# Has anyone made hardtack?



## molon labe 7.62 (Feb 24, 2013)

Hardtack is a sort of cracker/bread/jawbreaker. They used to eat it all the time in the civil war. In fact there is still some from the civil war in a museum in minneapolis that is still edible. My wife and i made some the other day and the stuff is not half bad. You just have to soak it awhile in tea or something to soften it up. Flour, water, and 2teaspoons of salt. mix flour water and salt till it is like bread dough that is hard. roll out to 1/2 inch thick cut into squares about 4x4 and poke holes all over with a toothpick. bake at 350 for 25min flip over and bake for another 25 min or so. should come out hard as a rock and last a long time. just another long term food idea.


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## rickkyw1720pf (Nov 17, 2012)

I see no use for the stuff in today's world. It was made durring the civil war before they knew about nutrition, which is one of the reasons more soldiers died of sickness than bullets.
Other names they used
Hard tack, pilot bread, ship's biscuit, shipbiscuit, sea biscuit, sea bread, dog biscuit, tooth dullers, sheet iron, worm castles, molar breakers


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## rickkyw1720pf (Nov 17, 2012)

We can get rice now cheaply and it will store better and has about the same nutritional value.


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## Blademaker (Feb 22, 2013)

rickkyw1720pf said:


> We can get rice now cheaply and it will store better and has about the same nutritional value.


Yup

A 25 lb bag of rice from Costco will vacume seal 31 bags @ 2 cups per bag.
And cheap as hell to boot.


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## Blademaker (Feb 22, 2013)

oswegoscott said:


> Flour,water and salt are cheap. Store better? Any edible rice around from the Civil War?
> Rice is great! What's wrong with hardtack for variety--another item to have?


I can see that.
Now, for whats probably gonna be a stupid question.
Would it be possible to fortify hard tack with vitamin/ vitamin powder?
And it still store and not taste like a cats ass?


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## molon labe 7.62 (Feb 24, 2013)

It actually tastes very good. It is a good way to store your flour to keep for a long time. Already prepared. 25# bag of flour $9, 2teaspoons salt 2¢, water free. Light to carry and good carbs.


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## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

Hard tack if you grind it up fine and bread fish with it and deep fry it's awesome. It also makes a great ceviche addition just throw some in the food processor.


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

"Baked twice" comes from hardtack. Its to ensure all the moisture is removed. Its just a wheat cracker which I have made in the past. In itself its about flavorless. Broken up & put in soup or stews it bearable.


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup water, & 1 table spoon of salt. flatten, cut to size, & poke holes in it with a fork. 30 minutes at 375. Pull out & allow to cool. Flip it over. 30 minutes at 350.


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

Costco sells a 40 + lb 6 gallon bucket of rice alread prepped for 25 year storage and 
last I looked it was under $50. That is eating a decent amount of rice every other day
more than a year. They had lentils the very same way - in the $65 range, but no longer
on their web site - I have one of each burried at the BOP. Another one of them each I 
eat off of here at home.



Blademaker said:


> Yup
> 
> A 25 lb bag of rice from Costco will vacume seal 31 bags @ 2 cups per bag.
> And cheap as hell to boot.


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## rickkyw1720pf (Nov 17, 2012)

The easy way to make hardtack, Take a box of crackers add a teaspoon of water, put in hydraulic press and squeeze into 1 x 3 inch square. 

I had a piece of hardtack once to see what it taste like and that was enough. Thousands of civil war letters and not one person said "OH Boy we are have hardtack today"


PS: I see no problem if people want to make it to store but I just think there are a lot of better options available to us today. The stuff has no taste I dropped some on the grounds and the ants carried it off and within a minute they brought it back.


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## Will2 (Mar 20, 2013)

If you get a chance I hear painting some honey on it will make it last even longer.


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## Blackcat (Nov 12, 2012)

Blademaker said:


> I can see that.
> Now, for whats probably gonna be a stupid question.
> Would it be possible to fortify hard tack with vitamin/ vitamin powder?
> And it still store and not taste like a cats ass?


Wait... How do you know what my butt tastes like ?


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## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

While I was reading these post, I was reminded of PEMMICAN made from jerky, purified animal fat and sometimes nuts and berries. It was carried by Indians fur trappers anyone wanting a light food they could carry with them. I have never made it, tasted it, or even seen it for real, but I thought I'd throw this out here for any purest that may be interested. There are many videos online for anyone who may be interested in trying to make some.


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## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

Just buy dog biscuits. Easier to make and taste better.


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