Hardtack

Today we will discuss HARDTACK. This was a staple for the soldiers during the Civil War. Easy to prepare and store, it lasted a long time. Not very tasty but the soldiers found ways to make it taste better and we will explore all those fun tidbits of information in today’s blog.

First of all…what is hardtack? Hardtack lived up to its name and was definitely hard, breaking its fair share of teeth, especially as it aged. Often times it would be several months old before it even arrived to a camp to be distributed to the soldiers. It was similar to a cracker and easy and cheap to prepare in bulk. I have enclosed a recipe and baking instructions for those of you wishing to be adventurous and give it a try. J

The life of a soldier during the Civil War was treacherous especially for Confederate Soldiers whose army supply commissaries had yet to be fully developed at the onset of the war.  Both the North and the South thrived on hardtack. Most rations consisted of hardtack, dried meat or uncooked meat such as bacon, corn meal, sugar, and some fruits and vegetables if they were lucky. Six to eight hardtack crackers were rationed for a three day supply.

One recipe that they used to make their meals more bearable was called “swoosh” They would cook the bacon in a frying pan and then throw cornmeal into the hot grease or dip their hard tack in it to soften it up.

Soldiers would often cook at the same campfire called “mess”. If they knew that they would be marching the next day they would take the time to cook up their rations for the week and store in their haversacks so they would have food ready as needed.

Hardtack Recipe

3/4 cup water
2 cups flour
1 tbs animal fat
6 pinches of salt
Make a thick batter and knead. Roll out into a thich layer approximately 1/2" thick. Bake for 1/2 an hour at 400 degrees, cut into squares. Using a toothpick poke several holes in each square. Turn the squares over and cook for another half an hour. Remove from oven, cool and eat.

For kicks here is a song that the soldiers came up with for their distaste for hardtack.

"'Tis the song that is uttered in camp by night and day,
'Tis the wail that is mingled with each snore;
'Tis the sighing of the soul for spring chickens far away,
'Oh hard crackers, come again no more!'

'Tis the song of the soldier, weary, hungry and faint,
Hard crackers, hard crackers, come again no more;
Many days have I chewed you and uttered no complaint,
Hard crackers, hard crackers, come again no more!"

-from a soldiers' parable called "Hard Times"

Peanut Coffee

Today we will explore another alternative to coffee during the Civil War: Peanuts. You have to hand it to our ancestors for coming up with ways to make do during hard times. Many of these discoveries were later used during the depression when ingenuity was once again on the front line for survival.

Peanuts were brought over originally from South America and most people shied away from eating them, considering them a food for the poor or for slaves, until the Civil War forced them to rethink their food supplies. Peanuts were then called "groundnuts", "ground peas", "goober peas", "monkey nuts", "pindars", and "goobers". The name "pindar" and "goober" were African tribal words.

Both the Union and Confederate soldiers began to discover the great benefits of peanuts as rations became fewer every year. Coffee was a commodity that couldn’t be afforded as prices rose. The soldiers would roast and boil the freshly picked peanuts over their camp fires and make peanut coffee.

After the war both Union and Confederate soldiers went home with a renewed respect for the staple that had substantial nutritional benefits, including a meat alternative for protein consumption. Peanut farms began to pop up everywhere in the south, especially Alabama, and the industry grew over 200 % from before the war making it a cash crop almost from the beginning.

Okra - Coffee Substitute

During the Civil War coffee prices in the south rose to $30.00 per pound making it nearly impossible for people to be able to afford it. An alternative was to use okra seeds as a substitute. Okra was planted alongside the corn in the fields.
Okra provides many health benefits and is used in many southern dishes.

Okra Nutrition (half-cup cooked okra)

• Calories = 25
• Dietary Fiber = 2 grams
• Protein = 1.5 grams
• Carbohydrates = 5.8 grams
• Vitamin A = 460 IU
• Vitamin C = 13 mg
• Folic acid = 36.5 micrograms
• Calcium = 50 mg
• Iron = 0.4 mg
• Potassium = 256 mg
• Magnesium = 46 mg

To make coffee from Okra:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/

1/2 cup ripe okra seeds will make approximately 6 cups of coffee

1. Put a heavy skillet on medium heat for about 10 minutes to pre-heat.
2. Dump the seeds into the skillet and stir them frequently or shake the skillet
3. The seeds will go from dark green-black to light gray, then start turning brown
4. Keep stirring at least until the seeds start popping open - about 10 minutes. You can roast them longer, but cover the skillet or they will pop all over the kitchen.
   (this would be a good place to use an old-fashioned popcorn pan)
5. Remove the seeds from the skillet and let them cool.
6. Grind the seeds in something (I used a coffee grinder) until they look like coffee. They are brittle and grind faster than real coffee.
7. Brew.
8. Drink.

Sassafras - Tea Substitute

Sassafras and other alternatives were highly popular during the Civil War when money was scarce and prices were on the rise. I decided to do a little research on what was used and how it was prepared... Join me in my time travel as I explore how the pioneers made do in hard times:

The root and bark of the sassafras tree have sap that has a highly sweet smell. During the summer months in Texas the smell of sassafras can be detected in the breeze. Its sweet, candy like smell is unmistakable. Rub the stems and you will be hard pressed to stop smelling it.It's claim to fame came when it was used to make root beer.

Harvested, the roots, can be dried, boiled and used in tea. The leaves from a sassafras can be dried, ground and used as a thickening agent in soups and gumbo.

If interested in trying the tea for yourself I have added some instructions.

There are warnings regarding the consumption of too much sassafras so you might want to research before trying.

(Instructions provided by http://www.wikihow.com/)
Dig or pull the tree up with its roots, remove them, and wash and cut them into 2 to 3 inch pieces.

Allow them dry for a week or so. Keep them in a cool, dry place during the drying time to prevent them from rotting.

Strip the bark (or skin) from the roots after they have dried, cutting it slightly into the woody part of the root. The bark is where the tree stores its sap during the dormant, winter months. Store these strips of root skin in airtight containers like zipper freezer bags until ready to use.

Boil about 2 to 4 ounces of this bark in a quart of water for twenty minutes or so and then allow it to steep until it cools.

Add the same amount of sugar you would for regular Iced Tea adjusting it to your personal tastes.

Add more water to make it a gallon and enjoy.