Tasty tasty Hardtack?!

[irishmp]

Question please. How hard are the Sailor Boy crackers compared to say saltines or a regular cracker. Almost 70 Here with original teeth and want to keep it that way. Art

Not hard at all. You should have no problem eating them

 

[tebarton]

To say I love food would be an understatement. I love the food of many countries it’s one of the things that’s made this country so great!

So to no surprise to me my love of food and history intersect again.

My earliest recollection of this is when I purchased a biblical times cookbook as a child. I wanted to know what they would of eaten back then. I was a curious little bugger some things never change.

Hardtack was apparently invented in 1792. Pretty smart stuff as it could feed someone for months on end. Useful during sailing missions and the like.

I am going to whip up a batch tomorrow. Has anyone tried this? Just curious. Hmm wonder if this was the first known “mre”.

yes and if you do it right it is tasteless and your need a hammer to break it up or soak it in water to soften it up. It is called HARD for a reason.

 

[LuVerne Schumann]

yes and if you do it right it is tasteless and your need a hammer to break it up or soak it in water to soften it up. It is called HARD for a reason.

I'd argue that it's "tasteless". Based on modern American ADHD style taste buds deadened by gobs of refined sugar and deep fried lard, it might be considered "tasteless". I, however, find the taste a bit interesting.

 

[tenngun]

That may be. Some sweet recipes from a time when sugar was dear are barely sweet now.

 

[Sean Gadhar]

I am going to whip up a batch tomorrow. Has anyone tried this? Just curious. Hmm wonder if this was the first known “mre”.

I have been taking it to hunting camp for a few years now (2015 I think I started) I didn't read all 7 pages of post, did someone point out yet that Ships Biscuits were made with Summer ie soft flower, NOT what we mostly use now which is hard winter flower. Also the grade of flower was about as cheep as the bakers could get away with. I use Bob's Red Mill Pastry Flour Whole Wheat https://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mil...words=Soft+Wheat+Flour&qid=1605660200&sr=8-49

Mixed 4 to 1 with wheat bran to approximate cheep soft flower of the time.

No one likes them at first then I would do little bags with Jerky, dry Fruit and two Ships Biscuits. After a few days guys would grab a few biscuits on the way out of camp every day.

 

[Kansas Jake]

Sean I made some a similar a couple of years ago, but added enough salt to make them somewhat tasty. I found they were filling and sustained me when on a long drive or traipsing out in the woods. I did need to have water available as they would make for a dry mouth otherwise.

 

[Carbon 6]

Anyone try making hardtack using self rising flour?

I just did and got something hard, tasty, and most importantly, chewable.

 

[Eutycus]

There was a joke amongst the civil war soldiers that these "biscuits" could stop a bullet, are any of y'all gonna try that experiment? If someone else brought this up, I apologize . I haven't read all of the thread.

 

[Eutycus]

Anyone try making hardtack using self rising flour?

I just did and got something hard, tasty, and most importantly, chewable.

I'd be tempted to try the gluten-free flour.

 

[Carbon 6]

I'd be tempted to try the gluten-free flour.

What kind of gluten free flour ?

 

[Eutycus]

They have a rice and almond then there's coconut . And Millet, I think?

 

[Carbon 6]

I think you're in uncharted territory.

 

[Eutycus]

I was hoping you'd experiment some.

 

[kansas_volunteer]

Here's a little info on modern wheat.
https://sunriseflourmill.com/turkey-red-a-heritage-wheat/Turkey red is a hard winter wheat.Sunrise sells flour that ought to be good for hardtack. Any pre-1870 reenactor carrying hardtack made from any sort of flour other than from soft white summer wheat of a heritage variety ought to be tied over the muzzle of a cannon and shot. Rendezvous judges who can't tell authentic pre-1870 flour from the modrrn stuff should be stripped of their buckskins and sent packing.

 

[toot]

They have a rice and almond then there's coconut . And Millet, I think?

I thought that stuff was only for HIPPIES & FLOWER, not FLOUR, CHILDERN? well maybe?

 

[Eterry]

You guys are gonna make me try making hard tack again.

As to hoecakes, I grew up eating them. Mom made red beans with some salt pork, greens and hoe cakes.

I can proudly say I recently made a batch from scratch, no recipe, just like mom. They were great.

Dad always saved one hoecake for dessert and poured Brer Rabbit light syrup on it. That and a glass of milk and your in heaven.

After watching True Grit a few years ago I decided to try making corn dodgers. I found a recipe in Little House on the Prairie cookbook. They turned out good, took them to deer camp.

 

[Eutycus]

I thought that stuff was only for HIPPIES & FLOWER, not FLOUR, CHILDERN? well maybe?

That stuff has been around a very long time. About 20% of the population like to "pretend" they are on a gluten free diet because it's a fad or fashionable, or some movie star does it. Whereas 2-3% really do need to be for medical reasons.

 

[Nazgul58]

Wife and I have hoe cakes every so often as a treat for breakfast. They stick with you when you are working outside.

Don

 

[Carbon 6]

Self rising flour, Best hardtack I've mad to date. A lot like eating a Goya cracker. Don't know how long they will last though, I ate them all already. Will definitely be making them again.

 

[tenngun]

Ships bread/ hard tack had to last. A sea voyage or an army on the march might eat bread more then a year old.
Hoe cakes, corn dodgers, softer biscuits oat cakes ect could be carried several weeks.
A fellow on own hook in the wilds wasn’t an army or a ship at sea. He didn’t have to have bread that would last a year.