Foodstuffs from The Land Of Ago

[prfesser]

So many things I can't remember...but I *do* remember us driving a few miles to Claysburg where they were handing out government commodities---surplus from gov't stockpiles, war surplus, etc. We got processed cheese ("Velveeta"), nonfat dry milk powder, peanut butter, imitation Spam, canned vegetables, canned beef broth (with lots of beef!), oatmeal, wheatmeal, cornmeal, buckwheat meal, wheat flour, and other foods. This family would have been hard-pressed to survive the 60s without these handouts (and a huge garden. And help from family. And Dad raised rabbits; there were funny-looking chicken drumsticks on some Sundays. )

Food stamps seem to have replaced these goods. Though they're still out there, even if they aren't released. My understanding is that the US has, for example, a 1.5 billion lb stockpile of cheese. And an even larger pile of red meat and chicken. Why? I dunno.

 

[Peartree]

Once upon a time, and likely now, the reason we had a crap ton of processed cheese (and decided to give it away) was because the government was purchasing thousands of tons of raw milk to support milk prices (and thus dairy farmers). I would imagine that we have pork and beef fir similar reasons, though I have a hard time believing that meat prices need any support

 

[rharshberger]

Gubemint Cheese...among other things, I remember as kid having similar products in the house circa early 70's.

 

[jsdemar]

I remember the cheese and white cans. There was an old school built in 1899 across from the house I grew up in. Sturdy 3-story brick building. It was the Civil Defense shelter for a few 1000 people in my half of the town. I only went there for kindergarten, but I remember large stockpiles in the basement with the food items you showed in those photos. And barrels of water stored in metal cages in the ceiling. There was an air-raid siren on the roof that was tested every month... intended to be heard for miles... it was deafening even with the windows closed in our house! The school was torn down about 20 years ago and I really wanted one of the CD placards, but someone beat me to it. My parents still lived in the same house until they passed ~4 years ago.

Rocket content: a few of my model rocket ended up on the roof of that school.

 

[tsmith1315]

There was an air-raid siren on the roof that was tested every month... intended to be heard for miles... it was deafening even with the windows closed in our house!

Our little town still has one and tests it the first Saturday of every month at noon. We're about 4 miles away and can hear it.

 

[dhbarr]

I do miss the Generic aisle. Plain packaging, no store brand. Kind of surprised nobody's brought it back, given current food prices.

 

[tsmmiller]

I remember cheese, butter, dry milk, beans, peanut butter and flour in those flowered sacks.
We got that several times. I also remember living off discarded CRats for most of a year.
Dad was in charge of mobility and was to toss all that stuff. He brought it home. We ate it.
I can still taste the crackers. The pound cake was so dry you didn’t eat it unless you had peaches or fruit cocktail to wet it down first.
Things so long forgotten, remembered with a photo, or an odor.

 

[rharshberger]

I remember cheese, butter, dry milk, beans, peanut butter and flour in those flowered sacks.
We got that several times. I also remember living off discarded CRats for most of a year.
Dad was in charge of mobility and was to toss all that stuff. He brought it home. We ate it.
I can still taste the crackers. The pound cake was so dry you didn’t eat it unless you had peaches or fruit cocktail to wet it down first.
Things so long forgotten, remembered with a photo, or an odor.

Yes, but whats significant is all these years later you can still taste them just by seeing a photo, that says lots in and of itself. Flour in cloth sacks was gone by the time I was growing up, but I remember many dishclothes in my grandmothers kitchen made with them, and she used them to cover rising bread.

 

[Art Upton]

So many things I can't remember...but I *do* remember us driving a few miles to Claysburg where they were handing out government commodities---surplus from gov't stockpiles, war surplus, etc. We got processed cheese ("Velveeta"), nonfat dry milk powder, peanut butter, imitation Spam, canned vegetables, canned beef broth (with lots of beef!), oatmeal, wheatmeal, cornmeal, buckwheat meal, wheat flour, and other foods. This family would have been hard-pressed to survive the 60s without these handouts (and a huge garden. And help from family. And Dad raised rabbits; there were funny-looking chicken drumsticks on some Sundays. )

Food stamps seem to have replaced these goods. Though they're still out there, even if they aren't released. My understanding is that the US has, for example, a 1.5 billion lb stockpile of cheese. And an even larger pile of red meat and chicken. Why? I dunno.

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But the Websites on how long food lasts says "Velveeta" only lasts 6 months. I remember it lasting for years like Spam that lasts even forever.

If it goes bad that fast how long would it last a a Sub or Carrier run? I think they lie to us on how short things last now.

I remember folks on food stamps that also get huge chunks of processed cheese for free on top of the stamps in the 80s.

 

[MarsLander]

Yes, but whats significant is all these years later you can still taste them just by seeing a photo, that says lots in and of itself.

I can taste these from the photo...

