There was a time when our mothers and grandmothers made nearly everything from scratch. Store-bought foods were expensive and usually not as tasty as homemade. Special occasions that called for something specific were exceptions, but day to day, it was homemade all the way. They didn’t see the need to pay money for foods they could make at home for mere pennies.
Bread
There is nothing in the world like the smell of fresh bread baking or the taste! While some mothers might have used store bought bread for some things, homemade bread was always cheaper and tastier.
Jam & Jellies
Most women had their own special recipes way back when. Blackberry, strawberry, apple butter, and so many other jams and jellies made the dinner table more special.
Croutons
Just toasted and seasoned bread, either in cubes of slices, croutons aren’t hard to make, especially if you have stale bread to use up. Same goes for breadcrumbs!
Cold Cuts
When you make a roast or a bird often there’s no sense in paying for cold cuts. Homemade sliced ham on homemade bread- there was no finer treat to send the family off with in their lunches!
Canned Vegetables
From string beans to beets, anything in abundance would have been canned for later if at all possible. It’s how to enjoy tomatoes in winter and squash in spring!
There was so much money to be saved by making everything from scratch. Canning and preserving were skills that most women had ample experience with. Drying and baking were done often and the meals showed all that hard work. The flavors were unique and hearty. And, our grandmothers were proud of making it themselves!
Soup & Stock
Saving vegetable scraps meat cuttings makes for a cheap stock to use later on. And who would have dared to have canned soup when homemade was so much tastier! Some people even use soup as aa way to use up leftovers.
Beans
Dried beans would have been soaked and then cooked or they would have been canned at home. Who would have paid money for something so easy to make! Baked beans are always a favorite!
Baby food
Before we bought everything from the store, mother’s made their own baby food. It’s certainly the best way to get them to eat! No funny tasting stuff, just real food.
Orange Juice
Time was when orange juice from the store was really expensive! Juicing your own also gives the freshest taste!
Salad Dressings & Sauces
Before seasoning packets and bottled dressings, you had to make them at home. Some of the recipes were very simple, but utterly delicious. Just remembering homemade mayonnaise is enough to make your mouth water!