Correct rations for reenactments

I would also recommend "A Taste for War" by William C. Davis. I found it in my local library but its on Amazon and a variety of book vendors

Unfortunately, due to management dissing the Union, Twinkies are no more.
Roll Tide, Go Vandy, and may Hostess rule the day!

Thank you all for the replys. As I am new to reenacting I am trying to learn as much as I can.
All the sources you guys recommend in this post were great.
Thank you again.

In considering salt pork, unfortunately no one currently makes salt pork of the type that was available during the civil war. If my memory serves me correctly, there were five different grades and "military" was a middling quality. I believe the proportion of fat to lean was the determining factor with the higher grades having more lean. And the hogs and hogs' diet were different from today with the hogs having more fat.

That said, bacon or country ham could serve as an alternative. There certainly was enough issued and, even if not officially issued, a midnight requisition on a smokehouse could get cured pork products.

Michael Mescher

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mmescher

In considering salt pork, unfortunately no one currently makes salt pork of the type that was available during the civil war.

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That's true, though it's one thing that's pretty easy to make at home in small quantities. There's another current thread on how to do it I think, but one just has to buy a cut of pork--any cut, since as you say there were various grades, so maybe you got lucky this time rations were issued or maybe not--rub it with lots of pickling salt, cover it in a container with more pickling salt and water, stick it in the refrigerator, stir it every few days till it gets that nice gray color, and in a couple weeks it's ready.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

I was introduced to Scott Hams by the late Charles Heath some years ago as being one of the few entities out there preparing bacon in a period manner. It has become a regular fixture of my ration issues.

Thanks for the link, John.

Would their Whole Ham be a good period type of cured ham?

http://www.scotthams.com/ham.html

Or perhaps their slab bacon?

Steve

Their slab bacon is the gold standard by which all others are measured. Nice folks. Good product. Timely shipped. You cannot go wrong with Scott Hams.

[QUOTE I believe the proportion of fat to lean was the determining factor with the higher grades having more lean. And the hogs and hogs' diet were different from today with the hogs having more fat.QUOTE]

Are you saying hogs are fatter today, or 150 years ago?

Sorry! That was a bit confusing. The pigs of the civil war period would have had more fat. That is one reason why you have to be very careful cooking pork now so it isn't cooked too dry.

Michael Mescher