 

[Art Upton]

I can taste these from the photo...

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We were told that was "Space Food"

 

[tsmmiller]

We were told that was "Space Food"

Chocolate and peanut butter. I preferred the peanut butter. The box probably tasted about the same!

 

[rharshberger]

I can taste these from the photo...

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Never had those inflicted upon me...or if they were the trauma was great enough it was scrubbed from my memory....

 

[Art Upton]

Chocolate and peanut butter. I preferred the peanut butter. The box probably tasted about the same!

China Sold Korea Shrimp Food crackers mixed in with cardboard till it was found out...

 

[Art Upton]

China Sold Korea Shrimp Food crackers mixed in with cardboard till it was found out...

they also sold us Pet Food that Killed our Dogs and Cats plus bad baby milk

 

[tsmith1315]

But the Websites on how long food lasts says "Velveeta" only lasts 6 months. I remember it lasting for years like Spam that lasts even forever.

Don’t confuse a “best by” date with an expiration date, “Best by” means best for the mfr if you toss it and buy more.

We were told that was "Space Food"

Yep! Space Food Sticks and Tang, just like the astronauts ate!

 

[Art Upton]

Don’t confuse a “best by” date with an expiration date, “Best by” means best for the mfr if you toss it and buy more.



Yep! Space Food Sticks and Tang, just like the astronauts ate!

Yes I know that, but the same website said it would cause huge problems in less then a year. And 2 year old Cam's Chicken Noodle was causing problems they said in the article .

Back in the late 70s and early 80s years old brick cheese was government or the yellow brand.

 

[tsmith1315]

Yes I know that, but the same website said it would cause huge problems in less then a year.

Problems to their cash flow! Drives me crazy.

Remember how we used to know when someone wasn’t good when there were no dates on everything?

 

[MClark]

 

[MClark]

My brother flew a plane for the Navajo tribe. They gave him gov-mint cheese. It was good.

I worked at Grand Canyon Caverns and it was an official fallout shelter.
Every few years the would taste test the canned water and crackers. I ate a few, a bit stale but would be fantastic if I was starving..

 

[Cape Byron]

China Sold Korea Shrimp Food crackers mixed in with cardboard till it was found out...

And melamine in milk and baby formula for extra whiteness.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/200... milk scandal,other kidney damage in infants.

 

[dhbarr]

And melamine in milk and baby formula for extra whiteness.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/200... milk scandal,other kidney damage in infants.

All of which are things corporations in the US have proven over and over they would gladly do if they thought they could get away with it.

Remember, until the EPA the Cuyahoga caught on fire every decade for a century....

 

[MClark]

Remember, until the EPA the Cuyahoga caught on fire every decade for a century....

I have a friend who lived there.
Her dad would pack a picnic lunch, gather everyone up to go see the river on fire.
Good times in the 60’s! We knew how to have fun!

 

[OverTheTop]

And melamine in milk and baby formula for extra whiteness.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/200... milk scandal,other kidney damage in infants.

It also provided the same nitrogen ratios as regular milk and could fool the regulated test procedure (on a mass spectrometer). The regulated procedure was updated to detect melamine very quickly when discovered.

 

[Hobie1dog]

Now food stamps have been replaced with the credit card that they give you called an EBT card. One guy told me that people call it the, "eat better today" card.

 

[teepot]

I remember the surplus food. When we lived near Detroit we would hear the air raid siren every Sunday at noon, IIRC. I remember sonic booms over Detroit too. My elementary school was also a bomb shelter. We would do air raid drills once in a while. All the kids would go into the basement. Each class had a designated space. There were concrete walls separating each area. I remember at the back of our area was a mural of Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs. I liked the food sticks. It was like candy. And of course Tang. There is Tang in the pantry now. You can find all the old candies on line. Turkish taffy, three color coconut chews etc.

 

[Hobie1dog]

And of course Tang. There is Tang in the pantry now.

It's been over 50 years since I've had Tang, i guess it's time to try it again.

 

[Knundrm]

So many things I can't remember...but I *do* remember us driving a few miles to Claysburg where they were handing out government commodities---surplus from gov't stockpiles, war surplus, etc. We got processed cheese ("Velveeta"), nonfat dry milk powder, peanut butter, imitation Spam, canned vegetables, canned beef broth (with lots of beef!), oatmeal, wheatmeal, cornmeal, buckwheat meal, wheat flour, and other foods. This family would have been hard-pressed to survive the 60s without these handouts (and a huge garden. And help from family. And Dad raised rabbits; there were funny-looking chicken drumsticks on some Sundays. )

Food stamps seem to have replaced these goods. Though they're still out there, even if they aren't released. My understanding is that the US has, for example, a 1.5 billion lb stockpile of cheese. And an even larger pile of red meat and chicken. Why? I dunno.

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Commodity cheese...memories. wow!