Hard Tack- from Urban Survival Site

 

When we were learning about the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, we made hard tack to see what it was like to be a soldier and have this as your rations. It is like a super brick hard biscuit or cracker. Won't go bad as long as it doesn't get wet. You eat it by slowly sucking/gnawing on it, or by soaking it in gravy or hot drinks. 

• 3 cups of white flour
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 cup of water
• A cookie sheet
• A mixing bowl
• A knife
• A common nail

1. First, you’ll need to preheat your oven to 375°.

2. Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl.

3. Gradually mix in the water until you form a dough that doesn’t stick to your hands. It will be very sticky at first, but just keep forming it and shaping it until it’s not too sticky.

4. Next, you’ll need to use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a square. Make sure it’s no more than half an inch thick or it won’t bake well.

5. Now carefully cut the dough into 9 squares.

6. Using the nail, make a grid of holes in each of the squares.

7. Put all the pieces on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake them for 30 minutes.

8. Now turn the squares over and bake for another 30 minutes.

9. Remove them from the oven and let them cool off. They should look something like this.

Ideally, the hardtack should be just a little brown on each side. Every oven is different and every climate has an effect on baking time, so keep a close eye on them the first time you bake them. You don’t want to burn your first batch.

Adjust the baking time if necessary. Once it’s cool, it should almost be hard as a rock. Each piece is about 150 calories.

As I said, the great thing about hardtack is it lasts for years without any special storage techniques. I would put it in Ziploc bags and add it to your food cache, bug out bags, and vehicle survival kits. It makes a great source of energy in emergency situations. And if you don’t like how hard it is, smash it up and mix with other foods.