Survival Foods That Don't Need To Be Refrigerated
Hardtack and Pemmican are Non-Perishable Foods
Hardtack and Pemmican is one of the oldest survival food. What makes this foods special is that it has long shelf life and it's full of carbohydrates, enough to keep the body energize. If you're preparing for a long stint in the wilderness, want to be prepared for getting lost on a hike, or are prepping for a nuclear war or natural disaster, off-grid practice, as it was taken by the soldiers and sailors on days back then. Learning to make this survival foods could be a useful in emergency situation.
Hardtack
Hardtack has it's name, a easy-to-prepare homemade survival food that requires only three basic ingredients. For many decades hardtack has been a staple survival food for pioneer homesteader, soldiers, explorers, sailors and many others. Hardtack provides enough healthy dose of carbohydrates for body to energize. However, this historical food has its downside is how hard actually is risk of breaking a tooth. To avoid breaking a tooth, soften hardtack by dipping it in water, milk, tea, coffee, or other liquid until is chewable.
Simple Hardtack Recipe:
Ingredients
3/4 cop water
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mix flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Do not use self-rising flour; it decreases the self life. The salt acts as a natural preservatives.
Then, Start adding salt water little by little and simultaneously mixing it into the flour. Just add enough water to turn it into a dough but shouldn't stick to your fingers.
You'll need to roll it out with a floured rolling pin. You might need add some flour to dough ball to not let it stick to the rolling pin. Roll it out into a flat sheet about 1/2 to 1/3 inch thick.
You can cut the sheet of dough into whatever shapes. Keeping it simple, you can cut into squares or you can use a cookie cutter for circles.
Poke holes with a fork into each pieces all the way through. You'll have approx. one dozen biscuits. Now place your pieces of dough to an ungreased baking sheet.
Set the timer to bake for 30 minutes, then flip all your pieces and bake for another 30 minutes. After baking, let the rack cool down completely. Store in an airtight container.
Note: You can add dried herb and spices for taste such as black pepper, rosemary, but know that it will reduces the shelf life. Before eating hardtack, consider soaking it in milk, tea, coffee or other liquid.
Gluten-Free Hardtack Recipe:
So many don't prefer wheat, so that's why I have post gluten-free flour. Although hardtack last for many years, but can't guarantee that gluten-free hardtack will last long as traditional wheat flour hardtack. It hasn't been tested in the field like traditional hardtack.
Ingredients
2 tsp-1tbsp iodized salt
1/2 cup corn starch
3 cups Bob's red mill gluten-free flour
Preparation
Make dough adding water gradually.
Same baking instructions as traditional hardtack.
Note: Hardtack it's not meant to be consumed without some liquid. Soak it in the water, tea or coffee to make it soft enough to eat.
Storage
Store in airtight container, it's made to store without refrigerating. Correctly stored and prepared can last approx. 30 years. Some Hardtack last up to 100 years if made perfectly.
Pemmican
Pemmican is high-energy, long-lasting, and very portable; was first invented by native Americans. This is combination of fat, jerky, dried fruit and nuts for the sugars and proteins needed to stay out for days. It can last decades if preserved properly, it can last the longest without adding fruit and nuts and just stick to meat, fat, and spice.
Ingredients
3 cups dried fruits
2 cups tallow (rendered beef fat)
4 cups dried meat
Note: Wash your hands before you start preparing because bacteria turns pemmican worthless.
Preparation
Start with meat, you must separate the meat and fat first. Remove the fat and save it to use later. Cut the fat-less meat into strips. Heat the meat to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, then use a dehydrator, oven, or the sun to dry out the meat until it's brittle and cracks when bent.
Now, Grind the dried meat in a food processor until it turns into powder. Mix the dried fruit and powdered meat in a bowl. Add the soft tallow evenly to the dry ingredients and mix them all together.
Spread Sheet of parchment of paper and pour the fruit, meat and fat mixture onto it. Work with the mixture into a square and let it dry and get harden. Once the mixture is hardened, cut it into squares for storage.
Storage
Pemmican is made to be stored without refrigerating, but consider to store it within a moderate temperature range to benefit from it's longest shelf life. It increase its shelf life when stored in colder temperatures. Store in a airtight container or moisture absorber packet to avoid foreign contaminants and maintain shelf life.
How Long Does Pemmican Last?
The shelf life depends on the ingredients used and it's storage conditions. Pemmican can last at least 3-5 years, but people do eat after decades of storage. If you aren't sure, smell it or maybe taste it. If meat smell and taste bad avoid eating.
