Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode: Kitchen Club 48-10-01 (722) Salad Dressing
Host: Edith Hanson (Transcribed Host)
Date: January 6, 2026 (original broadcast: October 1, 1948)

Overview

This episode of Kitchen Club brings listeners into the homespun warmth of a postwar American kitchen. Host Edith Hanson reads heartfelt letters from listeners, shares home-canning tips, dishes out practical homemaking wisdom, answers recipe questions, and dictates a memorable cooked salad dressing recipe. Listeners receive encouragement to take part in community contests and are left with uplifting poetry, all in true Golden Age radio fashion.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Listener Letters & Practical Tips

• Canning Tomato Juice Without Bitterness

  • Edith shares listener advice:

    "If you're canning tomato juice and the tomatoes are real ripe, press the raw tomatoes through the colander...The flavor is supreme. You don't get one bit of bitter taste from them...the seeds and especially in the very late tomatoes...give it a different flavoring."
    [00:22]

  • The process: juice the raw, ripe tomatoes; process and flavor as usual; can as normal.
  • Edith endorses home-canned tomato juice as superior to commercial versions.

• Homemaking Across Circumstances

  • Edith empathizes with varied living situations—whether for a large family or a single person doing occasional handwashing.
  • Homemaking advice for all:

    "I have yet to see to know a girl or a woman who doesn't have cleaning to do."
    [02:49]

Product Recommendations (Era-Specific)

• Gloss Tex:
  • A new plastic starch for ironing; Edith assures faster, better ironing results and encourages listeners to add it to their shopping lists.
• Perfects:
  • Frequently mentioned as a product to try, with an ongoing contest for listeners' usage stories.

Managing Family Recipe Collections

• Listener shares strategy of sorting recipes based on family preference and keeping variations for variety:

  "Every recipe which I copy is kept in a drawer until I have the chance to try it, and then I file it accordingly...sometimes as many as four different methods for the very same recipe, and we'll like them all."
  [06:23]

Creative Lunch and Salad Ideas

• Suggestions for thrifty, nourishing sandwich fillings:

  • Grated raw vegetables (carrots, turnips, cabbage, rutabaga), celery, seasoning, and homemade dressing.
  • Addition of dried fruits or peanut butter for variety.
  • Using leftover meats and vegetables with the dressing for hearty salads or molded salad loafs.

  "You just try those variations, and I think your family will like them very, very much."
  [09:06]

Weekly Contest Announcement

• Listeners are invited to submit stories about using Perfects, with a chance to win a 21-jewel Boulevard Excellency watch.
• Emphasis on the welcoming, participatory nature of the program.

Recipe Segment: Cooked Salad Dressing

Timestamp: [13:36]

• Edith carefully dictates the recipe, emphasizing common abbreviations (T = tablespoon, t = teaspoon, C = cup).
• Cooked Salad Dressing Recipe:
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ cup vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
• Method:
  1. Blend butter, flour, and milk; cook.
  2. Beat in egg; cook 2 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat; add mustard, sugar, paprika, vinegar, salt. Cool or use immediately.
• Edith's comment:

  "It's a little different than our usual salad dressing recipes. Have you found Shine a dish in your stores as yet?"
  [15:07]

Memorable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On living and homemaking:

  "Contrary to the popular belief that a storybook lady can live for a year on a couple of crumpets and tea, my dear, I find I have a very normal, healthy appetite."
  [02:15]

• On recipe collecting:

  "I have sometimes as many as four different methods for the very same recipe, and we'll like them all. Now, I like this because it adds variety and we don't tire of one food so easily."
  [06:59]

• On salad versatility:

  "Be sure the seasoning is right. Add onion juice if you like, garlic...just pep it up!"
  [11:37]

• On joy and good wishes:
  Closing verse, "My Wish":

  "Here's hoping Mr. Happiness will march up to your door, announce himself and walk right in and stay forevermore. And may his good friend Lady Luck, who's mighty nice to know, become a frequent visitor wherever you may go."
  [17:32]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Canning tomato juice tip: [00:22]
• Homemaking & detergent/gloss tex recommendations: [02:49], [03:34]
• Listener recipe collecting system: [06:23]
• Creative school lunch & sandwich tips: [09:06]
• Contest information and encouragement: [13:16]
• Cooked salad dressing recipe: [13:36]
• Closing verse ("My Wish"): [17:32]

Tone & Style

Edith Hanson maintains a warm, conversational, and matter-of-fact style throughout. She encourages sharing, practical homemaking, and creative use of what’s on hand. The show blends practical advice with community spirit, nostalgia, and gentle humor—a comforting slice of mid-century radio life.

For Listeners Who Haven't Heard the Episode

This episode is perfect for anyone curious about historical homemaking tips, vintage recipes, and the supportive, friendly tone of community-focused radio from the 1940s and 1950s. The main highlight is a cooked salad dressing recipe that is both versatile and easy to prepare, plus colorful, practical advice for meal prep and thrifty living. The show wraps up with heartfelt poetry—reflecting the optimistic, community-minded spirit of its era.