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Anyone here have good recipe for the ubiquitous MRE cracker?

Put the cheese or, (and/or) PB/Jam on it, and eat. Break up into tiny-bits and add to the main.

DangerousDave wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 28, 2022 2:36 pm

Put the cheese or, (and/or) PB/Jam on it, and eat. Break up into tiny-bits and add to the main.

true - but i am looking for a recipe to make'em.

I am happy to know that I'm not the only one who actually liked them! LOL. However, any genuine government issue Cracker enthusiast knows what we're talking about here are the earlier variants, with an appearance much closer to the MCI or C-Rat canned variety, only the MRE version are square instead of round. More recent issue are of an inferior design, in my humble opinion.

One recipe I found called for a small amount of white Pepper, and I think that is part of the flavor. There are many recipes for making Saltines at home, in your oven. They are very easy to make and very tasty.

Tedster wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 02, 2022 4:48 pm

I am happy to know that I'm not the only one who actually liked them! LOL. However, any genuine government issue Cracker enthusiast knows what we're talking about here are the earlier variants, with an appearance much closer to the MCI or C-Rat canned variety, only the MRE version are square instead of round. More recent issue are of an inferior design, in my humble opinion.

One recipe I found called for a small amount of white Pepper, and I think that is part of the flavor. There are many recipes for making Saltines at home, in your oven. They are very easy to make and very tasty.

Thanks! Out of curiosity - is a soda biscuit a different creature or the same thing with a different name?

I would try to dig around on the 'net and see if you can find an ingredient list for them. Then bounce that against the different Saltine recipes. Some of the latter will have you cut in shortening or butter, and add in Milk for liquid. The more stuff you add they will taste better, but when I've made them they were fantastic without much of anything. The recipe I used they came out more like failed Biscuits. I ate them all up. The trick to Saltines would be to get a consistent roll out, and probably quite thin. Then poke lots of holes in them.

Alright, I have to say something here. This really has nothing to do with MRE crackers, but might satisfy your request.

I make sourdough. I have a starter that I have maintained for decades. When I refresh my starter, I'm left with some extra. Anyone who maintains any kind of starter will understand. I'm always on the lookout for uses for the discarded starter. One of my favorite uses for this extra starter, rather than just throwing it out (which is what many people do), is to make crackers out of it. Add a little oil and salt, spread the batter thinly on parchment and bake. You end up with delicious, light crackers. Very saltine-like.

Rather than share a recipe, I encourage you to search for "sourdough starter crackers". I would imagine that most of the recipes could be modified to use a basic flour and water paste instead of excess sourdough starter. The process is simple, and delicious.

-Zed

Kays1968 wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 06, 2022 9:34 pm

Rather than share a recipe, I encourage you to search for "sourdough starter crackers". I would imagine that most of the recipes could be modified to use a basic flour and water paste instead of excess sourdough starter. The process is simple, and delicious.

-Zed

sounds great! thanks for the tip!

Rereading my comments today, I sound a little bitchy. I didn't mean to imply that I wouldn't share a recipe with you, only that I don't actually use a recipe, so I don't have one to share.

Just goes to show what a few "evening beverages" can do for communication skills. Sorry.

-Zed

The only thing I would add, the ingredient list will also determine the shelf life or keeping qualities. Milk & Butter or other fats definitely improve the taste but, depending on the specific type will tend to go rancid or spoil much sooner. "Hardtack" has an almost indefinite shelf life if kept dry, because it contains almost nothing but flour and salt.

I could be wrong, but it seems to me (generally) that while the overall variety of items has increased hugely in the MRE world in recent years, the shelf stability for some items has actually declined. Some of the fats & oils formerly used are considered "unhealthy", but had superior keeping qualities. Palm kernel oil is one of them, if I remember right, and I may not.