Authentic eating in camp

[dehight]

I am just getting into the hobby and have not taken the field yet but I want to ask some questions about camp food before I do. I want to be as authentic as possible despite what my unit does (I've met some guys and they give me the impression that they are pretty serious about authenticity though)...anyways, despite what the unit does, I want to feel like I'm cooking back in the war (authenticity is my purpose for starting reenacting)...so questions follow:

1) My Capt. mentioned bringing stuff like sugar, flour, and an egg from home to cook. Making that ok with the unit, how likely was it that a soldier would have found that stuff foraging or from rations? If he could have found some foraging or been given some then to me it's ok to bring them (and pretend like I've been foraging :) )

2) If not these things I've mentioned, what are some items that could have been found foraging that would be useful to bring from home?

My goal is to respect the fellows who really lived this by recreating my impression as authentic as possible. Please give me some tips on cooking and food.

Thanks all,

Duane

[GrumpyDave]

Check these out:

http://www.cwreenactors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1486&highlight=Rations

http://www.cwreenactors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1459&highlight=Rations

http://www.cwreenactors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=747&highlight=Rations


It's always best to see what your unit's expectations are BEFORE you buy ANYTHING.

[GaWildcat]

Duane,

Here's a link on Federal Rations

http://www.qmfound.com/feeding_billy_yank.htm

Other things to take into consideration are time and location, what vegetables are in season to forage for.

[Rob Weaver]

Taking seasons into account is a great idea because it makes your meals at events memorable. It's great to be able to say "Remember the pears at Fredericksburg?" and it's an appropriate period comment.

[Company C, 9th KY]

Sir,

Welcome to the hobby and congratulations on your desire to improve your impression!

To give you an example of what I carry in my haversack at an event here is a list: peanuts, carrots (with the greens), a couple small potatoes, one or two apples, jerky and poke sacks with dried beans, rice and cornmeal.

It is important to know the time of year of the event you are attending in order to know what would be available during that time. For example, you would not want to have fresh tomatoes if the time of year is set in January.

Here is a little more information that might help...

http://www.8thtnus.com/rations.html

http://ezinearticles.com/?Civil-War-Food---What-Union-and-Confederate-Soldiers-Ate&id=366537

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foods_of_the_American_Civil_War

Respectfully,

Pvt. Kirk

PS: Getting into a mess will add to your experience as well. Usually mess mates will put together odds and ends of whatever they have to make a meal or pot of something. For example, if someone has salt pork or bacon, someone else has carrots and someone has beans....add water and you have bean soup!

[dehight]

To give you an example of what I carry in my haversack at an event here is a list: peanuts, carrots (with the greens), a couple small potatoes, one or two apples, jerky and poke sacks with dried beans, rice and cornmeal.

Do you get these at a store and and take them to the event??? Thats what I'm more concerned about.

Thanks,

Duane

[3rdUSRedleg]

It is quite refreshing to see someone interested in research
and joining the hobby with great enthusiasm!!

May I suggest along with website researching these topics
but to also go to the AC Forum and look up their Primary Sources
and research on this subject as well as "How to Cook" as well.

I strongly urge you to experiment at home with preparation,
and cooking. Dont be afraid to dive right on in. You will find trial and
error pays off.

Hint, if you are thinking on trying your efforts on making salt pork,
NOW is a good time to get a good fatty pork butt end roast from your
market before the prices start to go up.
Look for some "Morton's Sugar Cure" (in the salt section)to rub your meat to either
make your brine or to dry cure it.
I have found this method more easier and less costly.
If you smoke it, it makes a really good meaty bacon that is quite irresistible.

[Company C, 9th KY]

Do you get these at a store and and take them to the event??? Thats what I'm more concerned about.

