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    Home » Everything Amish » Plain Culture

    5 Amish Recipes From The Great Depression

    Published: May 25, 2017 · Updated: May 25, 2017 by Kevin Williams | 5 Comments

    By Kevin Williams

    RELATED RECIPES:
    COLD MILK SOUP, COFFEE SOUP, AND CHEESE SOUP

    Also, check out the sponsored product of the week on Amazon: Amish pickled beets (these are amazing, I eat them like candy).

    The Great Depression of the 1930s really did influence Amish cooking for generations. Amish cooks were always frugal and inventive, but as farms failed and jobs became scarce the Amish really had to stretch their resources.  Eggs were eaten for almost any meal.  Homemade cereals were the norm and desserts were scratched out of whatever could be found.  Doesn't mean these foods weren't still tasty, in fact, these dishes set the stage for Amish cooking to become what it is today: simple and hearty.   The more recent Great Recession caused the Amish to reach back to their roots and reconnect with some of these old recipes.

    One of my favorite Great Depression recipes has always been mock lemon pie or "vinegar pie."

    I first heard about vinegar pie years ago in Adams County, Indiana.  When I first heard about the pie I envision a sulfuric-smelling, grotesque-tasting mess in a crust.  But thought the recipe sounded interesting and that I’d give it a go.   When it came out of the oven I had a smooth, silky tasting pie that delivered the flavor and tartness of lemon without a rind in sight.

    RELATED RECIPE:  Mock Pecan Pie

    This dish likely originated during the Great Depression years when citrus was in short supply.  But call it “mock lemon pie”, who wants to serve “vinegar pie” to company?   Or even yourself!   So if you have the urge for a simple but delicious and different pie give this a whirl this weekend!

    Vinegar pie

    MOCK LEMON PIE (Vinegar pie)
    ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
    1 ¼ cups sugar
    2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
    3 large eggs
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, blend the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, stirring vigorously with a fork. Add the vinegar, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk vigorously for 1 full minute, until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Pour into the unbaked pie crust. Bake until butter knife inserted in the center comes out clean. About 45 minutes. The pie will be golden brown. Cool on wire rack until firm.

    Vinegar Pie

     

    Other recipes popular during the Depression included easy egg dishes (eggs were still usually in plentiful supply and a ready source of all-important protein).  Potato soup was filling and starchy and easy, and onions were also almost always available, hence the onion patties.  Meat like hamburger usually could be found, but it was stretched and put into easy dishes like the "one dish meal" below.

    5.0 from 2 reviews
    Easy Baked Eggs
     
    Print
    Cook time
    60 mins
    Total time
    1 hour
     
    Ingredients
    • 2 cups milk
    • 4 eggs
    • 16 small square soda crackers
    Instructions
    1. Crush the crackers fine.
    2. Put milk in baking pan with browned butter.
    3. Then add eggs and cracker crumbs and salt and pepper to taste.
    4. Bake in moderate oven about an hour or until done.
    5. Serve warm with fresh sliced tomatoes.
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    3.5.3226

    5.0 from 2 reviews
    Simple Potato Soup
     
    Print
    Ingredients
    • 3 medium potatoes, diced
    • 1 medium onion, diced
    • 1 stalk celery, small, diced
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • dash pepper
    • 3 tablespoons butter
    • 3 tablespoons flour
    • 3 cups of milk
    Instructions
    1. Put together and boil in 2 cups of water until tender.
    2. Drain.
    3. Then mash and add liquids again.
    4. Melt butter in a saucepan.
    5. Blend in flour and a pinch of salt.
    6. Add slowly 3 cups of milk (or more).
    7. Cook till thick.
    8. Add potato mixture and heat.
    9. Serve with crackers
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    3.5.3226

     

     

    5.0 from 2 reviews
    Mrs. Gingerich's Onion Patties
     
    Print
    Ingredients
    • 3 /4 cups flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon corn meal
    • 2 1 /2 cups chopped fine onion
    • Enough milk to make a thick batter (or use ½ cup powdered milk and a enough cold water to make a thick batter)
    Instructions
    1. Mix first 5 ingredients.
    2. Stir in enough milk to make a thick batter.
    3. Mix in onions, chopped fine and drop by spoonfuls into deep fat.
    4. Flatten patties slightly as you turn them.
    5. Fry to a golden brown.
    6. Deep fat should be heated to 350 before adding patties.
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    3.5.3226

    DELICIOUS ONE DISH MEAL

    This recipe comes from an Amish woman in Oklahoma and is so short that it is not even written out in recipe format, I'll type it just as is:

    Peel potatoes, wash and slice.  Grease casserole dish with butter.  Put potatoes in a layer.  Next add carrots if you wish, then a layer of sliced onions.  Season with salt and pepper.  Put slices of butter on top.  Next, prepare hamburger.  Put hamburger on top.  Add a little water, cover with foil and bake at 350 for 2 hours.

    « 5 Do's and Don'ts When Visiting Amish Country This Spring and Summer
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    About Kevin Williams

    Hi, my name is Kevin Williams and I am owner of Oasis Newsfeatures and editor of The Amish Cook newspaper column.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Barb

      May 25, 2017 at 1:44 pm

      Ah many fond memories of Vinegar Pie. My Grandmother often made this pie and your are correct it does taste good.
      She also did Gooseberry pie not so good to me but then I preferred Black Raspberry pie to Blackberry.

      Reply
      • Kevin

        June 04, 2017 at 4:53 pm

        Stay tuned, I have a whole jar of gooseberries that I'll be putting into a pie soon!

        Reply
    2. Nana

      May 25, 2017 at 7:40 pm

      I really like the onion patties...reminiscent of onion rings but so much easier and cheaper. For a similar treat substitute a handful of frozen whole kernel corn with all else the same. Canned works as well but I think frozen tastes more like fresh corn.

      Reply
      • Kevin

        June 04, 2017 at 4:52 pm

        Yum, this sounds really good, Nana, thank you for the suggestion!

        Reply
    3. Catherine Hardy

      May 27, 2017 at 3:31 pm

      Thank you; I like

      Reply

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    Kevin Williams - The Amish Editor Amish Cook Column

    Hi There, I'm Kevin!

    Welcome to Amish365, where I share my knowledge of Amish cooking and culture! I’ve spent almost three decades exploring Amish settlements and kitchens from Maine to Montana and almost everywhere in between. I’ll occasionally throw in stories of my travels, journalism adventures (I’m a Pulitzer prize-nominated journalist), fascination with grocery stores and Kmarts, and much more!

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