Ham Stock

Recipe No. 520 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Soups. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

• Ham scraps, hocks, bones or whole hams — 18 pounds
• Water — 7¾ gallons (31 No. 56 dippers)
• Salt* — as needed
• Onions, diced — 1 pound (1 No. 56 dipper)
• Celery, diced — 1 pound (1 No. 56 dipper)
• Carrots, diced — 1 pound (¾ No. 56 dipper)
• Pepper — (¼ mess kit spoon)

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer 4 to 5 hours or until meat is tender. Remove meat; strain stock.
3. Cool as quickly as possible. Return cooked ham to stock. Refrigerate until needed.
4. Before using, remove layer of hardened fat from surface.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Ham scraps, hocks, bones or whole hams — 1 lb 7 oz Water — 2½ qt Salt — to taste Onions, diced — 1¼ oz Celery, diced — 1¼ oz Carrots, diced — 1¼ oz Pepper — scale to taste ((¼ mess kit spoon))

Save hardened fat for frying or shortening.

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 520, Soups. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.