Thanks,

Duane

Sir,

Sure. All the veggies can be bought and kept right in your haversack, no wrappings of course. For the beans I usually buy a bag of dried cow peas (black eye peas) and pour some in a small poke sack. Rice, the kind you have to cook, no instant. If the event you attend allows for the public to tour the military camps, which most that I have been to do, roasting a small potato over the fire on a ramrod adds to the impression along with tasting pretty good!
(Tip: if can find an old ramrod that is not used with a musket, use it and not the one that goes with your musket. Although it might not happen, fire can do funny things sometimes and you do not want to run the risk of warping your good ramrod.)
Jerky is excellent when waiting to go into battle. Buy a bag of jerky and put the pieces in a poke sack, it will last all weekend.
Cheese is another good choice to have. It was pretty much available at any time of the season and is great with the jerky! Take it out of the original packaging and wrap it in brown paper. I use the brown paper bags that you would use to pack a lunch in to take to school or work. Cut the closed end off and cut it open. You can wrap salt pork and bacon this way also and still maintain a good impression.

Basically, anything you wish to carry in your haversack can and usually is bought at a store. You have to "convert" it a little to keep authenticity to a maximum. Meaning, no modern wrappings and the usage of poke sacks.

My advice is to always consult with one of your NCOs if you have any questions about what season the battle is in, theater, etc. Also, check to see if anything suggested here is acceptable for your group before you do anything as different groups have different authenticity standards.

Hope this helps! Hope to see you on the field of Honor someday!

Respectfully,

Pvt. Kirk

[OVI]

Do you get these at a store and and take them to the event??? Thats what I'm more concerned about.

Thanks,

Duane

Duane..if there are others in your company who are taking your approach with authentic foods at events, you might consider consulting before the event with them and become messmates with a plan for shared rations. I did this myself back in the late 1990s with my old mainstream unit and once the others saw what we were doing, they became interested in doing the same. And when you get enough guys on the same page, then take the next step and get your 2nd or 3rd Sgt to perform Commissary Sgt duties and issue the rations in bulk during the event. Not only do you get period food, but you get to learn how to cook it, store it and eat it...just like they did.

Kent Dorr - Winter Quarters in Ohio
"Devils Own Mess"

[bob 125th nysvi]

maybe you can help us along by telling us which side you are portraying.

Both sides had "official" rations that were supposed to be issued to the troops. And when one was in garrison you might even have a more varied list of options.

Due to superior logistics the Union forces pretty much were able to stick to the "official" rations. Rations for CSA forces would be a lot more varied based on the current supply/logistics situation.

A soldiers "opportunity" to forage would be directly proportional to where the unit was in the line of the march. For the divisions in the back of the line, well the pickin's were a lot less than for the boys who arrived in town first.

Also you need to consider that the locals would try to hide as much food as possible (prefering not to starve themselves) and that the boys would not have had a lot of extra money to buy things and also depending on the speed of the march you wouldn't have the TIME to go foraging very far from the line of march.

Finally what time of year is it? Mostly the crops don't come in until Sept/Oct so saying you foraged carrots/potatos/apples would be totally out of whack if your on the march in May. Yes some of those products can be stored but they ain't going to look like store bought new.

Eggs are always interesting because anybody can say "Hey chickens lay all year." City slickers. Yes they do but any farm boy will tell you not as many as people think. The few chickens on your average farm back then would not have produced enough eggs in a week for a whole company never mind a regiment. Yet everybody has to have an egg.

Things like flour and meal make good rations because they are year round and easy to transport dry (the reason why they were invented in the first place). Double smoked bacon will not spoil over a short event almost no matter how hot it gets, just remember what is edible and what is delectiable is two different things. And something that soldiers didn't worry about on the march. And you can do liek I do, cook the bacon the first night and eat it cold the rest of the weekend.

I suggest that you (if this is your first event) follow along with what your unit is recommending, maybe add a thing or two if you want, and see how it works for you. And when you are there if you see a soldier with something different that looks authentic then talk to him about it.

Just for the record I do Union, which means hardtack and saltpork (double smoked slab bacon) is my usual weekend ration. Sometimes I'll add an appropriate item like a potato (which can be stored all winter long). If the season is right one piece of fresh fruit or maybe some dried fruit if the season isn't right (drying fruit goes back to Ancient times).

