Hardtack

For as long as I can remember, I have been hearing about hardtack. Seems like in all the old TV westerns, there was some mention of hardtack. This past week I did some reading about hardtack and did a search online to see where you can get it commercially. Turns out it is not very popular in Alabama. There is one brand, Sailor Boy Pilot Bread, that is available in a few western states and in Alaska. You can buy it online from a few places although the shipping is kind of high.

While I was searching online, I came upon a website that had an "authentic" recipe for hardtack, just like the Union troops were issued during the war between the states. It looked simple. 3 cups of all purpose flour, 1 cup of water and 2 teaspoons of salt. Mix it up,  roll it out to 1/2 inch thick, cut it in 3 inch by 3 inch squares, punch some holes in it like those in saltine crackers, put it in a 375 degree oven and bake it 30 minutes on one side, flip it over and bake it 30 minutes on the other side. That is all there is to it. I had everything I needed in the kitchen to make it except a rolling pin and I picked one of those up yesterday at Target.

So, today was my day to make hardtack. I followed the instructions and sure enough, my hardtack turned out just like the pictures on the internet. As soon as it cooled off, I picked out a piece to eat. As you would expect with such a simple food with a simple recipe, the description of hardtack is simple. One word sums it up. Hardtack is HARD. It is not as hard as a diamond. I would say that it is harder than a chicken bone but not as hard as a quartz rock. It actually tasted pretty good, kind of like a saltine cracker.

I read where the union troops would dunk their hardtack in their coffee and the British sailors dipped theirs in  grog to soften it up. After trying it, I can see why. It is supposed to have an outstanding shelf life. I read today that recently some hardtack originally issued during the war between the states was discovered and it was still edible. The article did not say but I suspect that,  that 1860's hardtack had to be soaked in coffee or some other liquid before it could be eaten.