A look at Authentic Rations for the Living Historian

[mobile_96]

For Chilies in the Civil War, I have a soldiers re-recollection on the use of chiles on my website. Its the only reference I've seen so far, but am sure there are others. Would appreciate info on other references.
Chuck in IL.
http://mobile96.com

[sockknitter]

Many years ago I used this product. It was convenient and tasty, and without "weird chemicals". I don't remember it being this expensive but maybe a 16 oz bag of DRIED vegetables makes up into a huge expanse of rehydrated vegetables.
http://www.frontiercoop.com/dspCmnPr...df&br=Frontier

[scone]

Interesting Thank you Col.

I know there are several sites online that sell period food items such as dried blue berries, strawberries, parched corn, wild rice, and salt cured bacon..

But have yet to see dedehydrated veg. Untill Socknitted posted the link to that sight I thank you Ma'am

Thank you Chuck for your info. I have read accounts of boiling leather from shoes, eating brier leaves and even tree bark.. Theses are a whole lot more reenactor friendly than the ones i just listed.

Will any of you be attending the Motor Mill event near Elkader Iowa?

regards, steven

[johan_steele]

Ketchup and Lea n Perrins were also well represented in the kitchens of the Civil War...

[scone]

Originally Posted by johan_steele

Excellent article Steven.

Another addition is fresh corn or green corn. Men often ate it fresh from the field w/out cooking it. I've done it and it had the same effect on me as it did on the boys of 63... trots. Thankfully the preffered way to eat it at the time is easily replicated in the field. Just toss the cob, unshucked, onto the fire. The moisture in the corn is trapped inside by the husk and cooks the corn. When the shuck begins to brown turn it over and cook the other side.

Not thinking,

I should have tried the corn at Motor but was full with the peas and ham.
I will have to try that some time..

steven

[scone]

Another item I resently found is C.H. Guenther & sons est. 1851
C.H. Guenther began as a family owned and operated business committed to providing the kitchens of its community with the highest quality flour.

And now is the parent company of every day products we see under the names of Pioner brand , Whie lilly and white wings.
for a list of products chk out www.pioneerbrand.com

And belive or not Pretzils have been around for thousands of years .. ithey where given to children who had said their prayers and if you notice the design they do have a praying hands look to them.. Saw this on the history channel the other night on the history of snaks lol.

Also van camp - pork and beans and Deviled Ham are . being pre civil war products.

[scone]

The following excerpt, entitled "New Method of Cooking for Soldiers" was published on July 21, 1863, by the Atlanta based newspaper, the "Memphis Daily Appeal":

"When they camp for the night the nearest field supplies them with thousands of small bake ovens, in the shape of corn husks. Each man procures an ear of corn in the shape of corn with the husk still on it; the husk is slightly paried at the top to allow the fingers to be inserted, the ear is twisted around until it breaks loose at the bottom, and is then drawn out, leaving the husk a clean and complete cup. In this the flour is mixed and seasoned, and after closing the top of the husk again, it is buried in the hot ashes for half an hour, after which it is drawn out and the charred husk pulled off, disclosing a fresh hot roll."

The following account of the Confederate retreat of Loring's Division at Champion Hill, Mississippi, on May 16, 1862, gives evidence that the cooking practice listed above had been in use at least a whole year prior to the publication of the "Memphis Appeal's" article:

"The next morning we drew bacon and meal from which the commissary had "presses" in the country. This was the first food we had had for three days, except the small ration of beef on the day before, but there was not a cooking vessel of any description in the brigade, so we had to make up our dough on boards, pieces of bark or any flat material we could procure. Probably more 'ashcakes" were made in one hour than had ever been made in the same length of time and everybody knows they are hard to beat for bread, but I made an improvement on the style of cooking mine without the unpleasant feature of having it coated with ashes. I found a corn shuck from which the ear had been removed and, making my dough on a broad piece of bark, filled the shuck, tying the end with hickory bark, covered it with hot ashes and coals. My experiment proved a complete success, for when I uncovered it and stripped of the shuck, I had a beautiful 'pone' of bread just the size and shape of an ear of corn and I can truthfully say it was the best bread I have ever eaten before or since."

J. P. Cannon, Co. C, 27th Alabama Infantry -

"Bloody Banners and Barefoot Boys."

[gary]

Figure out what is available in the cellar or pantry of a house. Bring that along. It's called foraging.

[ole]

"Field" or "dent" corn was indeed eaten in season. Get to it before the silks get dark and dry and it is edible on the march (or trot, or quick step). When there was time, roasting on the coals as previously described somehow reduced the loosening effect. But without butter? Forget it.

Shane, in May, ear corn is only available in the grocer's freezer (unless imported from S.A.) Seeds germinate only when the soil warms up which, you might imagine, varies from north to south. Growing season in northern climes is also truncated on the sprouting end because the soil can be warm enough to sprout the seeds only to be nipped of when the frost returns.

Generally speaking, corn in Pennsylvania near the 1st of July would be plentiful, but green -- probably not ready for roasting, but edible, cob and all. In arable Minnesota, you start seeing roastable field corn mid- to late-July.
Ole

[johan_steele]

Ole, I've read accounts of men w/ Sherman on the way to Atlanta June/July 64 stripping a cornfield and roasting the corn... I know the soil in that part of the country is a lot sandier I wonder how much of a loosening effect it had upon them.

I've also read account of men in the Spring of 65 doing the same in SC... that scares me as the corn would have been either VERY green or left over from the fall... either way pretty nasty I would think.

I've eaten field corn, sweet corn & Indian corn cooked in the husk... it's generally ok though only sweet corn didn't give the trots.