How to Make Hardtack

Hard tack is basically a hard cracker made from water, flour and salt. It's a great survival food because it will stay edible for years as long as you keep it in a dry place. Historically, it was used by soldiers, voyagers and generally anyone who needed an inexpensive food that lasted for a long time. Alternative names for hardtack have been sheet iron and tooth dullers, because they were so hard. It doesn't sound very appetizing, I know, but it's much easier to eat when crumbled into coffee, cocoa, soup or cooked with other foods.

Hardtack can be made using milk, butter, sugar, but that shortens the shelf life of it, making it less useful in a survival situation.

Step 1: The Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe:

-3 cups white flour

-2 tsp salt

-1 cup water

You'll also need a bowl, a knife, a cookie sheet and a nail or toothpick.

Step 2: The Process

Here's the full process.

1. Preheat your oven to 375°f or 190°C

2. Mix flour and salt with a bowl. Be sure to mix it well so you don't get any salt spots in the crackers

3. Mix in water until you make a dough that doesn't stick to your hands

4. Flatten the dough into a square about half an inch thick (1.5 cm)

5. Cut it into smaller squares and poke holes into it (keep about half an inch between the holes)

6. Put the squares on the cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes, and then turn them around and bake for another 30 minutes.

The crackers should be just a little brown on both sides. Once it cools it will be incredibly hard. You can put it in a ziploc bag and keep it in a car, a backpack or just in your pantry.