16 Retro Ingredients From 1950s Cookbooks We Need to Revive
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Recipes from the 1950s were an era of adventurous ‘kitchen experimentation’ reflecting the post-war ‘America, happy and creative.’ This decade celebrated convenience without compromising on flavor, from gelatin mold to canned fruit desserts, bright gelatin hues through the sweet simplicity of canned fruit desserts.
Nostalgia with fresh cooking methods, or the opposite, is a growing trend in revisiting retro ingredients. For all food lovers, home cooks, or people craving a little throwback, this list will motivate you to create a taste of the 50s in your kitchen!
Gelatin
Gelatin was a staple of 1950s cuisine. Food based on the affinity for gelatin was used for salads, desserts, and, amazingly, even savory dishes. At every gathering, molded gelatin salads were a show-stopping centerpiece.
Gelatin may have faded from fashion, but it is enjoying a resurgence thanks to its adaptability in the modern dessert world (panna cotta, anyone?), which includes fruit-filled gelatin squares.
Canned Pineapple
In the 1950s, canned pineapple was everywhere and the star of virtually every dish, including pineapple upside-down cake and baked ham. It’s been a pantry staple with a shelf life that doesn’t expire and has incredible convenience.
Canned pineapple today is served with trendy dishes such as Hawaiian sliders and sweet and savory pizzas.
Cocktail Onions
A bar cart essential in the 1950s were these tangy little onions, sometimes skewered in vintage martinis. Not just for cocktails, cocktail onions are experiencing a rebirth as the ideal garnish for a charcuterie board or a sharp inclusion in relishes and pickles.
Spam
Spam may have been polarizing, but the product was a well-loved kitchen shortcut in the post-war era. It was a protein-packed convenience, fried or baked, or even diced and tucked into casseroles.
But Spam is experiencing a Renaissance in fusion cuisines, appearing in Hawaiian musubi or Korean budae jjigae (army stew).
Canned Cream of Mushroom Soup
In the 1950s, canned cream of mushroom soup was a foundational ingredient for casseroles like green bean casserole. Some people still love homemade alternatives, but canned cream of mushroom soup is quick, convenient, and perfect for quick sauces, soups, or base layers in baked pasta dishes.
Maraschino Cherries
Redder than most, these cherries were a must-have garnish when making 1950s desserts and cocktails. Those sweet treats are making a comeback today, in Manhattans infused with booze or dark chocolate with newfangled desserts.
Velveeta
The 1950s housewife would have used Velveeta cheese, the ultimate melting cheese, in sauces, casseroles, and dips. The creamy consistency is still adored, and it’s now in recipes like decadent macaroni and cheese or grilled queso dips.
Anchovy Paste
But what is this umami richness, and how did we once get it? In 1950s kitchens, anchovy paste was often used to add umami richness to sauces and dressings. Once hidden and believed lesser, it’s admired now for its capacity to enrich modern Caesar salads and pasta dishes with its depth of flavor.
Canned Peaches
Desserts like cobblers and trifles frequently used sweet and syrupy slices of canned peaches. Today, foodies are rediscovering them for rustic pies, grilled fruit platters, or creative cocktails.
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Of course, this versatile ingredient was a must for fudge, key lime pie, and bars. Vietnamese iced coffee is a go-to for creamy, dessert-related, and coffee lovers worldwide.
Vienna Sausages
These precooked sausages were protein sources that were quick and handy to add to appetizers or party spreads. Since then, they have been reimagined as small-plate tapas dishes and retro-style grazing boards.
Bisquick
Baking was quick and efficient with Bisquick mix; biscuits and pancakes were commonly used in their mix. Today, it is used for savory pies like chicken pot pie or sweet breakfast bakes.
Tapioca
Tapioca pudding was a common dessert in the 1950s. It is a starch extracted from cassava roots. Modern chefs have updated this humble ingredient into tapioca pearls for bubble tea or custard-like desserts.
Deviled Ham
It found a place for itself in sandwich and appetizer cuisine. In that savory camp, a heightened version of its profile is being revived on assorted cured meat platters or as a homage to deviled ham tea sandwiches of days gone by.
Mock Chicken Legs
Used as the popular wiener wrap, these were a clever way to leave little meat behind in the 1950s when meat was in short supply. This playful retro dish is sometimes revived and remembered as a gesture to innovative food presentation.
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Mix
This beloved 1950s dessert was celebrated for its quick prep and stellar presentation. Today, home bakers use it as a base, but they twist it seasonally with fresh fruit or spiced caramel.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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