Homemade energy bars

Woody girl

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Yes ok to go off topic a bit here as far as I'm concerned as long as it's about home made snacks for out and about.
Don't know much about smoking stuff myself apart from watching Fraser do his thing at wilderness. So here's a question does jerky have to have smoke flavour added. I havnt done it on mine that I made this week. I divided my meats into two piles. One had jerky seasoning added to the marinade one didn't. The one without is quite bland. Would this smoke liquid stuff have made a difference to the blandness? I'm using an electric dryer and successfully do fruit and veg and fruit leathers (one of my favorite trail snacks). Wasn't too keen on my version of jerky at all but reckon it will be fine with some dried veg to rehydrate and make a stew.
 

bearbait

Full Member
Search for Logan Bread (don't have my recipe to hand at the moment). It was designed as a foodstuff for an expedition for Mt. Logan in the Yukon Territory iirc. It's long-life and pretty well balanced with quick and slow release stuff. Takes time to chew too. I make a batch from time to time as trail food.

On the jerky front I make my own occasionally and just use a little salt, pepper and ground coriander seeds. I like to appreciate the flavour of the meat. I eat as is without rehydrating.
 

Woody girl

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Mar 31, 2018
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Search for Logan Bread (don't have my recipe to hand at the moment). It was designed as a foodstuff for an expedition for Mt. Logan in the Yukon Territory iirc. It's long-life and pretty well balanced with quick and slow release stuff. Takes time to chew too. I make a batch from time to time as trail food.

On the jerky front I make my own occasionally and just use a little salt, pepper and ground coriander seeds. I like to appreciate the flavour of the meat. I eat as is without rehydrating.
It's would be good if you could find the recipe and post it.
 

Janne

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Feb 10, 2016
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Yes ok to go off topic a bit here as far as I'm concerned as long as it's about home made snacks for out and about.
Don't know much about smoking stuff myself apart from watching Fraser do his thing at wilderness. So here's a question does jerky have to have smoke flavour added. I havnt done it on mine that I made this week. I divided my meats into two piles. One had jerky seasoning added to the marinade one didn't. The one without is quite bland. Would this smoke liquid stuff have made a difference to the blandness? I'm using an electric dryer and successfully do fruit and veg and fruit leathers (one of my favorite trail snacks). Wasn't too keen on my version of jerky at all but reckon it will be fine with some dried veg to rehydrate and make a stew.

There are two types of 'Jerk'.
One type is the Norte Americano version, the version Robson Valley does best. The commercial ones, some at least, do have a 'smoke flavour', but not all. I suspect it is traditional with smoke flavour, as the 'Indigenous' people dried the meat strips over wood fire.

Then there is the Caribbean 'Jerk" which is totally different.
They 'jerk' two types of meat, either chicken or pork.
The meat is marinated in a semi dry, more or less hot, rub, for a day, before it is slow grilled over charcoal. Low and slow, for hours.
Receipes vary hugely. My family are specially fond of the Jamaican jerk.
Not Jamaican style, but made by Jamaicans.
Once the meat is finished it is chopped up in small pieces, bone and all, and eaten warm with Peas& Rice, home made hot sauce, maybe Festivals and plenty of Red Stripe to cool your mouth.

The spices are usually a family secret, never disclosed ( I tried many times), so the flavor varies.
The Jerk spices you can buy in UK are a bleak version of the real stuff.

The North American jerk preserves the meat, the Caribbean one does not.
 

Woody girl

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What I used was a Jamaican style jerk spice powder in the marinade of tamari balsamic vinegar and Worcester sauce with salt black pepper and fresh garlic. That's not too bad but I've tasted better. The plain one had no jerk seasoning and is bland. As I said I did not have everything my particular recipie called for so I just played around with what I had. I'm thinking sweet chilli sauce would give a nice taste. I love Thai flavours.
 

Robson Valley

On a new journey
Nov 24, 2014
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McBride, BC
I can add some smoked salt to the spice mix (I collect salts from all over the world).
Spanish Matiz is really strong and works the best. Pacific Northwest alder smoked salt is good but mild.
Building a cold smoker this spring so will run some serious apple wood.

I got another junk apple tree last year so the wood situation is clear.

