Traditional Trail Foods

[Yonderer]

How many use traditional trail foods like parched corn, jerky, pemmican and hardtack when out and about in the bush?
This year I'm going to try as much as I can to use traditional foods when hunting and just general woods running.

I've just made up a good sized batch of jerky and parched corn. I'm going to use some of the jerky and dry some of last years blueberries and cranberries for pemmican. I'm not a big fan of hardtack so I think I'll take some pre-mixed bannock fixings.

Does anyone else do this?

 

[xylaria]

Last time we went camping, i backpacked with the kids for the first time in years. The only way I could bring enough food was everything was dried or powdered. So it was bilberry leather, dried fruit, a type of bacon thats partly dried, and my own reciepe bread mix. Useally I will suppliment pack food with fresh gathered food, or if Mother Nature looks on me very kindly I just eat gathered food. Luckly in britain there is normally some form of food source available during any given season. But you can never rely on that, and I always have to bring a meat as I don't hunt.

Could you tell me what parched corn is please? Is there a differance between that and popping corn.

 

[Yonderer]

xylaria, basically, parched corn is dried sweet corn that has been lightly toasted in an oiled pan until it puffs up and is a light brown colour. Very nutritious and was a staple of the longhunters and native indians of North America. Parching the dried corn makes it easier on the teeth and easier to digest.

 

[xylaria]

Parched corn looks really good. It looks like yet another food that we all thank Canada(etc?) for. Sorrie I haven't been much help with your original question, but good on you for keeping knowlegde in a living state.

 

[spamel]

You could dry a lot of foods and use them on the trail. Mushrooms and onions are good for adding to a trail stew for a nice touch of flavour. Mushrooms will start appearing over the next couple of months so get ready for them! And of course all of the fruits about to ripen or in the process of ripening, depending where you are. Plenty of nuts about too, loads of hazel and beech around here, not seen many sweet chestnut yet though. So most of these would have been a staple food I suppose.

I am gonna have a go at drying some meat, in fact I believe there is a joint of beef in the freezer that might get pinched for my use! I reckon I'll do it neat as it is with just a touch of salt and pepper, nothing too complicated. Stowed in a dry place in a cotton bag it should last quite a while.

You can also carry grain, seed and the like. Oats, rice, flour, all will be handy for use on the trail. I suppose what is needed is a good backwoods recipe book.

Cool idea though, I'm trying to get back to basics in certain areas, and I reckon this is a good way to go as you don't have the mess of tins and packaging to worry about.

 

[spamel]

Just found http://www.historicaltrekking.com/ which has a bunch of stuff in it which is quite interesting. Check out the trail foods section.

 

[Yonderer]

Great link! Thanks!

 

[harlequin]

I am gonna have a go at drying some meat, in fact I believe there is a joint of beef in the freezer that might get pinched for my use! I reckon I'll do it neat as it is with just a touch of salt and pepper, nothing too complicated. Stowed in a dry place in a cotton bag it should last quite a while.
QUOTE]

Hah, you've never made jerky/biltong before. Last a long time?
It lasts about 5 minutes in my house if anyone hears that some has been made!!

 

[BushJohn]

I used to take a few versatile ingredients with me when out and about camping like flour, sugar, oil and see which plants i could add to foods makable with what i had.

Crab apples in pancakes, sage with meat, nettles in breads and the like.

I find it a good way to see what goes with what and which go together well and also makes the ritual of cooking more rewarding when it works well.

A handy tip i would suggest is to ask at photo developing places, camera retail shops etc for spare film canisters. I recieved a full carrier bag of them free and used the see-through ones to hold condiments such as sugar and spices, that way you have more options and become more versatile in what you can make work with what you find.

Also this site is very handy for ideas for outdoor meals -
http://www.camprecipes.com/index.php?comm=2&PHPSESSID=cd7ecd40ae9862c9c832528c0b6f1273

 

[philaw]

mcafee site adviser tells me it submitted an email address to historicaltrekking.com, which then gave it away, "making it available to spammers."

Just so you know!