Maine Sardines

I came across a sardine use and preparation booklet a while back. 

I'm not much on sardines being in recipes. Honestly, the occasional sandwich or toast is about as fancy as I get. Straight from the tin with crackers is my sardine dining choice. After seeing that the booklet was published in 1952, the height of sardines' popularity, I was in a weir. I love old literature from the '50s when snake oil was still snake oil. A brief flip through the booklet has some info; then it opens up to sardine recipes, lots of sardine recipes. I have decided to use every recipe and post pics of them in the recipe section. Since every recipe calls for Maine sardines, and since Maine is no longer canning sardines, I'll venture up North and use some from Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick Canadian cannery. * Some of the fish they can are from Maine*. As I opened the booklet, I came across a little intro from the governor of Maine, congratulating everyone who has the opportunity to receive this booklet. Then I see a line that has 1950's all over it: "We would like to see them used to best advantage by every housewife in America." here is even a page entitled "" he WWoman'sTouch.""  points out that all women who work in the cannery are "i"immaculately uniformed." " provocative or sloppy dress in that cannery!   the picture caption reads 

Reading through the list of preparation ideas, the wording is great. favorite suggestion reads "Ba"helors' B'dget Snack." "
Remember, whether you like it or not.

Other sections and suggestions have wonderful 50'50'sawings to coincide with the recommendations.  

One reads "Sp"rts Special." H" convenient it is to just eat sardines straight from the can at a sports event. B t, "If "he gal friend objects to such informality, take along a bunch of sandwiches as per suggestions on preceding pages." (N"w will the gal friend have a copy of this booklet?    ving a gal friend a copy of this, and she reads the housewife bit, will she think, 'you want to go steady or even play on a promise ring?' Oh' or gal friend. W the gal friend make the sandwiches, or would the guy'sguy'smake them for him? I can't but picture June Cleaver making sardine sandwiches for WalleWalley'sfriend.)

        


   Other suggestions are:

·         Picnic Perkups: The star of every picnic. ( hi   
dating my wife, we did a lot of picnicking, and we still do, but if I had brought a tin of sardines for her to a picnic, well, I just don'tdon't!)

·         Refrigerator Raids: It suggests sardines for a bedtime snack.

· Rod' Rod' h'rs:  Every hunter and fisherman should have a tin available. ( he e's no m There's f tree huggers!)

·         Card Party Snacks:  At the next card game, be sure to serve sardines.      say, e have friends who play cards regularly, and I have seen a particular lady mix up sardines for a card-playing snack, so I can relate.)

·         School Set Snack Spread: "After school" when hungry moppets are homeward bound in search of more than higher education…" (How many m" ets in today's Americtoday'soing to ask for a tin of sardines?  M t  ruin  on over processed crap!)

·         Radio-TV Treats:  It suggests sandwiches during radio and TV time.

·         Lunchbox Specials: "These will p "se the palate of Junior and his father."

Every other"page shows pictures of prepared sardine dishes.  I  v e old icture set up of the dishes.  Not n ke t ay's food ditoday'sups.  Thos j mak you feel all "Leave it to Be"ver" not "Sex and "he Ci"y." A life less r" ed where families sat down for dinner and didn't eat on thdidn't

One page mentions the variety of pure salad oils and 
sauces that sardines were packed in at that time.

·         Soybean oil

·         Mustard sauce

·         Olive oil

·         Peanut oil

·         Cotton seed oil

·         Tomato sauce

I've never triedI'veseen sardines in peanut or cottonseed 
oil.  I see h ot  uce was not mentioned in this booklet. I'm cur ou  as   'men sardines in hot sauce made its debut.  Do you n  It oes me    rdines in tomato sauce.  At the b t f ach page that the recipes are on are little info sentences.  Each one  g  th "Maine sardines h"ve/will/provides etc." 

           "                Some of my favorite are. 

                             Straight teeth?  Who knew?

 
 ne sardines contain Vitamin A, which maintains healthy skin and night sight. (They turn y u    o a vampire).

A list of a few things they say eating Maine Sardines will help:

·         Builds and repairs body tissues (high quality protein)

·         Normal functioning of digestive and nervous systems (Niacin)

·         For good red blood (Iron)

·         General physical well being (Vitamin B2)

·         Prevents simple goiters (Iodine)

·         Twice as much lime as fresh milk

·         Promotes steady nerves

·         Improves digestion (Vitamin B1)

·         Low cost protein

I believe the first recipe I will try will be sardines on toast or a sandwich.