[at-l] a dried food

[nealb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (William Neal)]

Look for pilot biscuits.  They are close to hardtack.  The awfulness of hard
tack comes from the fact they are HARD.  They often had to be soaked in
something (melted bacon grease was a favorite) in order to be eaten.  Also
when stored for a long time "weevils" got into them and explorers and
soldiers and sailors would heat them over a fire to drive the weevils out --
hopefully.*  They are more like a thick, hard cracker than bread.

Fruit leather is basically those fruit roll-up candies.  Maybe with less
sugar and artificial additives.  They are good to chew on and taste good (to
somepeople; I think it depends on the  recipe used).  And I have "melted"
them and used them to make "fruit soup" and "fruit dumplings" (with canned
biscuits or quick biscuit mix).  But basically, you're right: They are dried
out mashed fruit.

William, The Dehydrated Turtle
-- Just add Jack Daniels --

*	I am reading an interesting fantasy that takes place in an
alternative universe where magic works (somewhat).  And there is a civil war
there that closely parellels ours: Only its the North that has "serfs" who
are blonde.  And it is the South who stands by a united country and free
serfs.  But some of the characters are based on real Yankee and real
Confederate officers and soldiers.  The author is a history expert and knows
his historical facts.  Which makes his alternative histories really
interesting.

DO NOT READ IF YOU'VE GOT A QUESY STOMACH!!!!!!!
Now the point is that the author describes the soldiers roasting the
hardtack over fires to drive the weevils out.  And if they were starving or
in a hurry, they would ignore the "crunch" they sometimes came across.  Or
just think of it as extra "meat".  I don't think I could ignore the crunch
and I don't want the meat.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dustin Weir" <ccr_ii@yahoo.com>
To: <at-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2003 12:00 PM
Subject: [at-l] a dried food


Does anybody know how to make hard tack? Not that I'd
want to torture myself that much on the trail... I've
been reading "In the Heart of the Sea," about the
Essex, and I want to see what they were complaining
about.

Great book, by the way!

Also, what's fruit leather? Dried patties of fruit
mash?

-GOLIATH

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