World War II Woman

Food shortages

I recently was asked what happened to ration stamps once they were turned into the grocer or other retailer. I had no idea, but to answer the question, I started out asking friends whose parents were in the meat and grocery business. Unfortunately they could not help me. But once again, the Internet came to my rescue – almost.

But to answer the question, I suppose it would be a good idea to try to explain what foods were rationed and why. The reason for rationing is quite simple - to prevent hoarding and to insure that everyone gets his/her fair share of items that were in short supply. Among the rationed foods were sugar, butter, coffee, tea, canned vegetables, and meat.

Each member of the family was issued ration books filled with stamps, which were torn out of the book over a period of time, taken to the grocery store, and handed to the clerk at the time of purchase. Yes, it was necessary to also take money. One time when I went to the store for my mother, I neglected to take money. Of course, I had to go back home in order to complete my purchase.

This lack of basic food products created a challenge for the housewife. Meatless dinners usually consisted of macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, or other such dishes. Scarcity of sugar and butter produced the “War Cake.” (Recipe on page 9 of We Knew We Were at War:Women Remember World War II.) Hot dogs and canned processed meats frequently replaced roasts, and Victory Gardens took over many backyards. Families who had never had gardens before and women who had never thought of canning fruits and vegetables stepped right up and did their part for the war effort.But to get back to the question about what happened to the stamps. The retailer turned them over to the wholesaler who sent them on to the manufacturer who had to account to the federal agency, the Office of Price Administration (OPA). Sounds fraught with loopholes, doesn’t it?

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