Posted on 12/07/2008 8:07:40 AM PST by vietvet67
In times of trouble the United States has historically turned to a tin of pink processed meat to see it through – and so it is again that sales of Spam are soaring as the recession bites.
They have shot up by more than 10 per cent in the past three months and the Hormel Foods Corporation has had to introduce a double shift at its factory in Austin, Minnesota, seven days a week to keep up with demand.
Spam costs only about $2.40 (£1.65) for a 12-ounce tin and keeps for ever, which earned it the slogan: meat with a pause button. Hungry consumers, desperate to cut back on spending but keen to put meat on the table, have been buying the product that “helped win the Second World War”.
The rise coincides with a record level of Americans using food stamps, the programme that helps the needy to buy food. More than 31.5 million Americans used the stamps in September – up by 17 per cent from a year ago, according to government data.
Spam was invented during the Great Depression by Jay Hormel, the son of the founder of the company. It is a brick of ham, pork, sugar, salt, water, potato starch and a hint of sodium nitrite “to help Spam keep its gorgeous pink color”.
Austin advertises itself as Spam-town and it boasts 13 restaurants with Spam on the menu. Johnny’s Spamarama menu includes eggs benedict with Spam for $7.35.
Employees are working flat out and next door the slaughter house butchers 19,000 pigs a day. “People are realising it’s not that bad a product,” said Dan Johnson, 55, who operates a 70ft (20m) oven in the factory.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
It's just the opposite for me. In Vietnam we often had Spam on saltine crackers for lunch. That was our only choice for lunch for weeks at a time! When I came home my wife and I didn't have much money so she fried Spam and served it with beans. We don't have it any longer but would eat it if it was served to me.
Along with canned beef and chicken and tuna.
Stock up when things are on sale. Use your stores throughout the year. When things go on sale, resupply.
If after a year or whatever you decide, if you still have old stores, donate them to a food pantry, or make up food basket/boxes for people in need in your church.
God honors those who give. I know from experience.
Yay God!!!
I could go for a spam sandwich right now. Alas, too fattening.
Ditto me that....the mess halls at Camp Pendleton in '66 and '67 served that crap in some sort of "fried" state at least once a week.
I guess news about folks buying Spam is important. Like the threads about whether Obama might smoke in the White House and another thread about what he uses in the gym. All such important issues. How about the Constitutional qualifications issue before the Supreme Court as we speak? Guess that isn't important because it is just about that living, breathing document that Obama thinks needs real changes!
Another fact being missed is that Obama is not President-Elect until the Electoral College cast their votes on December 15th.
Yes, I am spreading the news about the Constitutional issue because I think this is very important. Finally some more Freepers are beginning to look into this issue. I am certainly not a “tinfoil hat” wearer but have been following these cases since October.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2144344/posts?page=380#380
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2144460/posts?page=7
I ask everyone to go here and read, read, read. Our Constitution must be upheld no matter WHO is President!
http://naturalborncitizen.wordpress.com/
SOS - never!
We had it often as a child and I liked. I bought a small can a couple of years ago and couldn’t gag it down. It was slimy and way too salty. I was eating it straight out of the can — maybe heating it would have been better.
I’m 50+ years old and I’ve never had the stuff. Never. My folks were not wealthy by any stretch but Mom never served it. Guess I should try it once.
I sure wouldn't have complained about that. I remember going to my grandmother's house once and shaking, shaking, shaking a mason jar of milk to get just a little bit of butter. I remember being surprised that it wasn't yellow. All we ever had was margarine, not real butter. And the bread was just plain sliced white bread. Spam at least had some flavor to it.
B I N G O! Starting on the 01/20, the MSM will be farting rays of sunshine.
I was at a party last night and someone brought up the question: “Will Obama get the credit for gas prices falling?” My answer was: “I’d be concerned if he didn’t.” Several of the folks at the party were previously admitted BDS sufferers, and they didn’t say a peep last night. Hmmm...buyers remorse already setting in?
Let me know when there’s a run on Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.
I've never tried it that way. Sounds good though. But fried potatoes and onions is another favorite of mine.
Invest, invest! What’s the ticker symbol of Spam Corporation?
YEp, and when you cook spam up save the grease to dip your bullets in. An injection of swine fat from a .308 will save the 72 virgins from having to submit to the muzzies.
That reminds me, nothing better on a camping trip than Spam and pork and beans.
Spam Musubi! Add a little teriyaki seasoning or shoyu and that’s a treat. I had spam regularly as a kid, and even more in my 6.5 years stationed in Hawaii. They sell the wraps at every 7-11 and convenient store on every corner. But still can’t get my wife and daughter to eat it...
I just bought a case for $.50 a box. I think normal price is $1.15.
In a sense, but it was in the London Times, so it was designed to make the Subjects feel better...Just another "It is worse somewhere else" thing.
It works fine in North Korea, also.
Check the Times and the Daily Mail a few times a week, and watch what they do. They dig for adverse news from the US, and giggle and chortle as they type.
My thoughts eggzactly. What I don't use in a timely fashion can be given to food pantries or in care packages for those in my church who are in need.
Holy Sh*t! I haven’t seen that in years. Thanks for the laugh...
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