The US Stock Market collapsed on October 29, 1929, surging the nation into what we know as the Great Depression. Countless jobs were lost during the Great Depression, millions lost their wages, and families began to go hungry. This was at a time when many were only living off of their own homestead, and if they didn’t, they wanted to start.
Situations got so desperate, that starving people made almost nothing out of food. Often all that was available was canned goods, flour, and eggs from your own chickens, if anything at all. Some of them had only one meal a day, and went hungry at night. For days or weeks on end, some consumed the same food because that’s all that was accessible to them.
Although this happened more than 90 years ago, we are preparing ourselves for all manner of worst-case scenarios today. We know that this Depression-era famine will arise again, of course, but here are some recipes that your parents or grandparents made out of almost nothing during the Great Depression.
You don’t have to follow all of these recipes exactly, you just have to adapt to what you have.
Related: 15 Weird Foods That Were Common During The Great Depression
Depression Bread
First of all, this bread is an enormous loaf made with just four ingredients, all of which are already in your food reserve.
Keeping homemade bread on-hand adds to many of the dishes on this list.
Ingredients
- 5 lbs. flour
- 5 tbsp yeast
- 6 tsp salt (optional, if you have it)
- 6 cups warm water, more or less depending on your flour
Instructions
- Make a well in the flour mound by adding flour to a bowl or board.
- Add the yeast, salt, and warm water to the well and knead them into a dough.
- Leave it to rise for 60 minutes or until the size has doubled.
- Put it in a baking pan and make 3-4 slits on top of the dough with a knife.
- Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees, until the bread is nicely browned on top.
Chipped Beef On Toast
Second, slice off some nice thick slices using the bread you just made to serve with this dried Depression meat delicacy.
What You’ll Need
- 8 oz. dried beef jerky
- 2 tbsp butter or oil
- 4 tbsp flour
- 4 cups milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Sliced homemade bread, for serving
- Add the jerky and oil over medium heat to a pan. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, before the meat softens.
- Incorporate your flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the milk, then bring it to a low boil. Enable the sauce for up to 5 minutes to thicken.
- Season with salt and pepper if you have it.
- Serve over homemade bread, toasted if desired.
Dandelion Salad
Much like they did in the 1930s, this salad can be picked from your own backyard.
As we know, dandelions are absolutely edible and delicious. Before eating, they just need a lot of cleaning.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. freshly picked dandelions, cleaned well
- 2 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
- 2-3 tbsp oil
Guidelines
- Go outside and pick the freshest, largest dandelions you can find.
- Then, cover the dandelions completely in cold water and rinse 3-4 times.
- Peel off the darkest outer leaves of the root using a knife. Again, rinse it.
- Either chop or leave it whole until clean, depending on your choice.
- Stir in a large bowl and season with oil and vinegar. Serve immediately.
Related: How to Bake Dandelion Bread [Recipe Inside]
Baked Beans
The beans are inexpensive, abundant, and filling.
In the Depression era, they were very common and recently had a revival with the outbreak of Covid-19.
If you don’t have all the vegetables you want, skip them without any issues.
What It Is Needed
- 1 package soaked dried beans, or 2 cans of beans
- One tomato, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tbsp lard
- Two tbsp molasses
- One cup water
- Instructions
- If you’re using dried beans, soak it overnight and drain the liquid.
- Prepare your veggies by chopping. Skip any vegetable that you do not have on-hand.
- Add lard to a stock pot and cook your vegetables until tender.
- Add the beans, water, and molasses. Cook them all together with a lid on for 2-3 hours or until the beans have the perfect consistency. When required, add more water.
- Serve it hot. Leftovers of this dish are very well-preserved and can be eaten for many days in a row.
Related: How to De-Gas Beans
Ash Cakes
Ash cakes got their name because various renditions are cooked in the hot white ash of your campfire. These are only three ingredients, but they are filling and have a great texture.
Ingredients
- ½ cup cornmeal
- 1 cup meat stock or water
- 2 tbsp lard or grease
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix all ingredients together and allow the cornmeal to sit overnight to hydrate. Pat into a bread pan and refrigerate or add to your cool storage before allowing to set up.
- Cut into 1-inch slices the next day and fry in the melted lard. Serve crispy and hot.
Hoover Stew
This stew is a fusion of what you have in your reserve at the moment. This recipe can be adapted very easily to the products you already have.
Essentials
- 1 box noodles
- A can of tomatoes
- 1 package of hot dogs, or 1 can of sausage or meat
- A can of corn, peas or beans
- 2-4 cups water
Guidelines
In a pot, mix all ingredients together until boiling.
Then simmer until the noodles are soft, do this for 15-20 minutes.
Onion and garlic will be a perfect addition, if you have aromatics available.
If not, the recipe, as it is, is fine.
Potato Soup
Right now, many of us have potatoes hidden in our yards, saving them through winter. At the end of winter, this is a perfect way to use up your potato crop, but you can also still use canned potatoes.
Ingredients
- 4 large potatoes, peeled and sliced (or 2 cans of potatoes)
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- One carrot, sliced
- A can of meat, sausage, or hot dogs (optional)
- 3 cups water or stock
- 3 cups milk
- Any herbs you have on-hand
- Salt to taste
Related: Preserving Potatoes Year Round – A Solid Choice for Preppers
What To Do
Put all your potatoes, garlic, and carrots in slices. Add the meat, water, and milk to the soup pot. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat, keeping the mixture at a low simmer.
Then for 30 minutes, cook until all the veggies are tender.
Add herbs and salt, if necessary. Serve it hot.
Rice Pudding
And finally, our only Great Depression dessert recipe. During a depression, there are not many comforts, but at least this rice pudding can add some familiarity to an undesirable circumstance.
What It Is Needed For This
- 1 cup rice
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp honey, maple syrup, or molasses
- Pinch of cinnamon
- In a small saucepan, mix all the ingredients and cook over low heat for approximately 20 minutes, while stirring frequently.
- Taste and cook for an additional 5 minutes, tasting until the desired consistency.
- Serve warm.
Related: 7 Ways to Use Rice in a Survival-Type Situation
Therefore, due to the growing uncertainty brought on by governments and the current pandemic, we might need our parents or grandparents’ Great Depression-era recipes earlier than we thought.
It’s possible to cook with almost nothing, as the 1930s and early 1940s showed us. With what you should already have in your root cellar and non-perishable reserves, all of these recipes are readily made. Use your judgement to add or omit any ingredients that suit you.
In conclusion, keep prepared with some recipes to keep your family fed and your homestead going forward the next time the economy collapses, which could be sooner than we think.
