I used to represent General Mills on the Foodservice side and found some info in an old training packet that is slightly to moderately interesting. The last few sentences in each segment may or may not contain some of my own editorializing although it can be backed up with facts and figures.
In 1920, helping the housewife find easier ways to complete her cooking chores, General Mills created self rising flour, first called High Rising Flour. Created especially for biscuits and pancakes, more recipes were generated to increase usage and sales of High Rising Flour. Today regional sales for self rising flour are highest in the South, an area that uses more mixes and short cut baking techniques than else where in America.
Bisquick was introduced in the early 30's after a GM exec had great biscuits on a train ride in the middle of night. Inquiring how fresh biscuits could be available in off peak times the cook showed the exec a bin of premixed ingredients he kept in the fridge and added milk to smaller amounts in slow hours to have fresh biscuits. The idea went back to committee and developement by General Mills. Stabilizers, preservatives and dried shortening needed to blend to replicate the taste profile desired and then preservatives to stabilize it. In the first 6 months, at the height of the depression, 500,000 cases of Bisquick were sold. In the first year competitors introduced 95 competing brands of biscuit mix. General Mills then went to work writing recipes for Bisquick to further cement the brand identity and sell more product.
Cake of the Century, the chiffon cake was first made and tweaked by Harry Baker an California chef. Using the new fangled Wesson Oil and mimicking the airiness of Angel Food cake but having the richness of butter cakes there was nothing like it. Harry served these cakes to Hollywood celebrations and the fame soon spread though his clientele. Harry listened to Betty Crocker on the radio and felt General Mills should have his recipe to share. In 1947 Harry traveled to Minneapolis and completed a deal to sell the recipe to General Mills. In 1948 General Mills released a pamphlet with chiffon cake recipes co-branded with Wesson Oil. The recipe was a "hole in one" success.
In 1943 with a large number of American kitchens owning a food mixer, General Mills created one bowl cake recipes calling for all ingredients except eggs to be combined and beaten for 2 minutes and then beaten on high for 2 minutes after the addition of eggs. One bowl cakes shaved 10 minutes off the prep time of ingredients to oven and soon became so popular most mixers of the 50's had a speed setting for "one bowl" cakes.
Just after World War II ended, research revealed Americans were baking over a billion cakes per year. Buoyed by the success of Bisquick and following years of research to reliably control freshness and flavor, cake mixes were released to the market by Betty Crocker in 1949. The first mixes required adding only water and the home cook rebelled at such a phony product. The powdered eggs were backed out of the mix and the cook instructed to add two fresh eggs. That's all it took and the rest is history. Through the years the texture of cake mixes have been lightened, flavor profiles sweetened and popular flavors have followed national food trends coming and going like fashion.
The 1950 Betty Crocker Picture cookbook was and is the most popular selling of all General Mills cookbooks. The first year 1.3 million copies were sold and the book went to reprint 8 times. The same book was updated and re-released 6 years ago but in my opinion there have been too many concessions to convenience and some of the more old fashioned recipes are missing.
In the early 50's Betty Crocker had a weekly TV show based on letters and problems home cooks were having with recipes. Adelaide Holly played the part of Betty Crocker and had been her voice on the radio. Betty would demonstrate a solution to the recipe problem. Betty Crocker also appeared on some TV shows and once showed George and Gracie Allen how to bake a cake using Gracie's model Hamilton Beach model G on the Burns and Allen Comedy Hour.
General Mills commissioned a study by the NPD group in 1995 and learned that only 40 percent of households use a recipe an average of once a week. Recipes for main dishes are used most often followed by desserts and then side dishes. Recipes for beverages didn't rate high enough in usage to create a single percentage point. The case for measuring or weighing ingredients becomes a moot point when learning so few cooks actually use recipes.
Since the 1920's appliance manufacturers have followed and driven food trends. Electric popcorn poppers were among the first of electric appliance for the home and very popular. The advent of Microwave popcorn nearly killed the sales of popcorn poppers and less than one third of the popcorn poppers owned were used last year. Blenders were the rage of the 50's and now are among the least used of all appliances in the American kitchen. Some appliances like Fondue Pots, Crock Pots and Bread Machines hit the market hot and soon cool. Fondue pots were the rage of the early 70's and after a few years never made notable mention again. Crock Pots were the rage of the 70's and then cooled until gadget driven new models introduced in the last 8 years have re-created an interest in crocking and got lots of buyers to replace their perfectly good, slightly used crock pots with new ones costly nearly 3 times as much as their aging counter parts. Bread machines were the hot ticket item of the late 80's and now homes that have them use them an average of 4 times a year. (I wonder if the fame of the ubiquitous Kitchenaid has moved bread bakers to the bowl and out of the Bread Machine) In the 50's Betty Crocker sold a line of home Appliances under the General Mills label. They were hefty, reliable and missed the mark on style looking bloated and less streamlined compared to the competition. After 6 years the product line was dropped. The name Betty Crocker has re-emerged in cheap appliances offered at Home Depot and some discount retailers.
