Recipes and Kitchen Tips

The first image is a recipe for biscuits that could be similar to the ones that Ma cooked through out the novel both in the Joad home in Oklahoma and in California, on the road and in the migrant camp. Starch was often the main component of the Okie migrant diet, and when money was tight, meals consisted solely of starch.

Here is a detailed account of what a typical meal looked like for migrant families who were on a tight budget:

Family of five--Oatmeal mush.

Family of six-- Fried cornmeal.

Family of seven--Beans, fried dough.

Family of eight--Dandelion greens and boiled potatoes.

(Source: John Steinbeck, The Harvest Gypsies)

Here is a recipe for a sardine sandwich found in a migrant camp newsletter, dating back to 1939, published by members of the camp. Sardines and other ingredients in this recipe, like lemon and butter, were considered more luxurious items that families could not always afford. Perhaps this recipe could be used when a migrant family had found a good amount of work and had more money to spend on food.

The diet of families who were making money looked like this:

Family of five--Biscuits, fried potatoes, dandelion greens, pears.

Family of six--canned salmon, cornbread, raw onions.

Family of seven--Beans, baking-powder biscuits, jam, coffee.

Family of eight--Boiled cabbage, baked sweet potatoes, creamed carrots, beans, fried dough, jelly, tea. 

(Source: John Steinbeck, The Harvest Gypsies)

It's important to note, that even in times when families were making money, milk is absent from the diet. In Grapes of Wrath, milk is a luxury, but Ma buys it, when the family has money, to keep Rose of Sharon healthy during her pregnancy.