there's nothing in here to eat but crackers and screw top wine in the 1930s the united states
experienced a severe drought known as the dust bowl during this era many foods were hard to
come by here are 10 foods people ate to survive during the dust bowl oh it's just a boiled sheep's
stomach canned tumbleweed leaves tumbleweed wheat oh that's good when most people think of the
american west they think of open spaces rugged individualism and the wild untamed landscape
but the west also had its share of tumbleweed these resilient wind-blown plants could be
found rolling through the desert or drifting down the plains these plants have weathered droughts
wildfires and the passage of time making them an enduring symbol of the american west even though
they are a classic staple image of the american west many people today would never think of them
as a source of food not many things sound as unappetizing as a can of tumbleweed leaves
but tumbleweed was incredibly prevalent during the dust bowl in the dust bowl almost nothing
grew but weeds such as lamb quarters and tumbleweed thrived i am a simple tumbleweed
call me sage families began collecting the weeds and storing them for winter consumption the ball
cannon corporation spearheaded a campaign to teach canning skills to dustbowl families almost
4 000 community canning kitchens helped feed hungry families during the times of the dust
bowl and great depression canned tumbleweed was usually brined to add some flavor and reduce the
overall harshness of the plant although not very appetizing these weeds were sometimes all a family
could harvest during the extreme drought and desolate landscape that was the american dust ball
having never seen these iconic symbols of the great american west as a source of food
most people living in the present-day american western regions should consider themselves lucky
to not have to resort to getting their nutrition from tumbleweed or other dry desert plants bean
soup stop that soup when it comes to meals soup is one of the most common and versatile there is
it's an easy way to use whatever you have on hand to make a nutritious meal that can be heated and
eaten right away or kept for a quick lunch or dinner later on during the great depression and
dust bowl the southwestern united states was hit by a series of devastating dust storms the storms
which have been compared to the biblical plagues killed thousands and caused billions of dollars
in economic damage but the storms also left an indelible mark on the region the most dramatic
impact of the dust bowl however wasn't its death and destruction but its legacy the foods of the
region soups were a staple for dust bowl residents many homes adopted dry beans or peas cooked with
vegetables water and flour as a mainstay some people kept a pot of soup simmering on their
stoves 24 hours a day seven days a week bean based soups were especially popular because beans were
easier to come by than other foods and could be stored for much longer without going bad hello
beans of legend beans also provided families with a good source of nutrition that could otherwise be
lacking from their diets during these times bean soups are still popular to this day although not
in the same form as they were during the dust bowl today bean based soups are enjoyed all
over the world and are no longer seen as a food of struggle but more of a specialty in most regions
hard-boiled eggs the half-orange half-red one is mine so don't eat it hard-boiled eggs are
cooked to the point when the egg white and yolk both solidify whereas soft-boiled eggs
may leave the yolk and occasionally the white partially liquid and uncooked around the world
boiled eggs are a popular morning item boiling eggs can be done in a variety of ways with the
most popular being immersion in boiling water eggs can also be cottled or steamed at a temperature
below that of boiling water one of the most common breakfast foods in the world the hard-boiled egg
is a great source of protein rich in vitamins and minerals and a convenient way to add healthy
fats and protein to your meals they're also incredibly versatile so there's no need to confine
them to breakfast perfect egg sandwich during the dust bowl eggs were reasonably simple to get and
were an essential source of protein they were frequently served over rice with a basic white
sauce families could add boiled eggs to their diets as a means to not only add some much needed
protein to their daily meals but to also have a snack that could be easily prepared and packed
for a day away from home the dust bowl saw many essential foods become unattainable but luckily
for some families eggs were still available the families that were fortunate enough to have
access to fresh eggs would often eat them morning afternoon and night pickled foods homemade pickled
beets pickling foods are a great way to preserve the natural goodness of fruits and vegetables
making them easier to eat on the go and adding some unique flavor it doesn't take much effort
to pickle fruits and veggies and the process can be as simple or as complex as you like already
the process of pickling is the preservation or extension of a food shelf life by fermentation
and brine or immersion in vinegar the texture and flavor of the foods are usually affected by
the pickling process adding a salty or vinegary taste vegetables fruits meats fish and eggs are
all examples of pickled foods unfortunately for the people who lived during the dust bowl the
only foods that were available to pickle were vegetables fruits eggs and a small
selection of meats with jackrabbit meat being a staple protein of the time for most families
jackrabbit jackrabbits are shy creatures that prefer to keep their distance and observe others
before deciding how to approach them they are curious and intelligent and have even been known
to solve complex problems but they prefer to be cautious as they are the potential prey of
a lot of different animals jackrabbits are natural survivors and are very strong runners which helps
them to escape predators they have long ears that help them to hear danger approaching from afar
not commonly hunted by humans for their meat jackrabbits are usually only hunted by other
predatory animals in the wild during the dust bowl however many families relied on any type of meat
that they could find so jackrabbit was a staple on the menu there were quite a lot of rabbits in the
plains of the dust bowl the region was inundated with jackrabbits who flourished in the hot
dry climate rabbits were hunted not just for their food but also because they ate the few crops that
