Hardtack

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Sea biscuit redirects here, for other uses see Seabiscuit (disambiguation)

Hardtack may also refer to the Operation Hardtack series of nuclear tests.

Image:Oldest ship biscuit-Kronborg-DK.JPG

Hardtack or (in British English more usually:) hard tack – also called ship's biscuit, sea biscuit, pilot bread, or sea bread – is a simple type of cracker or biscuit, made from flour, water, and salt. Cheap and long-lasting, it was used during long sea voyages and military campaigns as a primary foodstuff usually dunked in water, brine, coffee, or some other liquid or cooked into a skillet meal. Baked hard it would keep for months as long as it was kept dry.

The name derives from the British seamen's slang for food, "tack", and the fact it is so hard and dry.

In 1801 Josiah Bent began a baking operation in Milton, Massachusetts, selling "water crackers" or biscuits made of flour and water that would not deteriorate during long sea voyages from the port of Boston. The crackling sound occurred during baking, hence the name. This is where the American term "cracker" originated. His company later sold the original hardtack crackers used by troops during the American Civil War. The company is still located in Milton and continues to sell these items to Civil War reenactors and others.

1 Eating
2 References
3 External links
4 See also

[edit] Eating

Hardtack was eaten in various ways. One could have jam, fat, lard or anything spreadable on it and eat it like bread. However, oftentimes, the hardtack was so hard that it was impossible to chew. Hardtack could be crunched up by pounding it with a rifle butt or rock and placed in coffee or mixed in with bacon grease making a soggy goo called Skillygalee or Cush. If sugar or berries were available they could be mixed in as well. Another treat was when the crushed hardtack was mixed in with a can of condensed milk to make what people called Milk Toast. Soldiers and sailors often complained of the hardtack being moldy or infested with weevils, worms, or maggots. The mold came from either becoming wet after being opened or the baking company not allowing the hardtack to dry thoroughly before packaging. Sailors would routinely tap their biscuits on the table to knock most of the weevils out before eating. One soldier, complaining about the infestation of his hardtack, said: "I threw it away three times but it kept walking back".

Hardtack was also known as "Tooth dullers," "sheet iron," or "molar breakers".

For long voyages, hardtack, or sea-biscuit, was baked four times, rather than the more common two, and prepared six months before sailing. ^[1]

Hardtack is still made and eaten in certain parts of the world. In Newfoundland, Purity Hard Bread is commonly eaten and is a part of the traditional food of Newfoundland, "fish and brewis". Many outdoor enthusiasts prepare and pack hardtack as part of their expedition rations. It is also used in preparing chowder.