With the museum preparing for our "Dirty Thirty's" meal, game and trivia night, I got to wondering what folks ate (other than dust) during that bleak time. My mom is usually my go to with these types of questions, but she was only just born during the Dust Bowl, so she would not remember. I turned, of course, to the internet for answers. Here's what I found:
The Dust Bowl had a bounty of nothing - except rabbits. Phillips County, along with the rest of the Dust Bowl area, was overrun with jackrabbits, which thrived in the warm, dry weather. Aside from acting as a vital source of food, rabbits were also hunted because they ate what very few crops grew in the harsh environment. Farmers called the rabbits “Hoover hogs” after President Hoover, because the country blamed him for the Great Depression.
Jack, biscuit, and beans became a standard Dust Bowl-era meal.
Popcorn was once considered a breakfast food, and in the Dust Bowl, people ate it like cereal - in a bowl with milk. Popcorn was cheap - it often went for 5 to 10 cents a bag - so it was affordable even for families hit hard by the Depression.
Almost nothing would grow in the Dust Bowl, but weeds like lamb’s quarters and tumbleweeds continued to thrive. Families resorted to brining the weeds and storing them to eat during the winter. The Ball Canning Corporation spearheaded an effort to spread canning skills to families affected by the Dust Bowl. Nearly 4,000 community canning kitchens provided food to struggling families.
Oranges were scarce in the Dust Bowl. While berries were plentiful, oranges and bananas were a rare treat. Because there wasn't enough citrus for a proper marmalade, families instead opted to make carrot marmalade.
Making a dandelion salad involved picking dandelions, cutting off the flower as well as the roots, and then removing dead leaves from the plant. They cooked then soaked the dandelion leaves after rinsing them several times to remove the dirt. The salad was sometimes topped with lemon juice, olive oil, and salt.
Hodgepodge casseroles were common in the Dust Bowl. They acted more as “[vehicles] for nutrition” rather than taste. One casserole recipe called for mushy spaghetti noodles, white sauce, and boiled carrots baked in a tray.
Residents of the Dust Bowl relied heavily on soups. Dried beans or peas cooked with vegetables, water, and flour became a staple of many households.
Eggs, Eggs, Eggs! Hardboiled and fried egg sandwiches were popular. They provided protein and were relatively easy to come by.
And the weirdest of all...baked onions stuffed with peanut butter. The Bureau of Home Economics came up with this recipe..........