The years 1943 and 2009; so much time in between, but so much in common. The year 1943 was 56 years ago and the world was in the midst of the “war to end all wars”. The famed Baby Boomer generation wouldn’t begin to appear for 3 more years. The war effort required sacrifice by every man, woman and child in the United States. Then as now, it was not an easy time for Americans, but their were more challenges.
History
Here are a few examples of was going on in 1943:
- Rationing rules for shoes, canned food, meat, cheese, butter and cooking oils went into effect for the United States.
- German forces liquidate the Jewish ghetto in Krakow.
- The British and American bombers attack Hamburg causing a firestorm that kills 42,000 German civilians.
- A famine in Bengal, India kills 3 million people.
- “Pay As You Go Tax” is introduced into the United States; the beginning of income tax withholding.
Some positive events also took place in 1943. These include:
- German Afrika Korps and Italian troops in North Africa surrender to Allied forces.
- Mussolini resigns in Italy.
- Warsaw Jewish Ghetto uprising against the Nazi’s.
- The Great Depression officially ended with unemployment figures dropping fast due to WWII related employment.
- Lebanon gains independence from France.
Economics
The economics were obviously quite a bit different in 1943 as well:
- Average wages per year - $2,000
- Average cost of a home - $3,600
- Average cost for house rent - $40
- Average price for a new car - $900
- Gallon of Gas - 15 cents
- Bottle of Coca-Cola - 5 cents
- Loaf of Bread - 10 cents
- Shrimp (1 lb.) - 53 cents
- Steak (1 lb.) - 40 cents
- Coffee (1 lb.) - 24 cents
Automotive manufacturers were in the news back then as well; albeit a bit more positively. Ford and GM were managing a change from producing cars to bombs and aircraft. The industrial might of the United States is credited as one of the major factors that contributed to the Allied victory.
Due to the number of men fighting overseas, a prolific change in the employment landscape was taking place as 18 million women entered the work force. This evolution was a major catalyst in the women’s rights movement that changed the world.
Politics
Socialism
Not everyone agreed with what was going on the United States at that time. Socialism was seeing significant growth and support. In the U.S., organizations like the American Peace Mobilization and veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade protested in opposition to the war, conscription, and the Lend-Lease Act. They said of Lend-Lease, “Roosevelt needs its dictatorial powers to further his aim of carving out of a warring world, the American Empire so long desired by the Wall Street money lords.”
Isolationism
There were also Isolationists that felt that the United States needed to worry about it’s own problems and let the rest of the world worry about theirs. Having seen their Wilsonian idealism for forgiveness for the Central Powers in WWI rejected, some Americans hoped to sit out this “Old World” war. The isolationists were a large, vocal, and powerful challenge to President Roosevelt’s efforts to fight the dictators. The attack on Pearl Harbor is generally considered to have decisively ended isolationism as a viable policy.
War Effort
Many in the United States were attempting to do what they had to do to help the war effort. This involved industry, local organizations, families and individuals. One of the interesting phenomena to develop in the United States was the Victory Garden. This was a coordinated effort by the government to encourage personal food production to take the strain off the food supply system required for the troops. Victory Gardens were a personal effort by families to put scarce food items on the table and save money.
Home Canning Guide
An example of this effort was the Home Canning Guide developed and distributed in 1943 by the Westinghouse Electric &
Home Canning Guide distributed by Westinghouse Electric in 1943
Manufacturing Company. This guide was a war time communication to housewives throughout the United States on doing their part for the war. It is interesting to note the references to patriotic duty and statements like, “it takes work to preserve foods at home but not nearly as strenuous work as you’d do in a concentration camp“.
This guide with a forward from the Director of Defense Nutrition and Home Economics at Westinghouse Electric walks the housewife through “the 5 home preservation methods to outwit winter food shortages“.
Some quotes from the guide that are still applicable today are:
“If you are lucky enough to have a Victory Garden, you will grow your own vegetables. If you live near fruit or vegetable growers or near farm communities, try to obtain extra fruits and vegetables. Help pick them if necessary.”
” If you are a city dweller, there’s usually a large public market in town. Form the habit of haunting that market in the early morning hours to get the top quality produce you want for home preservation.”
Other interesting suggestions and information are included:
- “Have plenty of tomatoes for they’re rich in Vitamin C needed daily to prevent Scurvy”
- “Uncle Sam says, “Can them, pickle them, brine them, kraut them, dry them and store them”"
- “For Health… Eat some food from each group… every day. In addition to the Basic 7, eat any other foods you want”
The conception of the food pyramid in 1943 was still under formulation. The food groups at that time were described as the Basic 7 Food Groups.
Basic 7 Food Groups
- “Leafy, or Other Green or Yellow Vegetables”
- “Oranges, Tomatoes, Grapefruit, Raw Cabbage or Salad Greens”
- “Potatoes or Other Vegetables or Fruits”
- “Milk or Milk Products”
- “Meat, Poultry, Fish, Eggs or Legumes”
- “Bread or Cereals”
- “Butter or Fortified Margarine”
It is also apparent that while some food preservation methods are the same, many methods have undergone change since 1943. There are suggestions not to use chemicals or “canning powders” in canning because they are not wholesome and in some cases might be harmful.
The Home Canning Guide covers canning methods that include:
- By Pressure Cooker
- By Oven or Roaster
- Water Bath
- By Open Kettle
Instructions and advice on other food preservation methods such as freezing in your “local quick freeze locker plant”, dehydrating and a somewhat dubious sounding set of instructions for “Sulphuring Fruits for Drying”.
The Home Food Gourmet would like to offer you a FREE PDF version of the “Home Canning Guide” for your own use and enjoyment. Follow the link below and use the email form to request your copy sent via email. Please include “Home Canning Guide” in the subject line.
Click here to take you to the Home Food Gourmet “Home Canning Guide” free giveaway.
http://www.homefoodgourmet.com/home_food_gourmet_newsletter/request_information/home_food_gourmet_news.html
Written by Tom Heidel, The Home Food Gourmet
The Home Food Gourmet provides news, tutorials, how-to’s, recipes and gear to preserve your own food at home. Whether you are making sausage, dehydrating, curing or smoking food or canning, Home Food Gourmet is where you need to start. See our huge selection of sausage making supplies, kits and seasonings to make great tasting, healthy foods in your own home.
Visit the following links:
Home Food Gourmet - www.homefoodgourmet.com
Home Food Store - http://www.homefoodgourmet.com/the_home_food_store.html
Home Food Gourmet Blog - http://www.homefoodgourmet.com/blog
Home Food Recipes - http://www.homefoodgourmet.com/home-food-gourmet-recipes
Tags: baby boomer, canning, dehydrating, food, Free, fresh produce, garden, home canning guide, making sausage, preserving, sausage-making, save money, victory garden, world war
