Screech8710

I found this recipe last year and saved it because I figured hardtack could prove itself useful in bad situation or as a little extra for a meal in the field. I haven't had the opportunity to try it yet but I plan to pack some whenever it is I go camping again.

2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup water, 1 table spoon of salt, and a nail for poking holes

It should be a sticky dough, but shouldn't cling to your hands.

Make 3X3 squares, use the nail poke some holes

30 minutes on each side at 375 degrees.

It should last a very long time as long as it is kept dry. The website I found it on is a user-submitted "how-to" forum. I think most of the stuff on there is gimmicky or submitted by kids, like "altoids-tin "survival" kits" but there are a few good things if one is bored enough to shovel through it all to find something.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Hard-Tack/#step1

Here is another link for some food bars:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Backpacking-Food-Bars/

GranTorino

I wonder if a twinkie would out-last it. I know a twinkie would get eaten first. I think the best use for hard-tack is to remind us how bad our ancestors had it.

huntinghawk

Hardtack was never meant to be eaten like a cracker. Dropped in a bowl & hot stew or soup poured ontop of it.

billythegoat

hard tack was a staple of the civil war for a reason , it lasted without refigeration and provided calories

stoky

I'm not sure what's wrong with me, but I like it. I've left the yeast out of a couple of bread recipes and I thought it turned out okay.

huntinghawk

Not sure I would choose a nail to poke the hardtack. A nail is steel covered with lead.

billythegoat

use one of those nails for baked potatoes

308user

A twinkie will outlast the pyramids. Given the conditions Civil War soldiers endured hard-tack seem a minor inconvenience.

Earthquake

I thought Hardtack had some molasse in it? and what is "Cram"

Casey

Buzzard II

If the hard tack sat around long enough it got some weavels in it and then you had fresh meat! No lie! You had to pour hot coffee or soup on it-too hard to bite it.
I prefer Johnny Cakes with some maple syrup. Several similar receipes around.
2 cups boiling water, 1 teaspoon salt, i tablespoon sugar (optional), 1-2 tablespoons bacon drippings, 1 cup white or yellow corn meal. Mix it all together and pour into a frying pan-cast iron if you have it-and fry up like pan cakes.

huntinghawk

Here is an early style cracker recipe from a modern collection of old recipes. The sugar may be
a modern addition, and certainly may be omitted and still make an historic cracker.
4 cups allpurpose flour
1 / 4 cup butter
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Cut in butter with two knives until mixture looks mealy. Stir in enough milk to make a stiff dough. Roll about 1 /4 inch thick on a lightly floured board and cut with a large round cookie cutter. Prick surface in many places with fork tines and brush lightly with milk. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until light gold in color. Makes two dozen or more.

Earthquake

My buddy had a tin of Civil Defence crackers from the 50's made by Nabisco, we opened it up in the late 90"s and they were still pretty good. It was a old spam type can that was about 6" x 10" x 24" tall painted OD green with yellow printing, I would like to have about 20 pounds of the crackers that come in MRE's to put away.

Casey

Buffalo444

Anyone tried the OP's recipe yet? It'd be interesting to cook some up and have it for a BoB.

huntinghawk

Working on a small batch of the hardtack. Poked with a fork & cut to size with a pizza roller cutter.

huntinghawk

From my little knowledge & experience of baking, my guess is the holes are just to give moisture a better chance to be released from the dough.