Workshop Resources - Food
Food: Workshop suggestions: This workshop has the best possibilities as a talk with demonstration and a trial of the food of the time (cheapest, easiest to make is the hardtack/biscuit), having the other foods available for display would be good.
Materials: dutch oven pots, tin mugs.
Websites:
website on the British mess http://www.warof1812.ca/messing.htm
website on the diet of British soldiers during war of 1812 http://www.warof1812.ca/food.htm
recipe for ship's biscuit http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/info_sheet_ship_biscuit.htm
what a biscuit looked like http://www.nmm.ac.uk/server/show/conMediaFile.2793
American Civil War hardtack (same stuff) receipe and how-to http://users.lmi.net/mcm20me/20th_Maine/CompG/research/hardtack.htm
Food workshop notes:
-British soldier was to receive a six pound loaf of bread every 4 days (charged 5 pence) and ¾ pound daily of “a good, sound, sweet, and wholesome Meat” (beef or mutton) charged 6 pence a pound
-bread was supplemented or even replaced by 'navy biscuits' which were thin, hard, round biscuits; bread or biscuits when unavailable could be replaced
by issues of rice, flour, or lentils; at intervals there were also peas, beans and local cheese made available
-beef was often boiled or broiled over an open fire and the biscuits were usually crushed and dropped with stale bread into water or beef soup to make gruel (peas, beans, lentils, and rice would be added if it was available); with only flour available the soldiers would rub the flour with lard to make greasy dumplings and add them to the gruel; gruel was also known as 'stirabout'
-was to receive a daily tot of rum, gin or wine – 1/3 a pint per day
-soldiers would try to supplement their food with local produce; stealing it risked discipline from the provosts (military police)
-American soldier received 1 gill of rum or whiskey or brandy per day, 1 ¼ pound beef or ¾ pounds pork, 18 ounces of bread or flour and lesser amounts of salt, vinegar, soap, and candles which cost the government 15 cents; luxuries such as tobacco or beer could be purchased at the sutlers who would accept credit (soldier could charge up to 1/3 of a month's pay which lead to being constantly in debt)
Materials: dutch oven pots, tin mugs.
Websites:
website on the British mess http://www.warof1812.ca/messing.htm
website on the diet of British soldiers during war of 1812 http://www.warof1812.ca/food.htm
recipe for ship's biscuit http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/info_sheet_ship_biscuit.htm
what a biscuit looked like http://www.nmm.ac.uk/server/show/conMediaFile.2793
American Civil War hardtack (same stuff) receipe and how-to http://users.lmi.net/mcm20me/20th_Maine/CompG/research/hardtack.htm
Food workshop notes:
-British soldier was to receive a six pound loaf of bread every 4 days (charged 5 pence) and ¾ pound daily of “a good, sound, sweet, and wholesome Meat” (beef or mutton) charged 6 pence a pound
-bread was supplemented or even replaced by 'navy biscuits' which were thin, hard, round biscuits; bread or biscuits when unavailable could be replaced
by issues of rice, flour, or lentils; at intervals there were also peas, beans and local cheese made available
-beef was often boiled or broiled over an open fire and the biscuits were usually crushed and dropped with stale bread into water or beef soup to make gruel (peas, beans, lentils, and rice would be added if it was available); with only flour available the soldiers would rub the flour with lard to make greasy dumplings and add them to the gruel; gruel was also known as 'stirabout'
-was to receive a daily tot of rum, gin or wine – 1/3 a pint per day
-soldiers would try to supplement their food with local produce; stealing it risked discipline from the provosts (military police)
-American soldier received 1 gill of rum or whiskey or brandy per day, 1 ¼ pound beef or ¾ pounds pork, 18 ounces of bread or flour and lesser amounts of salt, vinegar, soap, and candles which cost the government 15 cents; luxuries such as tobacco or beer could be purchased at the sutlers who would accept credit (soldier could charge up to 1/3 of a month's pay which lead to being constantly in debt)