Other people like mesquite or hickory. Too bitter for me. Actually, any fruit wood works well.
Unless it's power saw dust kakked up with chain oil, save all the sawdusts that you can.
Otherwise, I dry burger/mince jerky on double cake racks in the oven at 250F with the door cracked 1/2" .

I have a Breville electric "smoke pistol" that works OK if I can keep the meat covered like in a roaster pan with a lid.

Mess with it. Do what everybody likes. Some (mesquite) was OK but not a taste that anybody expected.
The old man (me) is expected to provide all meaty and game things.

Go cheap = use burger/mince. Put on a disposable vinly glove to mix everything together.
Keep mashing, mixing and stirring = eventually, the burger/mince will go back from granular to meaty stringy texture.
That's when it really hangs together for 1/4" and thinner sheets. I use a jerky pistol.
 

Janne

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Feb 10, 2016
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It may be a nice idea to blend in those chockolate nibs ( found in baking supplies) into the fruit and nut mix.

Our tastebuds prefer a mix of fat and sweet.

Most of us do not need an energy bar to be frank, we carry a goid supply of reserves anyway!
 
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Chomp

Tenderfoot
Jan 17, 2018
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Round the back skivving
I've done stuff that is 'beyond' jerky, its stiff as a board. Still has the flavours I marinated it in a good few years after but it takes a lot of spit to soften. More meaty ships biscuit thinking about it. Saying that, I haven't tried it for a while, I'll give it a go tomorrow if I mind but its kept for maybe 4 years ???
 

Woody girl

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Yes I think I've done that with my first try this week. It doesn't quite snap in half but it's pretty stiff unlike the shop bought variety that is pleasantly chewy and tender. I used minute steaks as they were just the right thickness already. Just had to slice into strips and pop into the dryer after a night in the fridge marinating. They are cheap enough so I'll have another go at it next week after the weekly shop . Think I left it too long in the dryer. Hey ho, learn by doing.
 
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Robson Valley

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Nov 24, 2014
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Pound the bejeezlies out of the meat with a hammer. Like the start to making pemmican.
The meat is so denatured & dehydrated that a 4 week soak in olive oil doesn't work well enough
and the risk of botulism is too bad odds for me.

My trick is to start with burger/mince and cure & season & dry that in a 250F oven with the door cracked open 1/2".
When you mix it long enough, it will go from granular back to meat-stringy and that is exactly what holds it together.
Per pound, I squirt 17' x 3/4" out of a Cabela Jerky Pistol. The cheap meat pays for it, over and over.
Broken up, bagged and into the freezer, the water keeps crystallizing out to dry the jerky even more.

I want to figure out how to add some apple wood smoke, in the oven,
with out the smoke alarms in my house having a sh.it-fit.
 

Janne

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Rip out the batteries, and disconnet the hardwiring?

Smoke alarms are p.i.t.a.
They always get activated in the middle of the night.
I have to ghave them due to insurance reg.
The only wood is in the floors ( highly compressed bamboo, will not burn), kitchen cabinets, some antique furniture and the bottles of alcohol.
All ammunition is stored in fire proof safes.
So basically 0% risk of fire.
Yet I am brutally woken up by the alarms around 7 times a year.

Not even an energy bar made out of a mix of Kosher Virgin Olive oil, hand picked Wild Scottish Organic Hazelnuts and Free Range FairTrade Colombian Coca leaves would make me happy!
 
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Robson Valley

On a new journey
Nov 24, 2014
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McBride, BC
If I could make some sort of a protein/meat bar and cure & season & dry that,
I would try to add some smoke (raw?) without stinking up the house.
 