And I always carry a small bag of period appropriate candy. Although sometimes especially at hot events it melts and becomes one big glob. But it still tastes good.

[flattop32355]

Questions to ask yourself:
Which side am I on? It makes a difference.
In what theater am I? East, West, Trans-Miss?
What year of the war?
What season of the year?
In camp/garrison or on campaign?
Do you intend to cook each meal separately or carry "three days cooked rations in the haversack"?
Have you received a package from home recently?
Is your regimental sutler nearby, available to buy special items from?
Is foraging encouraged or discouraged, and is anything available in the area you're in?
Is, for instance, a modern variety apple acceptable, or need it be of the kind they'd have had available in 186x?
Are there shortages of certain foods for the time depicted?

All those, and more, help determine what food items you might actually be carrying at any given time.

In the end, you can't go wrong with the bare basics. But even the basics are different from Yank to Reb, and sometimes from year to year.

Also, don't get stuck cooking a certain item in only one way. For example, meat could be cooked fried, roasted, boiled, or mixed in with other foods. Some of the best pig I ever ate was slow roasted on the end of a ramrod propped up over an open fire.

[Spinster]

Do you get these at a store and and take them to the event??? Thats what I'm more concerned about.

Thanks,

Duane

Duane,

The cultivation of period vegetables and fruits and raising of period breeds of livestock is a whole 'nother branch of the hobby--one rather more popular on the civilian side than the military side.

Some things can be found in a modern grocer, other things must be obtained by mail order, and still other things can only be gotten by the sweat of one's own brow and the Hand of Providence.

If your current life and resources limit you to purchasing goods, you will do better by finding a good produce market where the vegetables have not been overprepared, where corn is still in the full shuck, and root vegetables still come with a little dirt and a little greenery attached.

[TheQM]

I am just getting into the hobby and have not taken the field yet but I want to ask some questions about camp food before I do. I want to be as authentic as possible despite what my unit does (I've met some guys and they give me the impression that they are pretty serious about authenticity though)...anyways, despite what the unit does, I want to feel like I'm cooking back in the war (authenticity is my purpose for starting reenacting)...so questions follow:


Duane

Duane,

Another Gentleman suggested the Authentic Campaigner Forum. Right now, in their "Camp of Instruction" Folder; there's a thread on Rations. It is now 102 pages long. That one thread will give you entire evening of reading on the subject.

Oh yeah, I'd suggest you just lurk for a while, over there, until you get the lay of the land.

Welcome to the Hobby

[dehight]

I'm CSA

19th Alabama Infantry

Western Theatre

This year we are doing Shiloh LH, Resaca, Atlanta, and Corinth.

So basically, some veggies and stuff...so what about the sugar, flour, cornmeal issue...were this available typically?

[GrumpyDave]

You can get all of the things you mention

Sugar in the Raw
Yelow or white corn meal
coarse ground wheat, rye, barley, etc. flour

at your local grocer.

[Pvt Schnapps]

The most authentic way to eat is to swallow after you chew.

Following this one essential rule will teach you volumes.

[FloridaConfederate]

I'm CSA

19th Alabama Infantry

Western Theatre




Fat, meal..some fresh beef off the hoove.

Acorns, green peanuts and CS "bread"...Kiev Thomason makes it from a well researched recipie that I think is in that AC thread Rodman posted. I had it at the Chickmagua ANV/AOT LH.

Disgusting..but edible.

Chris Rideout
Tampa, Florida

[Scooby_308]

I believe it was either Mr. Trent or Mrs. Trent posted somewhere about what types of veggies and fruits where period correct (ie, brand names from the past). And also, on the Common Ground there is a thread somewhere. And like him or hate him, Charles Heath has a ton of info that is posted on the AC and (I think) there is a link to it on the Common Ground.