Pillsbury lays claim to the excitement of the Bake Off but General Mills used Betty Crocker to gain trust and loyalty among its customer based and the personal touches have paid off.
In 1920, helping the housewife find easier ways to complete her cooking chores, General Mills created self rising flour, first called High Rising Flour. Created especially for biscuits and pancakes, more recipes were generated to increase usage and sales of High Rising Flour. Today regional sales for self rising flour are highest in the South, an area that uses more mixes and short cut baking techniques than else where in America.
Bisquick was introduced in the early 30's after a GM exec had great biscuits on a train ride in the middle of night. Inquiring how fresh biscuits could be available in off peak times the cook showed the exec a bin of premixed ingredients he kept in the fridge and added milk to smaller amounts in slow hours to have fresh biscuits. The idea went back to committee and developement by General Mills. Stabilizers, preservatives and dried shortening needed to blend to replicate the taste profile desired and then preservatives to stabilize it. In the first 6 months, at the height of the depression, 500,000 cases of Bisquick were sold. In the first year competitors introduced 95 competing brands of biscuit mix. General Mills then went to work writing recipes for Bisquick to further cement the brand identity and sell more product.
Cake of the Century, the chiffon cake was first made and tweaked by Harry Baker an California chef. Using the new fangled Wesson Oil and mimicking the airiness of Angel Food cake but having the richness of butter cakes there was nothing like it. Harry served these cakes to Hollywood celebrations and the fame soon spread though his clientele. Harry listened to Betty Crocker on the radio and felt General Mills should have his recipe to share. In 1947 Harry traveled to Minneapolis and completed a deal to sell the recipe to General Mills. In 1948 General Mills released a pamphlet with chiffon cake recipes co-branded with Wesson Oil. The recipe was a "hole in one" success.
In 1943 with a large number of American kitchens owning a food mixer, General Mills created one bowl cake recipes calling for all ingredients except eggs to be combined and beaten for 2 minutes and then beaten on high for 2 minutes after the addition of eggs. One bowl cakes shaved 10 minutes off the prep time of ingredients to oven and soon became so popular most mixers of the 50's had a speed setting for "one bowl" cakes.
Just after World War II ended, research revealed Americans were baking over a billion cakes per year. Buoyed by the success of Bisquick and following years of research to reliably control freshness and flavor, cake mixes were released to the market by Betty Crocker in 1949. The first mixes required adding only water and the home cook rebelled at such a phony product. The powdered eggs were backed out of the mix and the cook instructed to add two fresh eggs. That's all it took and the rest is history. Through the years the texture of cake mixes have been lightened, flavor profiles sweetened and popular flavors have followed national food trends coming and going like fashion.
The 1950 Betty Crocker Picture cookbook was and is the most popular selling of all General Mills cookbooks. The first year 1.3 million copies were sold and the book went to reprint 8 times. The same book was updated and re-released 6 years ago but in my opinion there have been too many concessions to convenience and some of the more old fashioned recipes are missing.
In the early 50's Betty Crocker had a weekly TV show based on letters and problems home cooks were having with recipes. Adelaide Holly played the part of Betty Crocker and had been her voice on the radio. Betty would demonstrate a solution to the recipe problem. Betty Crocker also appeared on some TV shows and once showed George and Gracie Allen how to bake a cake using Gracie's model Hamilton Beach model G on the Burns and Allen Comedy Hour.
General Mills commissioned a study by the NPD group in 1995 and learned that only 40 percent of households use a recipe an average of once a week. Recipes for main dishes are used most often followed by desserts and then side dishes. Recipes for beverages didn't rate high enough in usage to create a single percentage point. The case for measuring or weighing ingredients becomes a moot point when learning so few cooks actually use recipes.
Since the 1920's appliance manufacturers have followed and driven food trends. Electric popcorn poppers were among the first of electric appliance for the home and very popular. The advent of Microwave popcorn nearly killed the sales of popcorn poppers and less than one third of the popcorn poppers owned were used last year. Blenders were the rage of the 50's and now are among the least used of all appliances in the American kitchen. Some appliances like Fondue Pots, Crock Pots and Bread Machines hit the market hot and soon cool. Fondue pots were the rage of the early 70's and after a few years never made notable mention again. Crock Pots were the rage of the 70's and then cooled until gadget driven new models introduced in the last 8 years have re-created an interest in crocking and got lots of buyers to replace their perfectly good, slightly used crock pots with new ones costly nearly 3 times as much as their aging counter parts. Bread machines were the hot ticket item of the late 80's and now homes that have them use them an average of 4 times a year. (I wonder if the fame of the ubiquitous Kitchenaid has moved bread bakers to the bowl and out of the Bread Machine) In the 50's Betty Crocker sold a line of home Appliances under the General Mills label. They were hefty, reliable and missed the mark on style looking bloated and less streamlined compared to the competition. After 6 years the product line was dropped. The name Betty Crocker has re-emerged in cheap appliances offered at Home Depot and some discount retailers.
Pillsbury lays claim to the excitement of the Bake Off but General Mills used Betty Crocker to gain trust and loyalty among its customer based and the personal touches have paid off.
