How are watermelon rind preserves related to the Great Depression?

Water melon rind perserves were cooked druing the depression. Why?

I don’t know for sure, but my best guess is that it was because they were broke and they didn’t want to waste anything. Watermelon rind doesn’t taste good plain, so maybe making these preserves was a way of not wasting food and making it tastes better.

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7 Responses to How are watermelon rind preserves related to the Great Depression?

  1. Slide 306 says:

    Because people were so poor, they were eating everything they could find.
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  2. John K says:

    Watermelon rinds are usually thrown out so its a way to find more food to eat. It was the depression, so every penny counted.

    I know watermelon rinds were pickled like cucumbers. Maybe the rinds can be cooked with a little sugar and some kind of fruit to make some kind of jam or something.
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  3. said in jest says:

    I don’t know for sure, but my best guess is that it was because they were broke and they didn’t want to waste anything. Watermelon rind doesn’t taste good plain, so maybe making these preserves was a way of not wasting food and making it tastes better.
    References :

  4. ponyjoanie says:

    I’ve had pickled watermelon rind I didn’t know it was depression.
    You remove the thin green green skin and pickle the white part. During the Depression. Nothing went to waste.
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  5. AlanKathe says:

    No money, no food, so you eat whatever is edible.
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  6. HowardRoark says:

    Innovative woman began using them to make pickles.
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  7. GracieM says:

    During the depression, fruits and vegetables were plentiful because the the large amount of farming. Foods had to be preserved for later consumption. Watermelon rinds, along with cucumbers, beets, onions, okra, beets and beans could be safely preserved by pickling.
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