Pemmican

[George]

Crewdawg, here's all you need for your persona. Wm. Byrd, 1728, Virginaia/NC border, describing NAs trail rations...

"Their Arms are a gun and Tomahawk, and all the provisions they carry from Home is a pouch of Rockahominy."

"They can Subsist Several days upon a little Rockahominy, which is parched Indian Corn reduc’d to powder. This they moisten in the hollow of their Hands with a little water, and ”˜tis hardly credible how small a Quantity of it will Support them."

And when on a raid, approaching their target...."Sometimes indeed, while they are still at some distance, they roast either Venison or Bear, till it is very dry, and then having Strung it on their Belts, wear it round their Middle, eating very Sparingly of it, because they know not when they shall meet with a fresh Supply."

He didn't mention a cooler. :wink:

Spence

 

[tenngun]

Pemmican!... :barf:
This is where any HC/PC stops at my camp. I like cooking GOOD food while at camp and Pemmican doesn't qualify unless you want a violent case of the "HERSEY SQUIRTS"!... :shocked2:

We live in the here and now, they lived back then and differed a might in Thier diet.
A diet high in wild meat can be poor in needed fats. Today we are long on fats in our diet. So if some one gives you or you make pemmican that's a little high in fat for sure you can suffer 'Tecumseh revenge'
Pemmican can be a whole food but if your gut and gallbladder ain't used to it your body may reject it, along with a gallon or two of water. When we hop from today to playing them and living in the old days we would do better to try foods closer to our daily diet. You can do that or close to, with out getting a rejection.

 

[nhmoose]

"For starving times" Scratch Carry the Wind

 

[crockett]

Getting back to your original question, I think pemmican was used by the Eastern Cree up in Canada but in the Ohio River Valley- if that is your area of interest- not certain. Maybe you could carry dried corn, beans, and bits of jerky and make some type of succotash. Another thing I've yet to try is potted meat. You take either fresh or cooked meat and encase it with lard. As I understand it, pour some melted lard in a pot. Let set and put the meat on top, the meat not touching the sides. Now pour more lard around and over the meat. It is supposed to keep for a month or more. I think eastern long hunters ate a lot of fresh meat and fresh potted meat might be a good substitute.

 

[Crewdawg445]

Wealth of knowledge here fellas, thank you! I expecially like LD and Spence recognizing rockhominy, sinch to make and obviously HC. Good reference as well Clyde, appreciate that!

Not to worried about pemmican upsetting the tum or what not... I eat healthy, exercise and do not eat nasty fast food garbage which certainly does cause issues IMO!

Lets keep in mind we certainly are not trying to sustain life on this stuff. :thumbsup:

 

[Black Hand]

Lets keep in mind we certainly are not trying to sustain life on this stuff.

Let's not forget that is exactly the purpose of pemmican. A source of lean protein and fat made to sustain the body. Throw in a source of carbohydrates and you have a complete meal...

 

[tenngun]

Got a small doe one year, ground it all with about 1/3 hamburger. Fried them up and packed then in lard in a five gallon crock. They kept fresh all winter

 

[Vaino]

Seeing one of pemmican's major high energy components was fat and seeing that refrigeration wasn't available at the time of use years ago, the people eating pemmican had a quandry.....eat rancid fat or starve.....Fred

 

[coloradoclyde]

I'm convinced that most people can't taste when something has gone rancid or oxidized.

 

[Crewdawg445]

No, no, don't get me wrong here, yes I know it absolutely did. I'm just referring to me personally. I'm not in a place we're I need to be depending upon it for sustainability. I hate typing things out... I'd rather sit around a table and converse with you all first hand! Lol :thumbsup:

 

[Black Hand]

I did not think you were unaware, it was just a clarification for those who might not...

The reality is that for much of the USA, you can't go 20 miles without finding a place to purchase food.

 

[tenngun]

It takes a mite of time for fresh fat to go rancid. When it does, it will alter its taste s bit, but is in no way unhealthy to eat . I keep a bowl of bacon fat out on the counter and scoop or add to as needed. Aged cheese is just 'rancid' old wine or aged beef the same.
Well made pemmican will easily keep over winter with out adversely effecting the taste. Stored food in winter would be kept cool, maybe frozen through much of the winter.

 

[Claude Mathis]

It takes a mite of time for fresh fat to go rancid.

And, "rendered fat", used in pemmican, will last much longer.

 

[Black Hand]

I have rendered deer tallow that has been stored in the garage at ambient temperature for over 5 years and is none the worse for it...

 

[coloradoclyde]

.....And the brave men trudged forward with spoon and fork in hand...... :haha:

 

[Black Hand]

...eating tallow candles...

 

[Crewdawg445]

Mmm tallow candles... little midnight munching on the ole lantern candle eh?! Sounds very nutritional for sure! Hehe :grin:

 

[Black Hand]

Lewis & Clark's party found out that hunger makes the best sauce when trying to cross Lolo Pass (about 45 miles from here) in winter against the advise of the native guide. They got to eat their tallow candles to survive...

 

[tenngun]

Mmm tallow candles... little midnight munching on the ole lantern candle eh?! Sounds very nutritional for sure! Hehe :grin:

Just a light meal :haha:
9 calories per gram about 4000 calories per pound, it would save you for a few weeks before scurvy, beri-beri and protein starvation got you, it would keep you from freezing.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

On the other hand...., Khlii..., which is basically pemmican with rancid fat is still consumed in Morocco. So is Smed...rotten goat butter. Check out time hack 14:50 in this video... Andrew Zimmern Spoiled Rotten

:barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf:

LD