Hardtack & Johnnie Cake

[Jonas]

Here's survival food that goes back many years. The recipes are from the American Civil War (or more properly, The War of Northern Aggression). The South didn't have a lot of wheat, but did have plenty of corn, hence the Johnnie Cake (for "Johnnie Reb"). Hardtack has a lifespan of several years (just ask the crew of HMS Bounty!).

Army Hardtack Recipe

4 cups flour (preferably whole wheat)
4 teaspoons salt
Water (about 2 cups)
Pre-heat oven to 375° F
Makes about 10 pieces

Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl. Add just enough water (less than two cups) so that the mixture will stick together, producing a dough that won’t stick to hands, rolling pin or pan. Mix the dough by hand. Roll the dough out, shaping it roughly into a rectangle. Cut into the dough into squares about 3 x 3 inches and ½ inch thick.
After cutting the squares, press a pattern of four rows of four holes into each square, using a nail or other such object. Do not punch through the dough. The appearance you want is similar to that of a modern saltine cracker. Turn each square over and do the same thing to the other side.
Place the squares on an ungreased cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes at 350°F. Turn each piece over and bake for another 30 minutes. The crackers should be slightly brown on both sides.
The fresh crackers are easily broken but as they dry, they harden and assume the consistency of fired brick.

Union Hardtack Recipe

2 cups of flour
1/2 to 3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon of shortening or vegetable fat
6 pinches of salt

Mix the ingredients together into a stiff batter, knead several times, and spread the dough out flat to a thickness of 1/2 inch on a non-greased cookie sheet. Bake for one-half an hour at 400°F. Remove from oven, cut dough into 3-inch squares, and punch four rows of holes, four holes per row into the dough. Turn dough over, return to the oven and bake another one-half hour. Turn oven off and leave the door closed. Leave the hardtack in the oven until cool. Remove and enjoy!

Confederate Johnnie Cake Recipe

2 cups of cornmeal
2/3 cup of milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Mix ingredients into a stiff batter and form eight biscuit-sized "dodgers". Bake on a lightly greased sheet at 350°F for twenty to twenty five minutes or until brown.
Or, spoon the batter into hot cooking oil in a frying pan over a low flame. Remove the corn dodgers and let cool on a paper towel, spread with a little butter or molasses, and you have a real southern treat!


Pirate’s Hard Tack Recipe
2 cups of flour
1/2 to 3/4 cup water
6 pinches of salt
1 tablespoon of shortening (optional)

Mix all the ingredients into a batter and press onto a cookie sheet to a thickness of ½ inch.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (205°C) for one hour.
Remove from oven, cut dough into 3-inch squares, and punch four rows of holes, four holes per row into the dough (a fork works nicely).
Flip the crackers and return to the oven for another half hour.

Some recipes also recommend a second baking at 250°F (120°C) to thoroughly dry out the bread.

[Mortblanc]

I have made many batches of hard tack over the years. Most with just flour and water. I double bake mine just to insure all the moisture is baked out.

I have seen hard tack in museums that was baked in the american CW and from appearances it is still fit to eat, if any of it could be considered fit to eat.

My kids also had a favorite HT recipe which substituted honey for the water and a final dusting of powdered sugar. That never lasted long.

[preservefreak]

thanks for the recipes. If we have flour that is near it's BB date and we're not going to use it we turn it into hardtack and vacuum pack them in 8s

[Tartar Horde]

I've never seen Cornmeal in England where i am, but we have something called "cornflour" which is used to thicken stews etc, and it is a fine white powdery substance. What is cornmeal like?

[Binnie]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornmeal

I've seen it used in dominos pizza lol, you see it scattered on top of some rolls in shops too.

I've never really looked for it, but i'm sure it could be quite easily sourced.


actually, just found it......... http://groceries.asda.com/asda-estore/ca...sDetecting

[Mortblanc]

As a person from the southern section of the U.S. I am an expert on corn meal having been educated on the subject from birth!

Corn meal is made from ground dried maise. It has the texture of beach sand. It is available here in the States is both yellow and white versions. It is also available as pure corn meal and also with baking powder included and then called "self rising" meal, or "corn meal mix".

There are as many ways to cook corn meal as their are people and circumstances sourrounding the situation.

It can be mixed into a batter with any liquid you have, usually milk or water. It can then be fried or baked.

When I am alone I will mix up a few spoonsful of batter and fry it up because it is quick. If i am preparing for a group I will make a big batter and bake the whole as bread.