bearbait

Full Member
Here ya go Woody Girl:
I used Polenta a previous time I made Logan Bread from the recipe below as I had a problem sourcing Soy Grits. Last time I decided to try it, as per the recipe, with Soy Grits as they are much higher in protein than Polenta and the bread was designed as an expedition food with a good balance of protein, carbs, fats, etc.
As far as the fruit content went I used finely chopped dried Cranberries, Figs, Dates, Apple, Chewy Banana, Apricots.
And for nuts I used Walnuts, Hazelnuts, Brazils and Cashews.
There are a number of Logan Bread recipes out there. Some include
- Nutmeg
- Cinnamon
- Apple Sauce
- Sunflower seeds
- Sesame Seeds
The bread seems a bit crumbly when straight from the oven but hardens up after 30-60 minutes or so.
I've eaten it a year or more after making it without apparent unwelcome side-effects, but stored in the freezer in the meantime.
This link has the same recipe as below along with the following notes:
- A single serving (a 4-inch square) provides 718 calories and 10.4 grams usable protein.
- To make it even more nutritious, substitute 1 cup wheat germ for 1 cup of the white flour.
- To boost the iron content, add chopped apricots and about 1/4 cup brewer's yeast.
So, to the recipe I used...I got it from here. Also appended are the notes that came with the recipe. Some notes of mine follow the recipe.
---
Logan Bread Recipe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The following ingredients yield four 9" x 9" loaves. A single serving (4 inch square) has about 718 calories and 10 grams of usable protein to keep you on the trail.
Ingredients
- 3 cups of whole wheat flour
- 3 cups of white flour (plain, not self-rising)
- ½ cup of powdered milk (I use skim)
- 2 and ½ cups of rolled oats
- 1 and ½ cups of brown sugar
- 3 teaspoons of baking powder
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 1 cup of soy grits (buy at a health food store)
- 1 and ¼ cups of chopped nuts (walnuts are my favorite)
- 2 cups of raisins (you could use other fruit just make sure it is dried)
- 1 cup of honey (any kind you want)
- ½ cup of molasses (your choice of dark or light)
- 2 cups of softened margarine (butter could probably be substituted)
- 1 cup of oil (I use canola)
- 6 large eggs
[N.B. 1 cup = 250 mL]
Supplies
- large mixing bowl (enough to hold at least 8 quarts)
- medium mixing bowl
- four 9" x 9" pans
Mixing and Baking
- Combine all the dry ingredients into the large mixing bowl and mix well.
- Combine the rest of the ingredients in the medium bowl and beat until mixed.
- Fold the wet ingredients into the dry and stir well. You may be tempted to add more liquid to make it easier to stir, but this is not advisable. Part of what makes this bread so durable and perfect for long hikes is that it is dry; there’s not a lot of moisture in it so it doesn’t spoil as easily.
- Divide it out among the four pans and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180C) for 45 minutes or until done. The bread won’t rise as much as regular bread and will be dense and chewy.
- After baking let sit for about 5 minutes and then remove from pans. Cut into 4 inch squares and let air dry for 24 hours to get rid of any excess moisture. You can then store them in plastic Ziploc bags (be sure to squeeze the excess air out).
Storage, Use and Miscellaneous Thoughts
- The squares should easily last several months without refrigeration, but most people find all the bread gone within one. I have known people who have eaten it up to 6 months later! You can also freeze it to make it last even longer, though I would probably wrap it in some plastic wrap before placing it in the Ziploc bag to help it avoid as much moisture as possible.
- The most I’ve ever eaten on a full day hiking trip has been five bars and that has been all I’ve ever needed. I’m a little heavier than your average hiker (around 300 lbs), so 3-4 bars would plenty for those of an average weight. Just make sure to keep it reasonably dry while on the trail and it will last for the duration of your trip.
- Since I started using Logan Trail Bread I’ve found that deciding what foods to take on my hike became a lot simpler. When it comes down to it the only thing I really worry about now is water.
- Before finishing up I would just like to remind you how important eating is while on the trail, especially before laying down for the night. You’ve got to get a good meal in you or there is a real risk lethargy and loss of coordination and you don’t want that when in the mountains.
---
Read more: http://www.infobarrel.com/Trail_Food_-_Nothing_Can_Beat_Logan_Trail_Bread
Looks like http://www.grouprecipes.com/56233/logan-trail-bread.html has same recipe...plus this note...
"And to boost the iron content, add chopped apricots and about 1/4 cup brewer's yeast."
 

Woody girl

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Mar 31, 2018
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Thanks I'm sure this will be a useful recipe for many here. I have a gluten intolerance so I will have to substitute the wheat flour but I'm sure that can be sorted out by a bit of trial and error. I often have errors in my experimental cooking which my friends 3 little pigs don't seem to mind too much! So it's never wasted. It will turn into sausages and bacon at some point in the future!
 

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