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Saturday, December 29, 2018

Ham and Lima Beans



Food storage has come a long way. I was thinking back to the old C-rations that dated back to the Vietnam War. There were a lot of them kicking around back in the 70s. My dad got hold of cases of the stuff for the old hunting camp. They made good emergency supplies.

For some reason my Boy Scout troop also got a good supply. My troop did a lot of camping back in those days. Opening up those old rations was always interesting. The cakes were super heavy. Chocolate tasted weird. The crackers were edible, but always seemed just a tad off. The main courses were always a gamble.

Anything with eggs in them were pretty bad, but the most hated ration was the ham and lima beans. That is, hated by most people. For some strange reason I liked them. I was probably the only one who did. Everyone was willing to trade for anything I had to get ride of them. People who grew up eating real ham and lima beans hated them. Maybe that's why I found them satisfactory. I'd never eaten lima beans so had no expectation what they were supposed to really taste like.

One thing sticks out in my mind back from my old Boy Scout days. Those ration packs came with cigarettes. The adult leadership made sure we always turned them in. After the Scouts were sent to bed, the leadership would sit around the campfire smoking those government issued cancer sticks. Funny what you remember.

Modern dehydrated foods are a lot better than those old rations. I guess the best that could be said for them is that they would keep you alive.

-Sixbears

15 comments:

  1. That beats the alternative.....usually.

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  2. I have had many of the older rations and I stock some of the newer ones as well. I think one of the biggest improvements over the years is the way they improved the taste of meat. The freeze dried meat now days is so much better than it used to be. I like it! But then, I also enjoy eating Spam!

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    1. I like Spam too. For me, vegetables are a lot better than they used to be.

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  3. Hi sixbears!!!!!!,
    OH Thankyou, Thankyou for the memories!!! "Ham and Lima Beans!!!!!' One of my favorites!! Also "Turkey Loaf!!!" 'A "Thanks Giving and Christmas favorite!!"... I jest!! "USS PRINCETON LPH-5" Vietnam Cruise '68 ... most of the time we were off the coast by "Da Nang!! Had "GOLF Company" of the 2/26 Marines on board... They were the Guys up at the "DUCK FARM!!!,""KHE SANH!!!!" Tet of '68 also had the CH-34's of HMM-362 and 363!! And!!.. LOTS OF C-RATS!!! I recall pulling out a box of "Ham and Lima Beans" and a Marine bud remarked about them,"Ham and MOTHERFU(#%&S!!!!!" I said "WHAT???" He said,"Even 'Martha Rae' knows what they are!!! BTW She was a "ARMY NURSE" and tended to our wounded when she was there!! She is buried in the military grave yard on Ft. Bragg in Fayetteville, NC!! With Her Troops!!!
    skybill

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    1. OH!!!!!, BTW I still have about 3 of those "P-38's"...aka... "John Wayne's" C-RATS Can openers still in the little brown paper wrapper complete with printed user instructions!!!!! the ones found in the bottom of the C-RATS Boxes!!!!!! 'Ya can tell a Military man when he has a Brass "Dog hook" with ring on his belt loop with all his keys "AND!!!" a "P-38!!"
      My "Original" P-38 and Dog Hook are in my Archives!!! There are too many Memories ingrained in them to be out in "Public!!"
      skybill

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    2. Hey Skybill! Glad to be able to take you down to memory lane. I was a tad too young for 'Nam, but most of my uncles served. Still have a p-38 on my key ring.

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    3. Hi Sixbears!!!!,
      Thx for the reply!!! I found some guy at a gunshow that had a couple of "Quarts' of P-38's for sale... somethin' like 50 cents a piece or 5 for a $1.50 or somethin' like that!! I bought about a "Pint!" of em.. they make great "stocking stuffers" at Christmas!!
      skybill

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  4. 1968 stationed in Germany..Hohenfels on the border watching the Commies on the other side of the fence..I opened my C-rats dated 1943..I heard that the warehouses in Europe had billions of c's..probably still there..ha ha ha

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    1. That sounds kinda horrible. WWII rations left a lot to be desired. However, their tropical chocolate wasn't too bad.

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  5. Those government rations were not meant to please your pallet but to keep you alive and give you energy.

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    1. True, but how badly do you want to tick off guys who are armed and know how to kill? Good food goes a long way towards having a happy military.

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  6. Hubby remembers being the only one who enjoyed SOS in the military. He loved it and I still try to make it for him from time to time. He's worth pleasin'.

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    1. Wow! SOS. Homemade is fine. Not too sure about the stuff that came out of those olive drab cans.

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  7. Lima beans and ham hocks- now that's good eating.

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