# Whole grain hard tack?



## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

can it be canned and how?


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Canning Hard Tack, Dude - thats a new one on me!

I have made it a number of times and likely have some left somewhere from 5 or more years ago. You cant destroy the stuff with much less than a hammer or by soaking it in water(for a long time).

Just outof curiosity, where are you going on you line of thought? If just canning it is what you are after, I am doing quite a lot of canning now and I could give it a try and let you know what happens. I may have to grind some wheat to get some whole wheat flour if I cant find any in the cabinets.


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## Freyadog (Jan 27, 2010)

For myself I would just put it in a canning jar and vacuum seal it with my foodsaver with a oxygen absorber in it.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

Hard tack would be something I'd vacuum pack.

This is the stuff my Swedish grandfather liked the most:

http://www.amazon.com/Siljans-Crispbread-14-Ounce-Package-Pack/dp/B001HXNIPS


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

Nice.I don't suppose you speak Swedish do you?



Davarm said:


> Canning Hard Tack, Dude - thats a new one on me!
> 
> I have made it a number of times and likely have some left somewhere from 5 or more years ago. You cant destroy the stuff with much less than a hammer or by soaking it in water(for a long time).
> 
> Just outof curiosity, where are you going on you line of thought? If just canning it is what you are after, I am doing quite a lot of canning now and I could give it a try and let you know what happens. I may have to grind some wheat to get some whole wheat flour if I cant find any in the cabinets.


I'm pretty much allergic to anything not whole grain.I'm finding out a lot of my survival storage supplies have gluten in them.the allergies are a recent thing my food supplies are not.might be my last shot at not starving before I can round up more if SHTF. can you add stuff like garlic or other seasonings to give it different flavors?


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Magus said:


> I'm pretty much allergic to anything not whole grain.I'm finding out a lot of my survival storage supplies have gluten in them.the allergies are a recent thing my food supplies are not.might be my last shot at not starving before I can round up more if SHTF. can you add stuff like garlic or other seasonings to give it different flavors?


You're allergic to gluten but you can still eat Whole Grain that contains gluten? We could come up with some kind of hard tack made with gluten free grain if that would be better. The Oldest DD is pretty good at that kind of thing.

I think that vacuum sealing would be just as good as trying to can it. The stuff is really pretty indestructible if you keep it dry and away from insects. BUUUTT, I will give canning it a try if that is the way you want to go with it.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

Appreciate it! wonder if I can just dump it in a gallon jar with an oxygen eater and run with that?

I'm using buckwheat this batch.maybe tomato flour next time?


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Yall can make it outa any flour ya like, an yup add in seasonin, I do in mine. Gives it a bit a flavour.

I vac bag mine magus. I put em in a cheap plastic conainter an leave the lid off, put that in the vac bag an then seal em. Keeps the hardtack from pokin holes in the bag. Should last nigh onta forever.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

Magus said:


> Nice.I don't suppose you speak Swedish do you?
> 
> I'm pretty much allergic to anything not whole grain.I'm finding out a lot of my survival storage supplies have gluten in them.the allergies are a recent thing my food supplies are not.might be my last shot at not starving before I can round up more if SHTF. can you add stuff like garlic or other seasonings to give it different flavors?


No, I don't speak Swedish but my grandfather did. It was the only language he heard at home until he went to school. He spoke with a thick Swedish accent his whole life even though he was born in America. My dad taught himself Swedish as a hobby. He stays in contact with his cousins in Sweden.

I don't know if you'd want to spice up the hard tack but you could put different kinds of cheeses or summer sausages on it. I can eat it plain if I have to but I prefer butter or margarine on it.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

OldCootHillbilly said:


> Yall can make it outa any flour ya like, an yup add in seasonin, I do in mine. Gives it a bit a flavour.
> 
> I vac bag mine magus. I put em in a cheap plastic conainter an leave the lid off, put that in the vac bag an then seal em. Keeps the hardtack from pokin holes in the bag. Should last nigh onta forever.


:hmmm: That takes away from the shelf-life considerably though... doesn't it? :scratch: :dunno:


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

I add garlic an greek seasonin ta mine. Got some been vac sealed an stored well over 5 years, ever now an again we open it up an try some. Tastes as good as when it wen't inta the bag.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

OldCootHillbilly said:


> I add garlic an greek seasonin ta mine. Got some been vac sealed an stored well over 5 years, ever now an again we open it up an try some. Tastes as good as when it wen't inta the bag.


good to know, coot, I was worried that the oils in the garlic (or was it garlic powder?) might go rancid.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

I use all dried powdered seasonin. Nothin in there really ta go bad, just after a couple a decades might not taste as strong.

Sugar an cinnamon can be added to ifin yall wan't somethin fer a sweet tooth.

Nice thing bout hardtack, just ain't much in em ta spoil!


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Magus, I read somethin somewhere bout drycannin, that would work. Have ta see ifin I can find that again.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

Thanks guys!I'll bet that cheddar powder would go nice too.kind of like hard tack pizza.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

Magus said:


> Thanks guys!I'll bet that cheddar powder would go nice too.kind of like hard tack pizza.


or Post Apocalyptic Cheddar Bay Biscuits! :congrat:


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Ok, here be what I found on dry (oven) cannin. Now before everbody pops a rivet, this ain't recommended by an goobernut organization er foody bunch. Still be lots a folk cannin this way (similar ta the water bath). I see no reason it won't work well fer dry goods like flour, sugar, oatmeal er hardtack.

Oven Cannin:
Fill clean, sterilized dry jars with product.
Set oven at 200°.
Put a cookie sheet on middle rack.
Put filled jars on cookie sheet.
Heat jars 1 hour.
Remove 1 jar at a time, wipe rim with damp warm paper towel, Place lid an ring on jar an set aside on towel ta cool.
It be said, dry goods canned this way last fer well over 25 years.

Hope that helps yall out Magus.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

Helps loads.my canner blew a gasket and can't find a new one!


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Davarm said:


> You're allergic to gluten but you can still eat Whole Grain that contains gluten? We could come up with some kind of hard tack made with gluten free grain if that would be better. The Oldest DD is pretty good at that kind of thing.


We finally got around to trying to make gluten free hard tack and we came up with a batch made from Oat Bran Flour, Brown Rice Flour, Buckwheat Flour and a bit of salt that was pretty good. Its hard, dry and seems to be pretty durable and is gluten free!

I started with equal parts of three flours(and salt to taste) and added enough water to make a loose paste/groul. Then started adding additional Oat Bran Flour until the dough was firm enough to roll out on an oiled cookie sheet(a little more than 1/4 inch thick). I sliced the sheet into squares and forked each square with enough holes to allow steam to escape and for it to cook evenly then tossed it into a 375 oven for about 1 1/2 hours until it was about the same color as ginger bread cookies.

The "Biscuits" came out hard and brittle and more resembled a very thick whole grain cracker that would break a tooth if you're not careful but most important, they are gluten free.

I decided to use an oat product to add protein and make the dough more like wheat dough, you could probably use regular rolled oats to get a little more protein content and it would be cheaper to make. I used what the DD brought home from the "Health Food Store" she works at

Seems like a pretty good substitute to me.


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