New England Regional Cookery: Twentieth and Early Twenty-First Centuries: Two World Wars and a Depression

Three major events disrupted New England foodways in the twentieth century. Two world wars brought periods of rationing of meat, butter, and sugar for most citizens, and the Depression caused hardship for many New Englanders. That these events occurred within thirty years meant that some people spent most of their lives getting by. Others grew up during the Depression, endured World War II, and entered the 1950s with strong memories of hard times and making do or doing without. With meat consumption curtailed during rationing, some families ate more fish than they once had. Many families had victory gardens, and, encouraged by government agencies, patriotically canned fruits and vegetables.