Hard tack and long shelf life foods

[drfuzzyballs]

I've made hard tack in the past and the historical hard tack is little more than flour and water that is baked. I originally was looking for homemade cracker recipes but those had much shorter shelf lives than their store-bought counterparts. So I made hard tack with basil and oregano added for a decent flavor. It's pretty good when soft but time will tell if it's good once it hardens.

From what I read you don't want to add any kind of fat or oil since that will spoil. the recipe used was 3 parts flour 1 part water with the salt and spices added.

 

[Aisin Gioro Puyi]

It's pretty good when soft but time will tell if it's good once it hardens.

seems like something that could be resolved with a hot soup or stew
how is it in soup?

 

[Neodanthril]

honey lasts literally forever. it will sugar over time but it wont spoil.

seems like something that could be resolved with a hot soup or stew
how is it in soup?

pretty much the only way to eat without breaking your teeth it is to put in some kind of liquid to soften it.

 

[drfuzzyballs]

seems like something that could be resolved with a hot soup or stew
how is it in soup?

I just baked it today so I'll see if it's even soft enough to eat without dissolving it first. In old times the hard tack was way to hard to eat when it was dry.

 

[Sexy Senior Citizen]

I just baked it today so I'll see if it's even soft enough to eat without dissolving it first. In old times the hard tack was way to hard to eat when it was dry.

If it's hard, one thing you can do is soak it in a hearty stew, or grind it up and mix it into the stew. You can get a pretty hearty meal if you combine it with corned beef and salt pork.

 

[Gay Sex Enjoyer]

Always soak your hardtack.

 

[feralneet]

You can store eggs packed in wood ash in your cellar/fridge for well over a year.

 

[Aero the Alcoholic Bat]

Saw this video quite some time ago, and when searching for it again, there's a lot of similar videos with the same theme, likely all ai-slop.

But how much truth is there to it, that cured meats were far superior and longer lasting back then than they are now?

 

[Unfiltered Sunshine]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarhana

Grew up on this

 

[souschef]

What about pemmican. Long shelf life, but considerably low compared to hardtacks, but they're more convenient. Perfect trekking/pilgrimage food

 

[Vect]

From what I read you don't want to add any kind of fat or oil since that will spoil. the recipe used was 3 parts flour 1 part water with the salt and spices added.

Were are you off to? Yeah any additives will risk it spoiling, that even includes dry herbs, it's meant to be complimented with other food stuffs that make it edible as they come. It was designed as essentially a staple emergency ration that lasts for decades at sea but even then it wasn't a guarantee in damp weather. My old boss used to work on a merchant ship and he and his crewmates would pick roaches out of their tack by the handful to quickly dunk in lukewarm coffee.

 

[Tablet County]

I prefer short life shelf foods.
I fucking LOVE putrefaction. I LOVE stale grain product. I chew ALL the chunks in my milk. I CRAVE the certainty of mold.

 

[Clonazepam]

Hard tack is best when soaked in water with some lemon

 

[ToroidalBoat]

I CRAVE the certainty of mold.

Nurgle-worshiping heretic spotted?

 

[Tsukasa Kadoya]

If you get grains/cereals I recommend getting airtight sealable bucket lids and tossing in a handful of desiccant packets as you seal it. You can also use a super grippy tape to further seal the buckets. I have done this with rice, barley, wheat berries, beans and quinoa, and they have lasted since Covid.

https://www.amazon.com/Gallon-White-Bucket-Gamma-Seal/dp/B00FNSUS6U

These are what I use, and they are waterproof, so if your food storage area floods the contents won't spoil.

 

[Pelican Bones]

While I'm not a hardtack expert, I only use wheat, water, and salt. Any flavorings can be added to whatever liquid you will have to use to soften it. If it something you end up actually doing for long term storage be real careful about what you add. Hardtack is really only good for longterm flour preservation.

 

[Blue Gem Kosher Queen]

A mad man fused hardtack, pemmican and bannock.

 

[ToroidalBoat]

Doesn't peanut butter last a long time?

pointless fact: PB is somewhat fluorescent in UV light

 

[JULAY]

Kimchi lasts for years if it's kept cold. The texture isn't great after about a year or so, but it tastes fine and won't kill you. Properly pressure canned jelly lasts forever too.

 

[Nameless One]

Doesn't peanut butter last a long time?

pointless fact: PB is somewhat fluorescent in UV light

That's disturbing. Probably the extra shit they add to it.