Get creative in the kitchen with these recipes from the 1950s

In post-war Scotland, homemakers had to get very crafty when it came to providing tasty and nutritious meals for their families. Some foods, including meat, cheese, butter, preserves, tea and sugar were rationed until 1954, while the dairy industry had not fully recovered from the war until the 1990s. This meant that in the 1950s, Scottish housewives had to get creative in the kitchen.

 

Luckily, there was plenty of support for these hard working women, with Scottish papers publishing recipes and cooking tips from fellow housewives, which appeared in the Pass It On column of the Sunday Post.

 

While some of the most popular recipes from the era don’t sound very appetising to the modern reader - take gelatin-based salads as an example - many of these recipes and tips not only showcase the inventiveness of Scottish women at the time, but also come in handy today. Have a look below to discover some of the best tips and recipes from the 1950s, found in the new book, Pass It On - Cooking Tips From The 1950s.

 
 
 

Beef Stew

1lb stewing steak

1 onion

1 large carrot

1 turnip

4 good sized potatoes

salt and pepper

a little hot water

Beef stew with plenty of vegetables is a nourishing dinner for the children. Cut the steak into pieces and brown in a pan into which a little dripping has been melted. Cut into slices the onion, carrot, and turnip. Arrange veg on top of meat; sprinkled with salt and pepper and then add the sliced potatoes until the pan is full. Add a little hot water and simmer slowly for two hours.

To discover more Scottish recipes and cooking tips from the 1950s, see the full article on the DC Thomson blog at : https://www.dcthomsonshop.co.uk/blog/1950s-recipes/