[Scooby_308]

I believe it was either Mr. Trent or Mrs. Trent posted somewhere about what types of veggies and fruits where period correct (ie, brand names from the past). And also, on the Common Ground there is a thread somewhere. And like him or hate him, Charles Heath has a ton of info that is posted on the AC and (I think) there is a link to it on the Common Ground.
http://commonground.aceboard.com/249612-4916-6699-0-Agriculture-livestock.htm

http://commonground.aceboard.com/249612-4867-6679-0-Desecrated-Vegetables.htm

http://commonground.aceboard.com/249612-4867-6701-0-Agriculture-Livestock.htm

[Poor Private]

Why go to a farmers market and get fresh? Grow your own, then you'll know what to carry and what grows at certain times of the year. Make yourself a small garden lot (if you have the ground). Grow your own veggies- early spring things like radishes, including thier greens. Parsnips are also a ground crop that you dig up in the spring.
Jeruselm artichocks, collard greens, dandelion greens, poke salad these are knida universally grown don't limit yourself to just the basics that everyone has. If your foraging there are all kinds of veggies. Don't forget they did pick fruits other than apples, and pears. Don't forget the loose fruit like raspberries, mulberries, cherries, honey in the comb(eat both), wild strawberries.
Your choices can be as imited as your imagination.
Don't forget there were "canned" items that you could get from sutlers, as well as the care packages from home. Bordens condensed milk, Red Devil potted meat. Though packaging can be an issue. Coffee in both bean and ground, Tea in leaf, brick and ground, sugar(but not our modern).

[marktaylor]

As for the meat- the "fatback" or "saltpork" found at grocery stores in the small block form is an acceptable substitute for the original item. From what I've read, fresh meat was a luxury that was hard to come by while on campaign (unless it was foraged). I like "boiled beef"- take a beef shoulder or cheaper cut of beef (often labeled as roast in grocery stores), boil in water with a liberal amount of salt and vinegar. Pretty tasty, and it will keep for a few days without refrigeration.
Cornmeal was a staple of the Conferate army. Easy to make, store, and transport.

[vmescher]

Tea in leaf, brick and ground, sugar(but not our modern).

Tea is a possibility for soldier's beverage but it was only available in leaf form. Tea bricks are not correct. I've done extensive research for a number of years on tea for a number of years and published an article on 19th century teas in July/August 2008 issue of _Civil War Historian_.

For some reason in the 1970s/80s the myth of tea bricks was started and the subject comes up about every six months on one mailing list/forum or another. There are countless primary sources that state that brick tea was drunk in Tibet, Mongolia, and parts of Russia. It was boiled with salt, yak butter or some other type of fat, and often with some grain and then drunk. Many researchers and tea experts have looked for at least one primary source that recounts that brick tea was imported into England or America and drunk by the population but so far there has been no documentation found.

There are many kinds of loose tea that you can use. Black or green tea varieties such as Bohea, Congou, (plain black teas of varying qualities), lapsang souchong (a smoked black tea), hyson, gunpowder (green teas), and English Breakfast. Buy loose tea instead of tea bags using those the leaves from the tea bags, which are much too small. Avoid Earl Gray, Darjeeling, Assam, and Ceylon teas since they either had not been introduced or were very new and in limited supply during the time period.

I'll be glad to furnish the forum with my documentation for tea bricks and or the types of tea but won't include it now unless there is an interest. Since this thread wasn't about tea but about food in general, it would seem pointless to go into great detail now.

[bob 125th nysvi]

As for the meat- the "fatback" or "saltpork" found at grocery stores in the small block form is an acceptable substitute for the original item.

version. Way too much fat and salt. Even slab bacon is closer to period salt pork than Hormel's. There may be other varieties that will suit. But if your really interested I beleive both here and on the AC you can find recipes for making your own salt pork.

[Poor Private]

Sorry but there was a thread through here a while ago and it convinced me that tea was sold in bricks as far back as the revolution- which I personally will stick with--you stick with your choice - we all make choices, some good some bad. but this is mine. I don't want to rehash or reread that thread again SOOO back to the subject at hand.

