Get a taste of the 1930s

Get a taste of the 1930s

Get a taste of the 1930s

From dinner parties to home-cooked meals, explore staple dishes that were served during the 1930s. With snapshots from Newspapers.com™, you can discover inventive recipes from a generation who learned how to do more with less.

From dinner parties to home-cooked meals, explore staple dishes that were served during the 1930s. With snapshots from Newspapers.com™, you can discover inventive recipes from a generation who learned how to do more with less.

© Library and Archives Canada

1931 Census Page   >   Recipes

1931 Census Page   >   Recipes

Recipes from the archives

Recipes from the archives

Recipes from the archives

Discover how to make popular 1930s dishes with
these recipes direct from newspapers of the time.

Discover how to make popular 1930s dishes with these recipes direct from newspapers of the time.

  • Peach sunburst icebox cake

    Peach sunburst icebox cake

    Ingredients

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups whipping cream2 cups whipping cream
    • 4 tablespoons powdered sugar4 tablespoons powdered sugar
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 3/4 teaspoon almond flavouring3/4 teaspoon almond flavouring
    • 32 butter cookies32 butter cookies
    • 4 canned peaches halves4 canned peaches halves

    Directions

    Directions

    Whip cream, add sugar, salt and flavouring. Line bottom and sides of a seven-inch spring form with cookies. Add layer of whipped cream, then another layer of cookies and repeat layer for layer until all are used. Top with cream and decorate with half peach.

    Whip cream, add sugar, salt and flavouring. Line bottom and sides of a seven-inch spring form with cookies. Add layer of whipped cream, then another layer of cookies and repeat layer for layer until all are used. Top with cream and decorate with half peach.

  • Fall salad made with turnips

    Fall salad made with turnips

    Ingredients

    Ingredients

    (4 servings)

    (4 servings)

    • 3 cups diced cooked turnips3 cups diced cooked turnips
    • 1 head lettuce, shredded1 head lettuce, shredded
    • 1 egg1 egg
    • 3 teaspoons olive oil3 teaspoons olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice1 teaspoon lemon juice
    • SeasoningSeasoning

    Directions

    Directions

    Place diced turnips and shredded lettuce in bowl. Beat egg yolk. Beat white separately until stiff, add the oil and yolk, and continue beating until blended. Season, combine with vegetables.

    Place diced turnips and shredded lettuce in bowl. Beat egg yolk. Beat white separately until stiff, add the oil and yolk, and continue beating until blended. Season, combine with vegetables.

  • Tomato sauce

    Tomato sauce

    Ingredients

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups canned or stewed tomatoes2 cups canned or stewed tomatoes
    • 1 onion, minced1 onion, minced
    • 1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon mustard1 teaspoon mustard
    • 2½ tablespoons flour2½ tablespoons flour
    • 2 cloves2 cloves
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper¼ teaspoon pepper
    • 1 teaspoon sugar1 teaspoon sugar
    • 2 tablespoons butter2 tablespoons butter

    Directions

    Directions

    Combine the tomatoes and seasonings, and stew 15 minutes. Sift, and thicken with the butter and flour until blended.

    Combine the tomatoes and seasonings, and stew 15 minutes. Sift, and thicken with the butter and flour until blended.

  • Eggless, milkless, butterless cake

    Eggless, milkless, butterless cake

    Ingredients

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups brown sugar2 cups brown sugar
    • 2 cups hot water2 cups hot water
    • 2 tbsp shortening2 tbsp shortening
    • 1 tsp salt1 tsp salt
    • 1 package seedless raisins1 package seedless raisins
    • 1 tsp cinnamon1 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 tsp cloves1 tsp cloves
    • 3 cups flour3 cups flour
    • 1 tsp soda1 tsp soda

    Directions

    Directions

    Boil together the sugar, water, shortening, salt, raisins and spices for 5 minutes. When cold, add the flour and soda, which has been dissolved in a teaspoon of hot water. Bake in two loaves for 45 minutes in a moderate oven of 350 °F.

    Boil together the sugar, water, shortening, salt, raisins and spices for 5 minutes. When cold, add the flour and soda, which has been dissolved in a teaspoon of hot water. Bake in two loaves for 45 minutes in a moderate oven of 350 °F.

Recipe sourced from Newspapers.com

Chocolate cake

During the 1930s, milk and eggs became too expensive for many families. This ’eggless, milkless chocolate cake’ shows the resilience of Canadian citizens during the 1930s.

Nut wafers

With protein hard to source, people had to get creative with their meals. This recipe tells you how to make a rich and filling sweet treat which the whole family could enjoy.

Potato candy

A recipe which may seem unusual was ’potato candy’. At this time, ingredients for candied snacks were easier to find in shops than ingredients for highly nutritious meals, particularly for struggling households.

Cheese fondue

The Vancouver Sun published a few helpful articles on ’thrift recipes’ to cut costs in the kitchen. One dish was cheese fondue, which may even be enjoyed as an appetizer today.

Smothered potatoes

Another dish belonging to the ’thrift recipes’ newspaper segment, is ’smothered potatoes’. With the combination of carbohydrates and vegetables, this would have been a beneficial meal to make during the 1930s.

Prize fudge cake

This economical cake, submitted as part of The Vancouver Sun’s daily best recipe award, earned Mrs. C. Hauck $1. As some items were expensive at the time, alternatives are offered in the recipe, allowing more people to create this cake. A delicious dessert for everyone to enjoy!

Find your ancestors in the 1931 Census