• Add the sugar to the fruit and boil together until thick (not over 20 minutes), stirring constantly to prevent burning
• Pack in clean hot jars and seal

Your Gas Range Cook Book
Home Service Department of the Wyandotte County Gas Company. Kansas
1940

July 3

**Strawberry Jam**

Talking of Victory Gardens.. its that time of year again when we begin to preserve the harvest. Before the days of refrigeration and freezing was in household kitchens, many housewives learned and used preservation techniques such as canning.

One of the easiest preserves is jam...and there are so many recipes to choose from. During the rationing of World War 2.. American housewives could apply for an extra 20lb of sugar to help preserve their harvest. British housewives however were not so lucky. To get extra sugar they had to give up their precious preserves ration... save the sugar from your own rations... or take your produce to the local WI for bottling...and then the jars were put back into the rationing system.

This Strawberry Jam comes from "Your Gas Range Cook Book", published in 1940 by the Wyandotte County (Kansas) Gas Company’s Home Service Department.

Recipe: https://the1940skitchen.blogspot.com/.../strawberry-jam.html

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#1940sRecipe

Housewife making jam.. 1943

Treasure Basket Salad

Cottage cheese has been making a come back recently with new recipes all over social media. In our house cottage cheese has always been in fashion and we eat it regularly, especially during summer.

This fun and easy way of serving the creamy curds comes from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine June 1941, and we served them with cold cuts and salad

8 medium-sized tomatoes

3/4 lb. cottage cheese

4 tablespoons Real Mayonnaise

3/8 teaspoon onion, grated

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 Spanish onion, sliced and separated into rings 

I large green pepper, sliced

I large sweet red pepper, sliced

Romaine or Lettuce

• Cut a slice off stem end of tomatoes. 
• Remove seeds and invert to drain. 
• Mix cottage cheese with Real Mayonnaise, grated onion and seasonings, and fill tomatoes. 
• Replace tops on tomatoes. 
• Arrange filled tomatoes, onion rings and pepper rings on romaine or lettuce leaves (as illustrated). 
• Serve with Nut Mayonnaise

NUT MAYONNAISE: 

Add 4 tablespoons pistachio, or other nut meats, slivered, to 1½ cups Real Mayon- -naise. 

Gives the rich flavor note that puts this simple salad over! 

Serves 8.

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
June 1941

https://the1940skitchen.blogspot.com/.../treasure-basket...

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Shrimp Curry and Browned Rice

I needed a fast and easy dinner and this simple and flavourful Shrimp Curry from  Better Homes and Gardens Magazine June 1948 fit the bill. ready and on the table in 30 minutes. But, I did amend the recipe slightly. I replaced one of the cups of milk with one of chicken stock, and upped the curry powder to two teaspoons 

1 cup rice

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup diced onions

½ teaspoon ginger

¼ cup fat

3 cups milk

6 tablespoons enriched flour

2½ cups cooked shrimp

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1½ teaspoons salt

• For the brown rice, heat 2 tablespoons butter or salad oil in skillet. 
• Add rice. 
• Stir until kernels are golden brown. 
• Add 4 cups boiling water and 1 teaspoon salt. 
• Stir. 
• Cover. Simmer till rice is tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

• Meanwhile start your curry
• Cook onion in hot fat until tender. 
• Stir in flour, curry powder, salt, sugar, and ginger; blend. 
• Gradually add milk (and stock)
• Cook until smooth and thick, stirring constantly. 
• Add shrimp and lemon juice. 
• Heat thoroughly. 
• Serve with hot browned rice... 
• and we added homemade peach chutney, a crisp garden salad and a small naan bread
• Serves 6.

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
June 1948

..

Pilchards on Toast

Im always looking for something different for breakfast.. I mean there is only so much oatmeal or strawberry jam on toast one can eat.. or maybe not. Anyway I was skimming through "Eating for Victory", a collection of Ministry of Food Leaflets from World War 2.. and came across the section with breakfast suggestions. And there nestled on the last page was a blast from the past... "Pilchards on Toast" andmaybe the simplest recipe Ive seen for a while

Wow..I hadnt had that for years...and after a quick rummage in the pantry I found a tin of sardines. After blowing the dust off, I made myself a tasty meal of this tinned treasure on a couple of slices of National Loaf. I didnt use butter, to me it was just as good. It was so yummy and I thought it would make for a quick lunch too

Needless to say pilchards are now on my shopping list, and wont be relegated to the back of the cupboard again

1 Tin Pilchards (15 oz size)
4 slices of buttered toast

• Divide the pilchards on to the four slices of toast
• I mashed them slightly in a bowl first
• Place under  the grill broiler) for several minutes to heat
• Enjoy!

Eating For Victory

Apple and Peanut Salad

A simple, refreshing and crunchy salad. Mix and match the types of apples with whatever you have on hand to give complex flavor as well as a more colorful salad. Recipe taken from Meta Givens "The Modern Family Cook Book" 1942

5 medium-sized eating apples
juice of 1 lemon
1 medium stalk celery, diced
1/2 cup mayonnaise 
1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanuts
lettuce

• Peel, quarter, and core apples.
• Cut into 1/2-inch dice and sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent discoloration.
• Cut celery into small dice.
• Add the apples and mayonnaise and toss lightly.
• Just before serving, add the peanuts and serve on lettuce leaves, or as a stuffing for peeled whole tomatoes.
• Five servings

"The Modern Family Cook Book" 
by Meta Givens ~ 1942

Lemon and Cherry Blocks

The most simple 1940s dessert I have made so far... Taken from the Better Homes and Gardens Magazine May 1943, its two different flavour jellos cut into cubes... with a few pineapple chunks thrown in for good measure.

What else is there to say...

Magazine Illustration

Lemon Jello

Cherry Jello

Canned Pineapple Chunks

• Prepare a lemon and a cherry flavored gelatine according to directions on packages. 
• Use canned fruit sirups for part of liquid 
• Pour into separate shallow pans. 
• Chill thoroly. 
• Dip knife into hot water; cut gelatine in 1-inch cubes. 
• Pile lightly. 
• Add pineapple spoon-sized cubes.

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
May 1943