# crackers that will stay fresh?



## db2469 (Jun 11, 2012)

I'm not big on crackers as they are high carb with virtually no nutrient value and never eat them now but they would be convenient to spread peanut butter on during an extended crisis (I'd rather not eat PB by itself) when bread won't be available...problem is, all the crackers I've checked in the stores have a short shelf life (less than a year)...does anyone know where I can buy crackers that keep longer? OR regular crackers that can stay fresh longer with specific storage handling?
DB

also, don't forget to store ample quantities of nuts...convenient and nutritious...almonds are probably the healthiest


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## DKRinAK (Nov 21, 2011)

*Salior Boy pilot bread is your friend.*

Not quite bread, more than a cracker - Sailor Boy pilot bread, if kept in it's original package is good for longer than I care to think about.

Technically it is really hardtack, but easier to eat.

WHy not just make your own hardtack and store it in an airtight container?


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

I'll second the hardtack. Easy ta make an stored in a vac bag will last fer who know's how long.


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## Zanazaz (Feb 14, 2012)

The crackers that come with MREs are great. Stored in the right environment will last a long time. I think you can buy a case of them, but a bit pricey for crackers.

The best way? Store wheat, grind it into flour, and then bake your own crackers. Again, wheat stored properly will last a very long time. Problem solved.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

If you wanted small crackers to put in soup you could use Cheerios instead. Probably wouldn't be too bad that way.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

BillS said:


> If you wanted small crackers to put in soup you could use Cheerios instead. Probably wouldn't be too bad that way.


Normal Cheerios taste slightly sweet to me, so I'm not sure if I could personally do that with my soup...

But I'm :nuts:


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

I love crackers and have yet to find a recipe for them that I really like..
I have found that I can vacpack them in mason jars and they last quite a while and no worries on bugs. 
if you do find you have the time to cook then I could suggest maybe pita bread. Home made is pretty good and if you take the ones you didnt' eat for supper and cut them up and rebake them they are good as chips/crackers.
Even tortillas can be baked or toasted a bit "crunchier" and used as crackers.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*crackers*

I have thought about crackers for storage. I haven' had any long term, but saltines (wholewheat) are sealed in a fairly tight sealed plastic bag and seem to stay fresh. I wonder if another layer of protection would help? My problem is if I have some, I eat them with cheese or p.b.

I have made crackers a few times over the years. They have turned out great, but they can be time consuming. But when SHTF, what else will we have but time?

Saltine Crackers from an original 1840 recipe

1 scant cup butter
flour (about 8 cups)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 t cream of tartar
1 pint water (2 cups)
white of 1 egg
salt or sesame seed.

In a mixing bowl, cut butter into flour, soda and tartar mix. Add water until it's the consistency of biscuit dough. Roll out on floured board. Cut into desired shapes. A pizza cutter may be used for squares and diamond shapes, a thimble or pill bottle for oyster crackers. Place on baking sheet, brush with egg white mixed with 1 T water. Sprinkle with salt or sesame seeds. Bake at 350 degrees for flat saltines, 400 degrees for puffed oyster crackers. Remove when lightly browned at the edges,

Yields approx. 6 dozen.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

weedygarden said:


> I have thought about crackers for storage. I haven' had any long term, but saltines (wholewheat) are sealed in a fairly tight sealed plastic bag and seem to stay fresh. I wonder if another layer of protection would help? My problem is if I have some, I eat them with cheese or p.b.
> 
> I have made crackers a few times over the years. They have turned out great, but they can be time consuming. But when SHTF, what else will we have but time?
> 
> ...


Thanks for the recipe.. Saltine crackers are my favorite one! I'm going to add it to my collection and give it a go. they just never get light and crispy I wonder if I am overworking the dough. When I first stared making biscuits they were like hockey pucks.. but I was only 11.. It has only been the last 5 years I've been able to make the good pie crust.. before I learned the "chef" secret to making it. it was never my recipe it was my method and I figure it would be my method in the cracker making not the recipes.
it is one of those "I can make a freaking croissant but I can't make a cracker" moments.


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## Billyboy (May 3, 2011)

That's a great recipe, I've used something similar. Unfortunately, because of the butter it doesn't store super long term. If you have available supplies and means to cook it on the go, great. I'd take saltines to hardtack any day, but if not....

Here's an old army recipe for hardtack which will store for ummm... indefinably as far as i know if vacuum sealed, cool, and w/o light. 

4 cups flour (fresh ground whole wheat is great)
4 tsp salt
less than 2 cups water

Mix adding as little water as possible, but enough so the dough stays together. Roll out to 1/2 inch thick. You can cut into what ever size that accommodates your storage container. It does helps to prick it with a fork or nail, but not all the way through, so it can cook and dehydrate faster. Bake on an un-greased cookie sheet for 30 minutes in a 375 degree oven or pit. Make sure they are fully cooked, cool, and very dry before storage. 

