Hardtack has a long history as a long term storage staple. The traditional recipe consists of wheat flour, salt and water. Having a higher protein recipe adds value to a reliable long term storage product, by contributing additional nutritional content to a survival diet, and by improving the texture and taste of the biscuit. This video clip gives a little more historical context to hardtack / ship's biscuit. One could substitute other flour / grain ingredients for quinoa and amaranth seed with a little experimentation, to add more variety to combat food fatigue.
I have collected all the families different versions of Hard Tac, and we have been sorting/trying them out as we feel like it! So, far, our fav uses Smoked Salmon leavings, crushed and dried salmon berries, and lard on top of the stone ground wheat, rough ground salt, and a pinch of super fine cofveve grounds! For a much longer shelf life, add a spoon full of honey per pound of bread before baking, and bake it covered in baking paper and cheese cloth! Best served hot off the frying pan with whip butter brushed on top!
One of our past relatives would grind nuts and or seeds into a flour and mix in with her hard tac. I would imagine that would be pretty hardy and full of goodness, especially if they were pressed and dried first to get the oils out so it didn't turn rancid! That seems to be the # one thing to worry about with foods like this, having ingredients that keep well!
I don't know what it is that you're making there, but it ain't hardtack! Hardtack is a pre-20th Century military ration that many claimed was designed to break your teeth and stop-up your bowels. Actually, it was designed to last forever and supply the absolute minimal nutrition required to maintain life. It was made from flour, salt and water. THAT IS ALL! It is then baked to the consistency of stone! It was well known to my Confederate ancestors, when they could get it, and they had a number of ways to prepare it. One usually started by crushing the offending piece of hardtack with a rifle-butt, or soaking it over-night in water before actually attempting to cook and eat it. If you were lucky enough to find weevils in your hardtack you had your protein just fry it in some lard for a balanced and health meal!
I think you are falling partly foul of a fallacy of definition, that overly narrowly describes Hardtack in a modern context as not meeting certain pre 20th century criteria; and partly appealing to tradition, in that anything that doesn't follow precisely the ingredients and cooking methodology of the 'ancient way of doing things' cannot be considered identical to what was done in the past. You will notice that I prefaced the post by describing in basic terms the traditional form of Hardtack (i.e. pre 20th century, or Hardtack 1.0 as opposed to 20th-21st Century, or Hardtack 2.0) What are the qualities of Hardtack? 1.Hardtack (Ht) comprises the basic ingredients of flour, water and salt. 2.The ingredients are mixed and formed into a stiff dough and formed into flat flat biscuits of a certain thickness (of various shapes) which are usually perforated (to aid the drying process, and make breaking the biscuits up into smaller pieces more convenient. 3.Ht biscuits are baked to reduce their moisture content until the biscuits are very dry and hard. 4. Ht biscuits are suitable for long term storage. 5. Ht biscuits are extremely hard, and if stored correctly, very durable. 6. Ht biscuits provide basic nutritional value, (mainly carbs for energy) and are not considered a nutritionally balanced food. 7. Ht biscuits are susceptible to insect infestation if improperly prepared and stored. 8. Ht biscuits may require some user modification, before they can be consumed without risking damage to one's dentition. 9. Ht, biscuits, because they are lacking in dietary fibre content, if consumed exclusively, may result in constipation. High protein Hardtack ticks most all of the boxes, other than the variation on wheat flour (old traditional Hardtack, for alternative flours and grain amendments (New, and Improved 'High Proetein Hardtack) Rather than delivering an apologetic from a purist (old school) position on Hardtack, I recommend embracing the new...the thing is, language is a living human construct and it is entirely capable of adapting to new and varying uses of words to better describe what is being explained. The term High Protein Hardtack serves the purpose admirably.
10. No body, and I mean NO BODY, has ever chosen to eat hardtack when ANYTHING else was available! As a personal note, I am a Civil War re-enactor (Confederate, of course) and I have bought, eaten and made hardtack. I have a " brick" of hardtack that I purchased about 20-25 years ago, and it is still as "good" as it ever was!
I can appreciate the importance of 'authenticity' to a historical re-enactor, however, in the realm of survival, it's a matter of what works, and if altering the classic recipe and method produces a better, more nutritious ration, than old school version, then I say be adaptable, because one's life may have to depend upon it. I take your point (#10) about the palatability of Hardtack, but there is a case to be made for becoming accustomed to eating it, and trialing different techniques of incorporating it into a prepared meal, before some austere circumstance compels it. That way, psychologically, one is better prepared to consume something that is familiar to oneself, than something that seems strange and a shock to one's platability sensitivities. Here is a video clip that may be of interest to you as a US Civil War re-enactor. How To Make Hardtack The Modern & Traditional Way
You can not eat it like a cracker! I tried that many years ago and learned my lesson. Re-enactors aren't a bunch of grown men playing Army...well not entirely, and we aren't a bunch of yahoos looking to overthrow the Yankee Government using outdated weapons...well not entirely. What we are, are serious students of military history that have invested thousands of dollars in uniforms, weapons, equipment, books, etc., and thousands of hours of our time to better understand "The War", it's cause and the affect (good and bad) that it has had on our country...and will continue to have. Almost all re-enactors are avid readers with extensive libraries, some have written books of their own, and many could teach university-level classes on the subject. We do the research, we wear the uniforms and carry the weapons, we march, camp and fight mock battles in all kinds of weather, we make, cook and eat the food, we do all of this, and more, to learn more about them and to honor them. However, I will not become accustomed to eating hardtack...that is why I'm also a Prepper." For as GOD is my witness, I'll NEVER be that hungry!".