[mmescher]

We are pretty faithful readers of the CW forum but missed the discussion on tea. I did a search for "tea" and nothing came up. Could you help with some other key words that I might search? Possibly the discussion was buried in some other topic?

As for going as far back as the revolution, there are some secondary sources that maintain that the tea thrown in Boston harbor was brick tea and that boats went around the next morning breaking up the floating chunks so people couldn't scoop it up and use the tea. There is just one major problem with that story -- brick tea sinks like a brick. In searches of numerous period newspapers, we haven't found any ads for brick tea, but many for other specific types of Chinese teas.

If there is any primary documentation for brick tea in the United States before 1960 or period instructions for how tea is prepared using brick tea, we'd love it if it could be shared.

Michael Mescher

[2nd_mi_johnny]

Avoid Earl Gray, Darjeeling, Assam, and Ceylon teas since they either had not been introduced or were very new and in limited supply during the time period.

This is more about the Earl Gray tea. I was of the understanding that it was named for the man who developed it as a tea A revolutionary war British general. That being said if thats true, wouldn't it be in much more wide spread use then you indicate it would by that time. I mean allmost 100 years sence it was developed does not strike me as a "very new" kind of tea.

YOS.

John Knecht

[TheQM]

And also, on the Common Ground there is a thread somewhere.

There's a thread in the Common Ground's Civilian Folder, running right now, on period flowers, fruits, and vegtables.

[Ephraim_Zook]

The most authentic way to eat is to swallow after you chew.

Following this one essential rule will teach you volumes.

Come, come, Mike. The most authentic way to eat is to chew before you swallow. Failure to follow the correct sequence can lead to dire consequences. :-)

[Scooby_308]

Come, come, Mike. The most authentic way to eat is to chew before you swallow. Failure to follow the correct sequence can lead to dire consequences. :-)
I thought it was bite, then swallow. Chewing is optional depending on the quality of food.

[TheQM]

I thought it was bite, then swallow. Chewing is optional depending on the quality of food.

Funny,

That's sort of how I eat hardtack: Break up the cracker into very small pieces. Put small piece in mouth. Wait a couple of minutes, then swallow.

I have too big an investment in my various crowns, bridges, and implants to actually chew a hardtack cracker. :)

[Pvt Schnapps]

See now, there's the problem: the verdamte Commissary of Subsistence always pockets the instruction sheet that comes in the box with the hardtack and the rest of us have to figure it out by trial and error.

Or, for some of us, error and error.

Last year I got through a number of events on the "Bartleby diet" of ginger snaps and cheese, which is uber-authentic, but only for clerks. I also discovered sweet potatoes and potato lefse, but I think that if you consume both on the same weekend your innards reenact the encounter of the 15th Wisconsin with the 18th Tennessee in the aftermath of Chickamauga.

Beaten biscuits though, that's eatin'...

And if I keep dropping by the "Maryland, My Maryland" thread, Hank's gonna have me making polenta.

Who wouldn't be a reenactor?

[Scooby_308]

Just found this: http://stonewall.web.aplus.net/recpies.html

Haven't read it all yet.

[billwatson2]

I can see we're going to have to make Bill Rodman some hardtack pudding this year at Harvest Fest or during the summer. Blackberry hardtack pudding in summer, apple hardtack pudding in the fall.

[bob 125th nysvi]

Funny,

That's sort of how I eat hardtack: Break up the cracker into very small pieces. Put small piece in mouth. Wait a couple of minutes, then swallow.

I have too big an investment in my various crowns, bridges, and implants to actually chew a hardtack cracker. :)

I don't get it. I make my own and have eaten commercial crakers and they aren't as hard as you are led to believe. I think alot of the comments about hardness are made by soldiers pulling the legs of the unwashed (ala a fisherman) while telling tall tales.

Besides would an army really go to the effort and expense of buying afood the soldiers couldn't eat?

