I recently been trying to find out a little more about food in Britain during the Second World War. One thing that did surprise me was just how important carrots were. During wartime they were turned into all kinds of unusual foods and drinks. Carrot cookies , carrot jam, carrot fudge and even carrot-based drinks.
When the war started in 1939, Britain was faced with problems importing food because German U-boats were threatening the supply ships crossing the Atlantic. Sugar, butter, eggs, and fruit all became difficult to obtain, and rationing slowly changed the way that people cooked. The government encouraged people to grow their own vegetables with the “Dig for Victory” campaign. Carrots became one of the easiest and most reliable vegetables to grow. They grew well in British soil, lasted a long time in storage, and were full of nutrients. Many families became dependent on them to make rations go further.
As rationing started to bite during the early 1940s, cooks were forced to experiment with carrots. Housewives were given advice from the government, who produced leaflets, radio broadcasts, and recipe booklets on how to make ingredients stretch further. Carrots were added, which gave a natural sweetness to recipes when sugar was in limited supply. People started making carrot cookies and carrot cakes. Grated carrot added to cakes could help to keep them moist while also giving some sweetness. Even if the taste was not always perfect, they did offer a sense of normality.
Carrot jam also became popular because real fruit preserves were harder to make without enough sugar or imported fruit. By boiling carrots with flavourings such as lemon essence or a little dried fruit, families were able to create something that resembled jam and could be spread on bread. Some probably enjoyed the novelty while others simply accepted it because there were not many alternatives.
Wartime cooking became less about pleasure and more about making do.
Perhaps one of the most unusual ideas for the time was carrot drinks. Today we make vegetable smoothies but back then it was far more uncommon. Recipes appeared for carrot cordial and carrot-based beverages that were meant to replace harder-to-find fruit drinks. The government strongly promoted carrots as healthy and patriotic, even linking them to good eyesight through famous campaigns involving RAF pilots. “Doctor Carrot” became one of Britain’s most recognisable wartime food propaganda characters. He was created to encourage people to eat more carrots. The cheerful cartoon carrot appeared on posters, recipe leaflets, and advertisements.
It is remarkable the way that ordinary people adapted to the shortages with such creativity.
How do you think that modern society would adapt to food shortages?
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