Hardtack, yummmy

[izzyscout21]

http://www.prepper-resources.com/hardtack-step-by-step-instructions/


Hardtack: The survival food cleverly disguised as a brick, wheel chock, or overly thick bathroom tile. Whenever I think of hardtack images come to mind of a sailor gnawing away on a piece 500 years ago in the middle of the ocean, or more recently a Civil War era Infantryman chewing on a piece while on a 100 mile foot march. Either way hardtack is just as relevant today as it was back then, maybe not as a daily meal but certainly as a survival food. Thankfully hardtack is very easy to make and equally easy to prepare (if you are into that type of thing). What follows are some simple steps I followed to make a batch of hardtack, followed by my preparation technique. I should note here that I did cut a few corners, instead of grinding up my own wheat I bought a bag of whole wheat flour.

[Sniper-T]

A buddy of mine eats this all the time.

He's taken to running it through his pasta maker to get thinner pcs. A little more info:

Many years ago, Confederate and Yankee soldiers as well as many others, ate Hardtack to survive.
To make your own, you will need Plain Flour (Do not use Self-Rising Flour). Mix Plain Flour, Salt and Water. Rool it out to about 3/16" thick. Bake till it's golden brown on top. At this point, it will rise to about 1/4". Poke holes through the bread.
I like to make mine over a bed of hot coal's in a Dutch Oven.

Enjoy a taste of the past. Good Luck!

a little trivia:

Found this infomation at http://kenanderson.net/hardtack/

Hardtack is thick cracker made of flour, water, and sometimes salt. When properly stored, it will last for years. Before the American Civil War, soldiers called it biscuit or hard bread, sailors referred to it as sea biscuit or pilot’s bread, but to the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War, it was known as hardtack, a name that stuck and spread to other units, including the Confederacy, but the name hardtack seems to have not been in general use among the armies of the West.
Because it could be prepared cheaply and would last so long, hardtack was the most convenient food for soldiers, explorers, pioneers, or anyone else who needed to be able to pack light and move fast.
While hardtack was furnished to the army by weight, the biscuits were doled out to soldiers by number. In some units, a ration of hardtack was nine, while it was ten in others, but there was usually enough to go around because some soldiers would refuse to eat it.
Although it was nutritious, soldiers complained that they could eat ten of them in a short time and still be hungry. But the most common complaint was that they were often so hard that they couldn’t be bitten into, that it took a very strong blow even to break them.
Another common problem with hardtack was when they were moldy or wet, as sometimes happened. It has been suggested that this occurred when they were boxed too soon after baking, or due to exposure to the weather. Sometimes they became infested with maggots or weevils during storage, conditions that seldom afflicted the harder variety.
When the hardtack was moldy or moist, it was thrown away and made good the next time that rations were issued, but soldiers usually had to put up with insect infestations. According to accounts, it was not uncommon for a soldier to find his coffee swimming with weevils after the hard bread was broken up in it; but they were easily skimmed off.
Hardtack was eaten by itself, or crumbled into coffee. Probably more were eaten that way than in any other, as they were usually eaten as breakfast and supper, but there were other ways to prepare them. Sometimes they were crumbled into soups, which they served to thicken. Some soldiers crumbed them into cold water, then fried the crumbs in the juice and fat of meat, creating a dish that was known as skillygalee or cush. Some preferred to eat them toasted, either to more easily crumb them into coffee; or in the rare case when it was available, with butter. A few who managed to save a portion of their sugar ration spread it upon the hardtack.

[Stormfeather]

Screw Hardtack. . . go with Pemmican! Much better for ya, and a hell of a lot tastier!

http://www.natureskills.com/wild-foods/recipe-pemmican/

[David Armstrong]

Hardtack, pemmican, and parched corn....The MRE of the past!

[rentprop1]

Ive had a bacon spam sammich on Sailor Boy Pilot Bread and it was pretty OK.......... IMHO

its sold up in Alaska and the pacific NW....a friend working for the oil company sent me some

[Gunfixr]

Seems like the weevils or maggots would add protein, maybe should be left on it.


Bacon Spam ???

[Sniper-T]

Screw Hardtack. . . go with Pemmican! Much better for ya, and a hell of a lot tastier!

http://www.natureskills.com/wild-foods/recipe-pemmican/

had a friend make me some a few years back from part of a buffalo I shot. While it was ok, it really wasn't anything to write home about. I solely blame that on him though, as I have had 'store bought' and it was excellent!

[rentprop1]

Bacon Spam ???

http://www.upsearch.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/spamWithBacon1.png