Maybe the advantage is I've got all my teeth (and yes I do mean all, including wisdom) to work with. Must be tough on you old guys, oh wait, that's right I turned 50 this year, I AM an old guy.

[wmkane]

It doesn't make sense for the army to purchase a food item that is inedible. I think most of the stories of hardtack come from how it was shipped, and then distributed (I remember reading this somewhere before, but can't remember where at this moment.)

The hardtack was either boxed, or barreled, and would have made it to camp in good condition. The hardtack was then distributed, at which point it's negligible wrappings exposed it to the elements. (Anyone who has ever left bread to sit on the counter for a day or two knows what I'm talking about.) The hardtack would have quickly become fairly hard from drying out. If eaten directly, I'm sure they were great, if not . . . well, that depends on the temperature, humidity, and weather patterns . . .

[bob 125th nysvi]

It doesn't make sense for the army to purchase a food item that is inedible. I think most of the stories of hardtack come from how it was shipped, and then distributed (I remember reading this somewhere before, but can't remember where at this moment.)

The hardtack was either boxed, or barreled, and would have made it to camp in good condition. The hardtack was then distributed, at which point it's negligible wrappings exposed it to the elements. (Anyone who has ever left bread to sit on the counter for a day or two knows what I'm talking about.) The hardtack would have quickly become fairly hard from drying out. If eaten directly, I'm sure they were great, if not . . . well, that depends on the temperature, humidity, and weather patterns . . .

Bill, except that the theory of making hardtack is that the moisture is already completely baked out of it which is what allows for its longterm storage in the first place. Moisture in bread (along with natural sugars) is what allows mold to get a foot hold, less moisture in the bread means less chance for it to go moldy.

Now for the sake of the discussion we'll have to assume properly made hardtack not some of the junk that was foisted on the military.

After it is unpacked is when it become exposed to the elements and at that point should actually start absorbing not losing moisture. Thus making it softer over the longterm.

The bread today that dries out on the counter starts with a much higher moisture content than hardtack did.

You are right that the cycle kicked off as soon as it left its packing and that the elements would greatly influence what happened to it. I know up here (where we have relatively low moisture year round) I can make a batch of hardtack in the spring, store it all year in a simple cookie tin and it is still edible next spring. I suspect that if I tried that in certain parts of the south it would soften and get modly from the moisture long before it got too hard to eat.

Maybe one of our resident scientists can tell us exactly why some breads quickly harden on exposure to air (especially home backed soft breads) and some take longer.

[tompritchett]

Now for the sake of the discussion we'll have to assume properly made hardtack not some of the junk that was foisted on the military.

We have a member of our unit and his girlfriend who have experimented with making batches of hardtack using period recipes. Based upon their experience I think it is safe to say that even "properly made" hardtack can be hard as a rock. Again based upon their different trials and based upon the many posts on this subject that I have seen here, I suspect that it is as much art as it is science to consistently produce hardtack that can be eaten without first taking steps to soften it. Considering the numerous complaints made by soldiers in their diaries and later writings, I would say that it would be safe to assume that not all manufactures at the time took the time to truly master this art.

[Scooby_308]

[QUOTE=bob 125th nysvi]Besides would an army really go to the effort and expense of buying afood the soldiers couldn't eat?
QUOTE]
Were you in the military? Remember, everything you are supplied is by the lowest bidder. Ever eat c-rations? We used to scrape the congealed grease off the top and “paint” the trees by flicking it with our spoon. I hear that this residue is still present on trees at US bases around the world ;) (that is a tale). When MREs came out…believe me, c-rats were so much better. Your ration is meant to keep you alive, not happy. And those first MREs…well, let’s just say several of us just went without. Now the compressed maple nut cake, some of the dried fruit, and the John Wayne bars were ok. Shoot, we would trade 5 MREs for 1 John Wayne bar.

