Why stockpile flour (max shelf-life 1 year) when it can be turned into Hardtack Biscuits that will last forever.
For centuries, hardtacks were the key food source for sailors (throughout the Tudor era and later).
But the Civil War is what most people know it from, and it was that war that proved this hardy biscuit’s incredible longevity. Much of the initial supplies fed to Union and Confederate troops were leftovers from the Mexican-American War, and so much harsh tackling was made during the Civil War that it would not be eaten entirely until the Spanish American War – 50 years later.
A Hardtack contains carbohydrates (main source of energy), sodium, potassium, protein, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin E, copper, zinc, calcium, folate, magnesium, manganese, niacin, selenium … I’m not going to write down the whole list because it contains a bit of almost everything – just like flour (main ingredient).
How to Make Hardtacks
You’ll need:
• 1 lb flour
• 1/2 pint water
• 1/2 tablespoon sea salt
Related: 12 Essential Food to Stockpile Before Its Off the Shelves
The oven should be preheated to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, add the flour and salt, then pour in the water. Blend all ingredients. If required use extra flour to ensure the dough is no longer sticky. Be careful, not to make the dough too dry. If you add too much flour, slightly add more water. Knead the dough until is easy to work with.
To roll the dough into a rectangular shape, use the rolling pin. Hardtack was about a half inch thick, so do not worry about thinning the dough.
Bake the dough for 30 minutes.
Take the dough out of the oven and cut it into large squares (about 3 “by 3”). Using a stick (or a fork), poke four rows of four holes in the cracker.
Flip the squares and return to the oven for another 30 minutes (add an hour to make sure it is completely dehydrated). Allow the hardtack to completely cool inside the oven.
Be careful when biting into a cracker, because when it’s completely cool, they get really hard.
Soldiers often softened the crackers by crumbling them into coffee, or frying them with animal fat. Often, for several days, hardtack was everything a soldier needed to eat.
Just the fact that you’re thinking about your great-great-grandson (whom you’ll never meet) – perhaps taste your hard tack biscuits!
The best way to store flour is by making it into Hardtacks. You can later turn it back into flour whenever you wish.
Food crisis can last for up to 4-5 years and don’t think it can happen in the United States. If the food shelves are empty, then you’re just nine meals away from anarchy.
Related: How Much Food You’ll Need for the Next 6 Months?
