Wartime Food

Food was, and always will be, an important part of people's lives. This was not exempt during the years of the Second World War. It was only made much harder to enjoy. Britain imported around 70% of its food in the years before the war which proved to be difficult to continue as war broke out and continued longer than people expected. Germany targetted ships that were supplying Britain with the food they needed and torpedoed them in an attempt to starve and reduce morale of the British public.

As we know, food was rationed greatly; starting in January 1940 and ending in 1954. Certain foods were so scarce that children grew up without knowing what they certain food items were; for example, bananas. Most children did not see their first one until after the war had ended. 

(You can read more in depth about rationing, and what was rationed (hint: it's not just food) here.) 

The war years were ones that were dependent on vegetables and mock meals. Due to the Dig for Victory campaign, there was no shortage of vegetables for the British individual. They became a staple to every meal. Mock meals consisted of using other foodstuff in order to make a fake version of something else. Mock fried egg, for example, was made using dried eggs as opposed to a fresh one. Take mock sausages as another example. Instead of meat, they were made using the likes of oats and seasoning. 

When we think of the Second World War, the Home Front, and the food that was eaten, to most people the name "Lord Woolton's Pie" will spring to mind. The dish was named after the Minister of Food at the time, and is probably the most famous dish of the war. It consisted of vegetables meaning it could be made at anytime and could easily be adapted for seasonal vegetables, which made it popular at the time. It was filling for the family, and put a meal on the table that was cheap and easy to make. However, it was not greatly recieved by the public. It had been described as grim and dull... and probably every other miserable adjective to describe this rather boring pie. But it did the job for the duration of the war years. The ingredients for this dish are as followed (as found in Marguerite Patten's Victory Cookbook and We'll Eat Again);

• 1lb (450g) diced potatoes
  
• 1lb (450g) cauliflower
• 1lb (450g) diced carrots
• 1lb (450g) diced swede
• 3 spring onions
• 1 teaspoon vegetable extract
• 1 tablespoon oatmeal 
• 3-4 chopped spring onions
  

It would have been topped with a wholemeal potato pastry or mashed potato and was often also served with gravy. 

Another popular dish during these years was a crumble! The ingredients in it were readily available for the rationing allowance and meant that this was more accessible to people. Crumbles used less flour, butter and sugar, therefore covering the filling whilst using less ingredients. One of the most popular crumbles was apple. The ingredients for would have been similar to this (as found on the1940sexperiment);

• 8 apples
• 4 dessert spoons of brown sugar
  
• 4 dessert spoons of white sugar
  
• 2 oz margarine or butter
• 4 oz wholewheat flour
• A pinch of salt
• Cinnamon 

Using what was available in nature was another way to create meals and be kept fed. Things that could be found within the garden/parks/nature in general were used in meals; for example, dandelions leaves were used within salads, and nettles were used for soups. Most weeds that were found, if edible, were added to meals or meals were created from there. Here is the list of ingredients for nettle soup;

• 1l of nettles
  
• 2l of water
• Some onion
• Salt and pepper
• 2tbs wheat flour 

As with most foodstuff during the war, flour was also rationed. This meant that wheat grain was then to be used to make bread. Thus, the creation of the National Loaf; being introduced in 1942 and ending in 1956. It was hugely unpopular. Bakers had to produce this bread due to the limited amount of white flour that was available; it was dense, heavy, and stale by the time customers could purchase it. It even managed to gain the nickname "Hitler's Secret Weapon". The recipe for official bakers selling the loaf was;

• 1740g potato flour
  
• 140g sea salt
• 4740ml tap water
• 6g vitamin C
• 5220g wholemeal flour
• 210g yeast

Toad in the hole was made largely popular throughout the war. This was due to the fact it helped to stretch out the amount of meat during a period of rationing. Any meat was used if sausages were not available. As well as this, any leftover meat would be used to create this meal. It is a filling dish and could be used with all of the vegetables that were not in low supply to the public. A typical recipe for Toad in the Hole is as followed;

• 1 oz of butter/margarine/dripping
• 1 lb sausages (or any available meat/leftovers)
• 5 oz of plain flour
• 1 tbsp of dried egg powder
• 2 tbsp of water
• 1/2 pint of milk (or as another popular alternative, milk mixed with water) 
• Some salt
  

For breakfast, porridge was often eaten. Or people would instead consume the national loaf with the likes or marmalade on or dripping (sometimes with tomatoes ontop). This, of course, would be served with tea, however there wouldn't be any sugar added. Most breakfast cereal had been imported prior to the war, from the likes of the US. Of course, rationing and the inability to get these imports meant that alternatives had to be found.

Preserving food was immensley important throughout the war. In doing this, it helped to ensure that food produce would be able to last longer and provide during the harsh winter months, where crops would naturally be harder to grow. The likes of summer fruits could be stored and would be able to be used during the months that they were not in season. The Ministry of Food approved ways of doing this. 

Fruits, for example, would be put into a perserving bottle and filled with cold water. They would then be placed into a deep vessel, which would have water in that would cover the tops of the bottles. After 1 and a half hours, it would be brought to a heat of between 165-175 fahr., depending on the fruit. After around ten minutes to half an hour, the bottles are removed for cooling. One cooled, they can be stored away. Different food items used a different method of storing based on what it was. Vegetables, for example, are unsafe for preserving.

Read more about the different ways of war time preserving (such as drying, salting, pickles and chutneys) here.

Jam was of great importance starting in 1939. It was with the Women's Institute that the fruit and vegetables that were feared would go to waste were instead collected and, after getting sugar from the Ministry of Food, were instead turned into jam. In 1939 there were 200 preservation centres, in 1940 there were 1,000, and by the end of 1940, the Women's Institute had set up 2,600 centres. Jam was made on a huge scale, thus helping to reduce the amount of fruit wasted from the summer months. The Imperial War Museum states that in the first wave of jam making by the WI, there was around 450 tons of fruit that was saved from rotting. A very important achievement in a time of war and rationing. With rationing becoming tighter, it meant that making and supplying jam faced restrictions. A record would have to be kept.

These food shortages led to finding food substitutes. One of these during wartime was whale meat. The Minister of Food deemed whale met to be off ration, and the supply of it continued until after the war had ended. The way in which to cook ths was provided through newspapers and the wireless. Much like a lot of the food produced during these years, it wasn't very popular at all. The smell was awful and the taste was bland; there wasn't much going for it at all. But, it provided a hungry country with an alternative to meat that was in incredibly short supply.

Another unpopular food item during the war years was Snoek (or Snook). This was a cheap fish that was caught in South Africa and then sent to England for the population to eat. It was a cheap alternative to other fish, such as cod and haddock. Much like whale meat, it was so unpopular that people eventually just did not buy the fish at all. It was branded as having a foul taste, and an unpleasant smell. No matter how many different ways in which to use this fish were provided (as paste, sandwiches, etc), and no matter how many recipes were created to use it, the foodstuff never caught on with the British public. Instead, it was branded as pet food. 

The years of the Second World War provided to be a time of creativity when it came to making meals. Food substitutes were introduced and mock meal recipes were created. The use of vegetables in meals was greatly increased to keep everyone fed, full, and healthy. It has been said that the British population were at their healthiest during the war years. This is likely due to the healthier adopted diet and the increased physical work done by all. Looking back at a time when whale meat and smelly, tasteless fish was an alternative to normal meat filled meals, we can be grateful that we live in a time where these substitutes aren't something that we have to rely on.