So, what were some things your grandparents ate ?

[Jack_Ripper]

Mine were depression era people so I, when I was young, found it odd...

Grandma would dig up dandelions in their back yard, wilt the greens in hot bacon grease, then drizzle them with vinegar....I tried them and they were o.k., but what wouldn't be cooked in bacon grease ?

Grandpa would buy pigs feet at the butcher and pickle them...also made dandelion wine...

 

[indyogb]

My grandparents enjoyed liver and onions on occasion... but I know people still eat that now, even with other options. I mostly remember what my grandmother refused to eat - peas. I guess during the depression, pea soup was one of her family's staples.

I've heard of hippies eating dandelions even today. If you want to see the weird stuff some people eat, check out "Extreme Cheapskates" on Netflix - it gets pretty wild.

 

[Noodle]

My grandparents enjoyed liver and onions on occasion... but I know people still eat that now, even with other options. I mostly remember what my grandmother refused to eat - peas. I guess during the depression, pea soup was one of her family's staples.

I've heard of hippies eating dandelions even today. If you want to see the weird stuff some people eat, check out "Extreme Cheapskates" on Netflix - it gets pretty wild.

I love liver and onions, but my wife will not make it. As for dandelion greens, lots of people eat those today--some even plant them on purpose. I don't think anyone eats the actual dandelion flowers, however, just the greens.

 

[Beeazlebub]

I love liver and onions, but my wife will not make it. As for dandelion greens, lots of people eat those today--some even plant them on purpose. I don't think anyone eats the actual dandelion flowers, however, just the greens.

I mix the greens with early season arugula & lettuce for a nice balance of flavor, but I've also battered and fried dandelion flowers in the past. I don't think they're quite as tasty as squash blossoms, but some people love them. They're certainly not difficult to acquire if your lawn is untreated.

As far as what my grandparents ate: squirrel, rabbit, muskrat, souse, brains, jowl - just about anything as they were also depression era. I ate most of what they had when I was younger, and still use jowl to make carbonara, but I drew the line at muskrat.

 

[Noodle]

I mix the greens with early season arugula & lettuce for a nice balance of flavor, but I've also battered and fried dandelion flowers in the past. I don't think they're quite as tasty as squash blossoms, but some people love them. They're certainly not difficult to acquire if your lawn is untreated.

As far as what my grandparents ate: squirrel, rabbit, muskrat, souse, brains, jowl - just about anything as they were also depression era. I ate most of what they had when I was younger, and still use jowl to make carbonara, but I drew the line at muskrat.

Never knew people ate dandelion flowers like squash blossoms. Interesting. As for muskrat, I think I'll pass as well. It is sort of common in the Detroit area, and I was a kid in Toledo (just south of Detroit) I recall people eating them from time to time. Had a friend in junior high that used to trap them a lot and sell them for the fur. But he never brought a muskrat sandwich to school for lunch.

 

[SDBoiler1]

I love liver and onions, but my wife will not make it. As for dandelion greens, lots of people eat those today--some even plant them on purpose. I don't think anyone eats the actual dandelion flowers, however, just the greens.

Noodle, my grandmother would eat liver and onions at least once a month. Must be a German thing. She loved it - said it gave her lots of iron. They also ate this kind of beef/pork "hash" (mixed with oats and other things called "prettels" along with fried potatoes. My grandmother also made this pastry called "coffee cake" which still makes my mouth water thinking about it. She would bake these rectangular pans of this pastry that was slathered with butter and topped with brown sugar, and sometimes a little cinnamon and/or nutmeg. This stuff just melted in your mouth. So good. the old timers would dunk this stuff in their coffee (thus, coffee cake.)

My grandparents raised chickens, steers and milk cows, canned all kinds of fruit and vegetables (green beans, peaches, cherries, tomatoes, etc.) at their place. During the '30s and WWII, they were not affected by the food rations like others folks were. People often wanted to visit them because they did not grow or raise their own food and were severely affected by the rations.

 

[purduedavie]

Stuff made with lots of lard, not the healthiest but she lived until 90.

 

[SDBoiler1]

Noodle, my grandmother would eat liver and onions at least once a month. Must be a German thing. She loved it - said it gave her lots of iron. They also ate this kind of beef/pork "hash" (mixed with oats and other things called "prettels" along with fried potatoes. My grandmother also made this pastry called "coffee cake" which still makes my mouth water thinking about it. She would bake these rectangular pans of this pastry that was slathered with butter and topped with brown sugar, and sometimes a little cinnamon and/or nutmeg. This stuff just melted in your mouth. So good. the old timers would dunk this stuff in their coffee (thus, coffee cake.)

My grandparents raised chickens, steers and milk cows, canned all kinds of fruit and vegetables (green beans, peaches, cherries, tomatoes, etc.) at their place. During the '30s and WWII, they were not affected by the food rations like others folks were. People often wanted to visit them because they did not grow or raise their own food and were severely affected by the rations.

Agreed. My grandma lived to 99 1/2 and was quite healthy through 99. Last 1/2 year not so good after she had a stroke.

 

[Heller]

Beef Heart, Tongue, Ox Tail Soup, Turtle Soup, Brains and Eggs, Tomato Aspic (dessert), and a plethora of other crap that made me want to gag. (Actually the Turtle Soup was pretty good.)

 

[kescwi]

Beef Heart, Tongue, Ox Tail Soup, Turtle Soup, Brains and Eggs, Tomato Aspic (dessert), and a plethora of other crap that made me want to gag. (Actually the Turtle Soup was pretty good.)

I never understood tomato aspic, it turned me off on tomatoes for a long time. I'll add to the dislike list, mincemeat pie I haven't seen it since I was a kid but it was overpowering at that age.

I will say that I have read where the key to a good coney sauce is beef heart, which takes my mind to the good things they made/ate that are hard to come by these days, other than coney dogs, my favorites were desserts, all made from scratch, raised filled cookies, angle food cake and lemon meringue pie where the crust was meringue, lemon filing and whipped cream topping.