Odd things - do you remember your mum doing these in the 60s?

[Waltons]

Putting a drop of water on a tin can before opening it, because if an air bubble came up through the water, the can might be blown? (I think that was the reason?)

The only bottle of olive oil in the house was absolutely TINY, and labelled "Olive Oil. BP". I think it cost a fortune, and was kept in the first aid cupboard. For earaches, perhaps?

[starfishmummy]

The olive oil, yes. (Although I didn't know there was any other sort back then)!!

[ErrolTheDragon]

I think mine used to listen for a hiss opening tins, and yes we had a tiny bottle of olive oil for mysterious medical use.

[JackieMac77]

Putting Dettol in the bathwater was another thing...or was it only my mum??
There was also a pudding bowl of manky fat or "dripping" which was kept in the fridge for roasting and basting things. Yuk.

[ReasonsToBeModeratelyHappy]

Yes the olive oil was for softening ear wax in our house! I didn't some across its use for cooking till uni (posh boyfriend cooked with it, and also made pasta which didn't come in a tin with tomato sauce on it!).

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Yes to the tiny olive oil (that you couldn't read the lable because it was oily )

Not the water on the tin, but we did have a nifty wall mounted orange/white tin opener with a huge twirly handle (and you couldn't lose the blardy thing because it was always on the wall)

[TSSDNCOP]

A bit later in the early 70's it was common to buy an entire animal eg pig and have it in your chest freezer I recall every single part was in there. You could have anything you wanted for tea provided it was pork.

[DramaAlpaca]

Yes to the olive oil, and yes to the listening for a hiss from the tin cans when they were opened.

My aunt had one of those wall mounted tin openers. I used to beg to be allowed to have a go with it!

[CMOTDibbler]

My mum still had the bowl of manky fat in the 90's, possibly into the 00's and actually enjoyed eating dripping on toast

We had a wall mounted tin opener too.

Anyone else for the thing for turning unsalted butter and milk into cream?

[DramaAlpaca]

TSS yes! I remember my parents buying a whole pig for the freezer somewhere about then, or maybe it was a lamb. They only did it the once as they got bored with only eating pork/lamb.

[OhWhatFuckeryIsThisNow]

Yes to the olive oil. My DM had her varicose veins "done" and was recommended to alternate rubbing the wound one night with oil, the next methylated spirits to help heal. Dunno if it did but she had the hairiest shin in town after.
Going to bed in rollers.
A vesta chow mein fed three people!

[Figure17a]

I have a 1970s Delia cookbook that advocates olive oil for salad dressings but says the best (only?) place to buy it for s tge chemist. As with so many of todays "normal" fooodstuffs, Delia bought it to our supermarkets. It was for medical use only before that - only foreigners used it as food!

[Waltons]

A bit later in the early 70's it was common to buy an entire animal eg pig and have it in your chest freezer I recall every single part was in there. You could have anything you wanted for tea provided it was pork.

I recall a friend of my parents buying"a whole beef"

[DramaAlpaca]

Ooh, Vesta chow mein... that brings back memories! I used to love watching the crispy noodles puff up in the frying pan.

[Figure17a]

Oh yes, we had whole sheep in the freezer. I always thought this was because we lived in rural Wales, but maybe not then op.

My dad had a boiled pigs trotter for tea every Saturday

[Trills]

My parents bought half a lamb for the freezer earlier this winter - but they got a professional to cut it up into manageable bits.

[PuppetInParadize]

I remember the olive oil for ears. It was much later before it was used for cooking.

In the 60s my mum went for tight perms at regular intervals. It was like it was THE only way to style her hair. A kind of obsession.

I'm trying to think when the more exotic foods (esp the veg) came our way, possibly the 70s? I do recall Vesta though. Parents had lived abroad though so we did eat curries etc.

[gunnergirl]

yep dettol in bath remember that probaly why I hate the smell now

[gunnergirl]

also my mum loves dripping on toast always said boxing day dripping best lol

[A1Sharon]

I was born in 1975, and I well remember the day we all had spaghetti bolognaise for the first time-so exotic! I remember how amazed we all were, we had never seen it before. Must ask mum where she heard of it from.
My mum still has the bowl of dripping/fat in the fridge! When she roasts beef she leaves it on the aga to melt, the pours off the juices from the roast in to the bowl. The lets it cool and back in the fridge it goes. The lard is exactly like what you buy in Tesco! That's for frying stuff, and the precious 'jelly' is used in gravy, stews etc, great with fried onions. I'm sure all the chefs do it.

[DramaAlpaca]

My mum used to make beef curry occasionally & I remember it as being delicious. Sadly now she's in her 80s and doesn't cook from scratch much any more & she can't remember the recipe, which is a shame as I'd love to try it. She used to serve it with sides of chopped up banana, apple and ready salted crisps in place of poppadums

[OhWhatFuckeryIsThisNow]

Shhhhh, my dh is still partial to a vesta. We have a cupboard full, in case they stop making them. I think they will survive a nuclear winter.
His dad had the cup of fat. It was apparently the secret of his roast potatoes. (And his heart condition)
My mum was only in her 40s in the 60s, but seeing pictures of her then she dressed more like a (not trendy) woman in her 70s. Very rarely wore trousers. She had the tight perm too.

[LightastheBreeze]

Yes I remember bread and dripping, we had it for tea in the 60s, also the olive oil in the cupboard. We also had daily spoonfuls of malt and cod liver oil, I think it was some sort of health thing

[BMW6]

My Mum used to send me over to the chemists for a bottle of BP Olive Oil to treat my little sisters cradle cap IIRC

Mum used to keep her stocking and roll-on girdle under a sofa cushion which she would put on if the doorbell rang (someone would take their time answering the door).

[Bassetfeet]

Fairy green soap on the sink .multi use but used mainly to rub in collars and cuffs on shirts before going into washing machine with mangle .

[DramaAlpaca]

I remember the Fairy green soap for collars & cuffs too Bassetfeet. I can smell it right now, it takes me straight back to my childhood.