During the Civil War, blockades and fighting meant it was difficult to get in supplies. The people had to make do and make up recipes to mimic products that were in short supply. One of these was coffee. A good substitute was made by cutting sweet potatoes into small squares. These squares were then dried in the sun. When a hot drink was desired, the cubes were placed in boiling water. Other coffee substitutes used corn meal, which was dried and then boiled. Okra seeds were another substitute — like the recipes, the seeds were dried and then boiled. In all cases, the food was strained out of the liquid, which was then consumed.
The red roots of sassafras were boiled to make sassafras tea, a spring tonic. Some allowed the tea to set and ferment, creating sassafras beer. Other teas were made by gathering blackberry and sassafras leaves and drying them. Boiling water was poured over the leaves to make a tea.
A substitute for baking soda was made by placing the ashes of burnt corncobs in a covered jar of water. Recipes for bread or cake would call for one part of the ashes and water to two parts of sour milk.
During World War II, these recipes were touted again as a way to deal with wartime shortages in Arkansas (Paragould Soliphone 19 Nov 1942)
Barbara LeRoy is the author of “Which Side Were They On?,” a 302 page book listing biographical sketches of the Newton Countians who were involved in the Civil War, available for sale either in the Bradley House Museum or by purchasing online at www.newtoncountyar.com. The book sells for $33.
