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The Melting Pot
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1861-1900 - Union and Confederate military provisioning during the American Civil War.
Hardtack is a simple, dense biscuit made from flour, water, and sometimes salt, designed as long-lasting hard bread for soldiers and sailors. It was a fundamental ration during the American Civil War and frontier settlement, valued for shelf stability despite its hardness.
Difficulty
Easy
Prep time
10 minutes
Cook time
30 minutes
Total time
40 minutes
Servings
12
Region
United States
Era introduced
1861-1900
Introduced by
Union and Confederate military provisioning during the American Civil War.
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Hardtack provided durable sustenance for soldiers and explorers during the Civil War and westward settlement. Its austere recipe-flour and water, baked into a rock-hard biscuit-prioritized longevity over flavor. It often required soaking or boiling for consumption. Despite its simplicity, hardtack was vital in sustained military campaigns and voyages, representing early American adaptation to challenging logistics and food preservation needs.
Traditional military recipe known from Civil War and 19th-century sources. Variations in thickness and cooking times recorded historically.
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