The standard southern cornbread recipe is;

2 cup corn meal
1 spoon baking powder (if you are not using the self rising mix)
2 cup water or milk or buttermilk
2 tablespoon bacon grease
2 tablespoons sugar

Place in a coated pan and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees F.
or fry as cakes in a skillet at medium heat until brown on each side.

One nice thing about cornmeal is that you can mix the batter thick and fry it on a hot rock. You can cook it on a hot shovel blade or on a piece of sheet metal you found on the roadside. In the old days the farmers would fry it up on the blades of their garden hoes, which gave the fried bread the name "hoecakes"

Corn meal can be boiled into a thick porage we refer to as "corn meal mush". If all the mush is not eaten in one setting the leftover can be allowed to jell, then sliced and fried in any oil or meat grease available.

Corn meal can be consumed raw and was used as dry rations when mixed with brown sugar.

Corn meal will keep for years if in airtight containers. Back in the old days people bought it in 100 pound sacks, placed it in barrels and stored it indeffinately. Most farmers grew their own corn and took it directly to the mill for processing. The dried corn kernals do keep better than the meal so they often made a trip to the millhouse every couple of months. Each community had a waterpowered mill nearby.

Opening a mill was usually one of the first business endevors in a primitive society. Grain was ground for a 10% charge and the miller sold his share to earn his living. Might be something to think about in the usefull skills section.

---

I may have not made it clear the the "batter" does not have to contain what I placed in the recipe. It can be a simple paste of water and corn meal.

I also sometimes fry up a bit of sausage, then crack an egg into the frypan and sprinkle in some corn meal and fry up the whole mess.

It is very hight in both carbs and sugar making it a fantastic survival food.

[preservefreak]

wow, that sounds great I'll have to get some to try. The only maize I'm storing is popcorn for snacks and breakfast cereal.

[Tartar Horde]

(16 March 2013, 15:18)Mortblanc Wrote: As a person from the southern section of the U.S. I am an expert on corn meal having been educated on the subject from birth!

Corn meal is made from ground dried maise. It has the texture of beach sand. It is available here in the States is both yellow and white versions. It is also available as pure corn meal and also with baking powder included and then called "self rising" meal, or "corn meal mix".

There are as many ways to cook corn meal as their are people and circumstances sourrounding the situation.

It can be mixed into a batter with any liquid you have, usually milk or water. It can then be fried or baked.

When I am alone I will mix up a few spoonsful of batter and fry it up because it is quick. If i am preparing for a group I will make a big batter and bake the whole as bread.

The standard southern cornbread recipe is;

2 cup corn meal
1 spoon baking powder (if you are not using the self rising mix)
2 cup water or milk or buttermilk
2 tablespoon bacon grease
2 tablespoons sugar

Place in a coated pan and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees F.
or fry as cakes in a skillet at medium heat until brown on each side.

One nice thing about cornmeal is that you can mix the batter thick and fry it on a hot rock. You can cook it on a hot shovel blade or on a piece of sheet metal you found on the roadside. In the old days the farmers would fry it up on the blades of their garden hoes, which gave the fried bread the name "hoecakes"

Corn meal can be boiled into a thick porage we refer to as "corn meal mush". If all the mush is not eaten in one setting the leftover can be allowed to jell, then sliced and fried in any oil or meat grease available.

Corn meal can be consumed raw and was used as dry rations when mixed with brown sugar.

Corn meal will keep for years if in airtight containers. Back in the old days people bought it in 100 pound sacks, placed it in barrels and stored it indeffinately. Most farmers grew their own corn and took it directly to the mill for processing. The dried corn kernals do keep better than the meal so they often made a trip to the millhouse every couple of months. Each community had a waterpowered mill nearby.

Opening a mill was usually one of the first business endevors in a primitive society. Grain was ground for a 10% charge and the miller sold his share to earn his living. Might be something to think about in the usefull skills section.

---

I may have not made it clear the the "batter" does not have to contain what I placed in the recipe. It can be a simple paste of water and corn meal.

I also sometimes fry up a bit of sausage, then crack an egg into the frypan and sprinkle in some corn meal and fry up the whole mess.

It is very hight in both carbs and sugar making it a fantastic survival food.

Before you know it mate you'll have all us UK mob craving biscuits n gravy

[MaryN]

Is cornmeal the same thing as polenta?

[Jonas]

(16 March 2013, 15:37)Tartar Horde Wrote: Before you know it mate you'll have all us UK mob craving biscuits n gravy

Don't forget the collard greens with ham hocks!