flourished in the tough terrain which could be life-threatening to the folks who relied on the
few things they could grow the rabbits were dubbed hoover pigs by farmers after president herbert
hoover whom locals blamed for the great depression a common dust bowl supper was jackrabbit
biscuit and beans bacon grease i wake up to the smell of crackling bacon there's nothing
quite like the smell of freshly cooked bacon it signals the presence of a delicious meal and it
permeates homes around the world to this day the process of making bacon is a simple one but the
grease that it creates is often overlooked in present day kitchens when bacon fat is cooked
it liquefies and creates drippings when it cools it hardens into a lard-like substance
during the dust bowl food was notoriously hard to come by especially meats so many families
were always trying to stretch whatever food they had into more than one meal fine it's three eggs
with bits of bacon i like bacon bacon fat has a distinct flavor and may be utilized in a variety
of dishes in southern american cuisines vegan fat is traditionally conserved and used as a cooking
foundation and all-purpose flavoring for anything from gravy to cornbread to salad dressing during
the dust bowl many cooks would use bacon grease as a means of adding some much needed nutrition to
their undernourished families it wasn't so much a way of adding flavor as it is today but a need for
extra calories and a way of utilizing all of the things people could get their hands on casseroles
there's six months worth of casseroles in the freezer casseroles are a great way to feed a crowd
but they're also a great way to make a lot of food without having to cook individual portions
the casserole is an easy way to get dinner on the table but it's also a great way to use up
leftovers or incorporate different flavors and textures into a single meal baked meals have
been a staple for quite some time however around the 1870s the idea of casseroles started to evolve
into its modern form most civilizations have always cooked in earthenware vessels but casserole
cooking as a one-dish meal became popular in the united states in the 20th century stan smith's
famous dinner cooked chicken during the dust bowl hodgepodge casseroles were widespread they were
more like vehicles for nourishment rather than consume for their flavor in one popular dish
mushy spaghetti noodles white sauce and heavily boiled carrots were roasted in a pan and then
assembled together in a casserole-style dish it's safe to say that your average casserole in today's
world is much more appetizing than what was available during the harsh times of the dust bowl
dandelion salad must be the last one of the season salad dates back to the roman era where
cold vegetables were brine seasoned greens celery root chervil truffles and hard-boiled eggs with
creamy mustard dressing were supposedly loved by queen mary of scots throughout the medieval and
early modern periods but it wasn't until the 19th century that the leafy starter truly took off as a
popular meal offering even though this dust bolero dish has been long forgotten in the united states
it's still fairly common in other countries the dandelion is usually seen to be a bothersome weed
you put a dandelion in the daisy basket at the same time it has a long history of being used
as a medicinal plant to treat swelling indigestion skin problems eye problems
diarrhea and heartburn it also surprisingly has a higher concentration of vitamins a and c than
spinach and tomatoes they're also packed with vitamins b and d as well as potassium
calcium and iron this may explain why it had such a prestigious role in the dust bowl diet it was
a healthy alternative that included plain greens from any area vinegar if available pepper and salt
a taste it was a cheap meal that any family could prepare even during the height of the dust bowl
potato pancakes you've lost weight and so tall the dust bowl ushered in a period of scarcity
driven innovation as households were forced to make do with fewer home essentials and relied on
their ingenuity to devise substitutes made from more easily accessible items families throughout
the dust bowl used what they had to make up for shortages of nearly every food and item
from women drawing a line down the back of their legs to give the illusion of wearing stockings
to patching shoes with cardboard one of the most widely consumed foods during this time can still
be found across many cultures today and is one of the foods on this list that is still widely adored
potatoes are one of those foods that are readily available even in difficult times they're also one
of the most cost effective foods as a result it's no surprise that potatoes were popular
throughout the dust bowl and great depression chefs during the dust bowl relied heavily on
potatoes as a substitute in a variety of cuisines a potato pancake was one of the most popular foods
to grace the plates of families across the nation this was a basic dish that involved frying were
cooking shredded potatoes in a pan and formed into pancake like shapes this dish was served at almost
every meal as it provided more nutrition and flavor to the bleak plates of the time it's one
of the most well remembered dishes from the great depression and continues to be a popular item
to this day peanut butter stuffed onions onions onions this name may seem strange since the two
components of this meal have nothing to do with one another and even sound pretty revolting they
are also unrelated to one another in every way having no real reason to be combined during the
great depression however this strange combination of baked onions and peanut butter was rather
prevalent it was created for the first time by the bureau of home economics and has since become
famous for its peculiar flavor baked onions were stuffed with scoops of peanut butter resulting in
a dish that was widely ridiculed at first the creator of the dish asked woman to offer it
to all family members and become budgeters in an attempt to alleviate some of the strain that the
times have put on the average family although it's difficult to envision peanut butter with anything
other than jelly peanut butter and jelly poor chocolate baked onions packed with peanut butter
became the go-to dish during the great depression because it was so inexpensive and actually tasted
pretty good all things considered because most people could hardly afford to eat it had to
get inventive and things in the kitchen sometimes got a little odd we've got more just tap or click
on another video first time here then hit that subscribe button and ring that notification bell