The Unusual Way People Enjoyed Peanut Butter During The Great Depression

The Great Depression, the catastrophic decade-long economic slump from 1929 to 1939, was a time of hardship for many Americans. Stretching food budgets to the limit was a vital strategy for surviving this terrible time. This led to folks getting creative at meal time, resulting in dishes that most today would view as strange, whether it was sardine and raisin-bread sandwiches or the unique way people enjoyed peanut butter during this time. A peanut butter-stuffed onion may not sound all that appetizing, but during the Depression, it came down to what was cheap and available, and both peanut butter and onions fit the bill.

The basic recipe, which appeared in various newspapers and cookbooks of the era, involved peeling and boiling a medium-sized mild onion, then coring it. The leftover onion was then chopped up and mixed with peanut butter, bread crumbs, paprika, and salt. One version, from a 1933 edition of the Toronto newspaper The Globe and Mail — Canada also suffered horribly during the Depression — suggested using a chopped chile pepper in place of the paprika, if the latter was unavailable. The peanut butter mixture was then stuffed into the cored onion and baked. While it cooked, the onion was basted in warm milk. 15 minutes later, the peanut butter-stuffed onion was ready to go and served with a cream sauce.

Adventurous food historians, including YouTuber The Time Traveling Chef, have made versions of this recipe. He described it as dry and merely edible. However, his version, and others we've found, didn't include paprika, salt, a warm milk bath, or a cream sauce, which would make for a slightly more seasoned and moister dish (although we doubt even paprika and cream sauce could elevate things much).

There seems to be some question as to whether peanut butter-stuffed onions were actually liked or only tolerated during their heyday — a dish made simply to provide basic nutritional necessities. Still, the combination of onions and peanut butter definitely had some admirers, and not just folks who were living hand-to-mouth. Famed writer Ernest Hemingway, who was quite wealthy during the 1930s, loved a raw onion and peanut butter sandwich. Whether peanut butter-stuffed onions were loved, simply put up with, or just an acquired taste remains an open question, but it's a simple enough recipe to try at home if you're intrigued. Be sure to include the spices and cream sauce, because we believe this dish needs all the help it can get.