Not the best tasting things, but it's better than licking peanut butter off your hand.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Emerald said:


> I love crackers and have yet to find a recipe for them that I really like..
> I have found that I can vacpack them in mason jars and they last quite a while and no worries on bugs.
> if you do find you have the time to cook then I could suggest maybe pita bread. Home made is pretty good and if you take the ones you didnt' eat for supper and cut them up and rebake them they are good as chips/crackers.
> Even tortillas can be baked or toasted a bit "crunchier" and used as crackers.


I'm wondering...if you can oven can flour, pancake mix, meal and other druy goods, can you use this method for crackers??
Sharing: I had crackers for over a year..in the sleeves, in a box in a closet with no sun and cool climate...yuk!!! they tasted terrible. The staleness I could handle with Peanut Butter, but the crackers had that plastic taste.
So, I will not store them in the sleeve again.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

I'm not sure.. I have never oven canned anything. But the crackers in the big 1/2 gallon mason jar that I vacpacked with the little attachment(not in the sleeves but loose) tasted fine and crispy. but I've had open packs go stale on me in a couple days in damp weather so I put them in the oven at about 300 for around 15 minutes.. makes them nice and crispy again. I've sprayed them with olive oil and sprinkled herbs and sesame seeds on them before too. makes them nice and yummy. 
Hub's cereal will sometimes go stale and we've "toasted" it up in the oven too.
here I've found that crackers get that nasty cardboardy taste if they get too old in the box. Not that they last that long.


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## SurvivorBoy1 (Jul 15, 2012)

Emerald,
What kind of vacuum food saver do you think is best. This is next on our budget and I want a reliable one to last years.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

I have a foodsaver and love it.. I can't even remember when I got it. but I did have to replace the rubber gaskets as they do deteriorate over time. it is the only one I've used but so far so good. 
it has the hose and the mason jar sealer(wide mouth) I am thinking of getting the wine bottle toppers and the small mouth jar sealer too.
I buy my rolls of stuff at sam's club. best price for 6 rolls. While I hate plastic it does save me tons of money on freezer burned stuff. 
last year we found at the bottom of the deep freezer chest a couple packets of sweet corn that was from 06! and I clean and rearranging that chest freezer a couple times a year. all I could think is when hubby was helping empty it into the back of the car(in winter so the food doesn't thaw) we had stuff in plastic grocery bags and some of the older stuff didn't get put back on top.
We cooked that corn for dinner that night and if it tasted funky it would have gone to the chickens but it was fine.. almost as good as when I blanched and froze it. It did have a bit of "husk" after taste but then I'm sure that there may have been a bit in there somewhere or even a bit of silk.
My machine looks quite a bit like the one that Cabala sells for sportsman. 
I've heard horrible things about the upright design but haven't played with it to be able to say for myself.
I've noticed that I do have to use the sealing part a bit slower than before to let it cool off.. it will let me do about 5 bags and then I have to let the element cool off.. but I can deal with that.


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## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

I wonder if you bought regular salteen crackers and sealed them in a seal a meal and put them in a bucket where the sun light couldn't get to them. how long do you think they would keep?


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

BillM said:


> I wonder if you bought regular salteen crackers and sealed them in a seal a meal and put them in a bucket where the sun light couldn't get to them. how long do you think they would keep?


I would take them out of the cardboard box they are in and maybe even take them out of the waxed paper/plastic sleeve. Layer them carefully and if your machine can pull a vacuum but you can stop it before it sucks all the air down tight? I have that option with the foodsaver.. that way I can pull quite a bit of the air out but not crush the crackers or the bread in a bag. 
Or what might work well too is add a couple of the oxygen thingys in and then seal it. I do not use them but from the posts here from people who use them I think it would work.. hopefully someone can tell us. 
But there are quite a few uses for crushed crackers..  great meat extender..


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## tsalam16 (Oct 23, 2011)

Matzos/Matzah, they will last for years. Not very tasty but if you just want something to spread your peanut butter or something on or to put in soup, this is a great item for your stash.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

tsalam16 said:


> Matzos/Matzah, they will last for years. Not very tasty but if you just want something to spread your peanut butter or something on or to put in soup, this is a great item for your stash.


If done properly Matzah is really nice.. A boyfriend when I was younger got me matzah ball soup that his mother made.. so yummy.. 
Also my cousin who married into the Jewish faith had some other recipes for it.. but at the moment I'm not sure where they went. thanks for reminding me of it!!


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## marlas1too (Feb 28, 2010)

i make my own whole wheat hard tack and vacuum pack. i also store them in 5 gal buckets for LTS


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

Here's the freshest cracker of all...










oh, the irony!

:lolsmash:


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

I love watching that show.. Sure ... he's a putz but funny.. makes me squirt stuff out my nose, had to stop drinking stuff while watching!


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

All this posting about saltines and I had to go make some tuna salad and eat it with some fresh out of the box saltines.


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## musketjim (Dec 7, 2011)

I agree with the hardtack postings easy to make and definitlely last forever. Hard on the teeth if you don't soak them first tho.


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## tsalam16 (Oct 23, 2011)

Emerald, here ya go.
http://www.jewishrecipes.org/


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