B Ration Vienna Sausage and Beans

Complete B Ration meal: Vienna Sausage and Beans, Apple Cranberry Sauce, and Pineapple Milk

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City/Region: United States of America

Time Period: 1946

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The B Ration for American troops during WWII was the kind of food they’d be served from field kitchens using dehydrated, canned, or otherwise preserved foods. When fresh ingredients, or the A Ration, weren’t available, the first alternative was the B Ration. Often this was shortly after forward movement or a landing, but could sometimes last for much longer.

If I were there, I’d hope that real meat was coming back real soon, because I discovered that I’m not a fan of the texture of Vienna sausage. Otherwise, the taste is fine; it’s not amazing, and around what you might expect for army rations from preserved foods.

“NO. 880. VIENNA SAUSAGE AND BEANS
Yield: 100 9-ounce servings or approximately 1/2 mess kit cup.
Beans, white (issue)...10 pounds (5 3/4 No. 56 dippers)
Water…To cover
Onions, dehydrated…8 quarts (8 No. 56 dippers)
Water (for onions)...1 quart (1 No. 56 dipper)
Bacon, diced…1 1/2 pounds (1 No. 56 dipper)
Tomatoes, canned…2 No. 10 cans
Tomato puree, canned…1 No. 10 can
Sugar…8 ounces (1/4 No. 56 dipper)
Mustard, dry…3/4 ounce (3 mess kit spoons)
Salt…6 ounces (12 mess kit spoons)
Pepper…1/4 ounce (1 mess kit spoon)
Vienna sausage…12 pounds (8—30-ounce cans)
1. Pick over and wash beans thoroughly. Soak in cool water about 6 hours. Do not drain. Add boiling water to cover and heat to boiling temperature. Let simmer about 1 hour, until tender but not mushy.
2. Soak onions in water for 20 minutes.
3. Fry bacon and onions in stockpot until lightly browned.
4. Add tomatoes, tomato puree, sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Combine tomato mixture with beans. Cook 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Cut Vienna sausage in 1-inch lengths and mix with beans. Simmer sausages and beans together for 20 minutes.”

— TM 10-412 US Army Technical Manual. Army Recipes by the U.S. War Department, 1946

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Ingredients:

• 1 lb (450 g) dried white beans
• 3.2 cups (750 ml) boiling water, plus room temperature water for soaking the beans
• 2 tablespoons (14 g) dried minced onion
• 1/3 cup (95 ml) water
• 2 slices (70 g) bacon, diced
• 2 1/2 cups (500 g) canned diced tomatoes
• 1 1/3 cups (375 g) canned tomato puree
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1.2 lbs (545 g) Vienna sausage, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces

Instructions:

1. Place the beans in a large bowl and cover them with water. Leave them to soak overnight.
2. The next day, put the beans in a large pot and cover them with the 3.2 cups (750 ml) boiling water. Place the pot over medium heat and simmer for 1 hour. Add more water as they cook if you need to.
3. Combine the dried minced onion with the 1/3 cup water and let it sit for 20 minutes.
4. After the onions have rehydrated, put them and the diced bacon into another large pot and cook over medium-high heat for a few minutes, or until they start to brown.
5. When the bacon and onions have browned a bit, stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato puree, sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Keep warm until the beans are done.
6. When the beans are done, combine them with the tomato mixture. Add some water if needed. You want to add enough liquid to make sure it won’t burn, but not so much that it’s a soup. Bring this to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
7. Stir in the Vienna sausages and cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Serve them forth with Pineapple Milk and Apple Cranberry Sauce for a complete B Ration meal.