[GaWildcat]

[QUOTE=bob 125th nysvi]Besides would an army really go to the effort and expense of buying afood the soldiers couldn't eat?
QUOTE]
Were you in the military? Remember, everything you are supplied is by the lowest bidder. Ever eat c-rations? We used to scrape the congealed grease off the top and “paint” the trees by flicking it with our spoon. I hear that this residue is still present on trees at US bases around the world ;) (that is a tale). When MREs came out…believe me, c-rats were so much better. Your ration is meant to keep you alive, not happy. And those first MREs…well, let’s just say several of us just went without. Now the compressed maple nut cake, some of the dried fruit, and the John Wayne bars were ok. Shoot, we would trade 5 MREs for 1 John Wayne bar.

Three words... Dehydrated Pork Patty

[Scooby_308]

[QUOTE=Scooby_308]

Three words... Dehydrated Pork Patty
Thanks for making me wanna puke before lunch!

[GaWildcat]

Youd prefer "Omlette w/ ham"? 'Course the new ones are pretty good. The Cheese tortollini is pretty good as it the chicken in Thai sauce. The burrito and enchilada are awful however

[PetePaolillo]

I read that most guys bring their grinded coffee beans and sugar mixed together in their ration bag,.. is that correct? Any advise on keeping it from getting damp or wet. I have a decent haversack but things still get moist. When you guys cook it, do you just put your boiler or tin cup over the fire until it boils (how long?), let the grinds settle and drink it up I suppose?

[Pvt Schnapps]

I carry ground coffee and sugar in a silk bag (I made it out of an old handkerchief). Yes, this is correct. It's easier than carrying them separately. The silk is a tight weave that seems to keep it reasonably dry. Not that I care that much because it's going to end up boiled anyway.

The bag goes in my cup which stays in my haversack, mostly.

A few heaping tablespoons go into a tin mug of water, which goes over or next to glowing coals. Once it boils into a froth I pull it out a little from the heat and let it simmer for a little bit, then I pour in some water from my canteen. The grounds usually settle pretty quickly.

The finer the grind, the more quickly they settle. If you get Turkish coffee, which has a consistency roughly similar to talc (OK, just imagine you spent an extra day working it with the hilt of your bayonet) the grounds virtually disappear. But I haven't used that in awhile.

Hope this helps.

[PetePaolillo]

Thanks... thats was exactly what I was looking for a little how to lesson. I am bringing my coffee next time.

[Scooby_308]

The new ones I hear are pretty good; they even come with Tabasco in them! Ham and limas and green eggs and ham….mmmmmm, not to mention Brunswick stew (good ole c-rats).

Depending on the event I carry coarse ground corn meal, dried peas, jowl bacon, dried fruits, and hardtack depending. There is always some sort of root crop: onion, sweet potato, radish, turnip, carrots, parsnips, horseradish, etc. and a few tried cayenne peppers.

Every now and then a loaf of softbread split among friends and a wheel of cheese.

I don’t drink coffee or tea so no need for it. But the sugar, salt, and pepper are always useful.

[ejazzyjeff]

Also something to remember, if attending a campaign type of event, add the coffee grounds after the water starts to boil. By the time the water gets to a boil, you might have to form back up and might not be able to drink that coffee, so if the water isn't ready the only thing that is wasted is the water.

Also try essence of coffee, which is basically instant coffee and condensed milk combined to make a paste. All you need is hot water and it disolves it.

[3rdUSRedleg]

Also try essence of coffee, which is basically instant coffee and condensed milk combined to make a paste. All you need is hot water and it disolves it.

With my personal experience with making essence of coffee,
dont add any condensed milk products at all!

I have found that the coffee "tarr" lasts much longer if you
bring a seperate can of condensed milk product.
Simply use it per day with your pards with coffee and cooking.

Ahhhh Burkittsville!!
Simply the best essence of coffee i was ever issued
at an event! Still have the tin can it came in.

[TheQM]

I don't get it. I make my own and have eaten commercial crakers and they aren't as hard as you are led to believe. I think alot of the comments about hardness are made by soldiers pulling the legs of the unwashed (ala a fisherman) while telling tall tales.


Maybe the advantage is I've got all my teeth (and yes I do mean all, including wisdom) to work with. Must be tough on you old guys, oh wait, that's right I turned 50 this year, I AM an old guy.

Bob,

I use nothing but Bent's Hardtack. I figure that's about as authentic as you can get. You're right, when they are new, they aren't too hard. Problem is my crackers are often six months or a year old, by the time I eat them. Even with modern packaging, the crackers get hard as a rock. Of course, I'm way ahead of the old boys, since my crackers are usually free of mold and/or bugs.

I have most of my teeth. The one's that are missing have been replaced with a bridge, or the fancy new screw-in models. In regard to being old, let me know when you've actually spent some time in the Chow Line. You're still a kid!

Bill W.

Hardtack pudding sounds really bad. Of course, it can't be much worse that eating a piece of tack fried in bacon grease. As they say, hunger is a great spice.

Funny, I always liked the dehydrated pork patties. I'd put the beef bullion packet and a little hot sauce in the plastic bag, along with hopefully, a little hot water. As long as you had the time to let the patty soak up the water, it wasn't too bad. (Hot sauce improves any Army ration, including the stuff we eat at events.)

Like most of the Old Farts, I always thought C-Rats were a lot better than MRE's. The beef in spice sauce was good, as long as you could eat it in the dark. (You didn't want to see what was in that can!) The ham & eggs were another matter. You couldn't even give them away to hungry Vietnamese kids.

[Pvt Schnapps]

C-Rats?

During the war in southeast Asia I served in Explorer Post 360, Subic Bay, R.P. (It's a long story -- about 300 pages, actually.)

These days I only remember a few things about C-Rats:

*Four-packs of cigarettes; the Pall Malls were good for trade.

*Turkey Loaf, yes; Ham and Lima Beans, no.

*White Bread, yuck; Pound Cake, for sure.

*Round chocolate bars; God bless America.

*Round jelly cans in the campfire = Boy Scout Napalm.

*The big wad of paper is not a napkin.

[TheQM]

Schnapps,

A can of the C-rat peanut butter mixed with about a half bottle of GI bug juice made a great ration heater. It would burn long enough to heat your meat ration and boil up a canteen cup of water for coffee. Life was good.

Life was bad when you put the packet of salt in your coffee instead of the sugar packet. (Been there, done that, drank it anyway.)

I may have to reenlist. I've almost run out of the toilet paper packets that were included in the rations.

[bob 125th nysvi]

[QUOTE=bob 125th nysvi]Besides would an army really go to the effort and expense of buying afood the soldiers couldn't eat?
QUOTE]
Were you in the military? Remember, everything you are supplied is by the lowest bidder. Ever eat c-rations? We used to scrape the congealed grease off the top and “paint” the trees by flicking it with our spoon. I hear that this residue is still present on trees at US bases around the world ;) (that is a tale). When MREs came out…believe me, c-rats were so much better. Your ration is meant to keep you alive, not happy. And those first MREs…well, let’s just say several of us just went without. Now the compressed maple nut cake, some of the dried fruit, and the John Wayne bars were ok. Shoot, we would trade 5 MREs for 1 John Wayne bar.

during the c-ration era and I said EDIBLE not delectible!

Based on the tall tales the CW soldiers told hardtack wasn't even edible. And that makes no military sense.

And the best thing about c-rats was that if you soaked the PB with bugspray it made a very good subsitute for sterno.

[bob 125th nysvi]

I would say that it would be safe to assume that not all manufactures at the time took the time to truly master this art.

for once in my life I finally, FINALLY, became an artist!

Not bad for a guy who can't draw a straight line with a ruler.

[Ephraim_Zook]

See now, there's the problem: the verdamte Commissary of Subsistence always pockets the instruction sheet that comes in the box with the hardtack and the rest of us have to figure it out by trial and error.

Was you referrin' ta me, Schnapps? The instruction sheets make good Toilettenpapier.