Cornmeal mush? - Appalachian Trail

imported
#1

I’ve been rereading Earl Shaffers book, Walking with Spring, about his thru hike in 1948. He chowed down on lots of CORNMEAL MUSH with raisins, brown sugar and canned milk added. I’m not sure he ever writes that he LIKED it, but it seemed to serve him well. Out of respect for the old school hikers, I’ve decided to eat only cornmeal mush on my upcoming hike. HA! Not really. I might carry a ziplock of it as emergency rations if it tastes awful…

But seriously, has anyone ever eaten the stuff as a hiking food and if so, are there any especially good ways of preparing it? Is it awful? ~~thanks.

Tyger

#2

try it at home, you be the judge

the matt

#3

No way you can cook it properly on the trail…and it IS GAWD OFFEL of you don’t know how to fix it.

Susan

#4

Corn meal mush needs its name changed to “Polenta.” Tyger, do a Google search with “polenta” as the subject line and you will find many recipes. Experiment with some at home by sticking to one pan recipes.

Polenta is sold in grocery stores all ready prepared and packaged in tubes for slicing and frying. And dry mixtures can be found at health food grocery stores – just add boiling water. But once you start playing with this stuff, you can make up your own dry mixtures at home. Without too much cooking knowledge, corn meal mush can be made very tasty.

that guy

#5

if one must partake of the mush, give me porridge or give me death. say no to polenta or grits and 5 day old abalone.

Bloody Cactus

#6

I’d suggest adding some rye, sugar, yeast, a slow boil, some copper tubing, a chimney pot and some cold stream water and you have a nice high octane snack. You in Cactus?:cheers

Bushwhack

#7

mm rye juice :slight_smile: distilled and pure rye juice :slight_smile:

why yes bushwhack, I think I am in :slight_smile: say, when I come over this year did you want me to bring you any particular scotch over?? i dont mind adding an extra bottle into my stuff :slight_smile:

Bloody Cactus

#8

To make corn meal mush

Place 1/2 cup corn meal in container with 1/2 cup water
Boil 1.5 cups water with 1/2 tsp. salt
pour corn meal into the boiling water stirring constantly until it thickens.
Add two tablespoons margarine.
Add two heaping Tbsp of white sugar.

Eat up it’s delicious.

The weight factors
One 24oz can of Corn Meal will yield 9 breakfasts.
Not sure about carrying sugar or squeeze butter in a food bag. At home I use milk instead of water. Don’t know about carrying powdered milk either.

Calories 430

Peace

Tu

Tu

#9

It all depends on how you fix them as to whether they’re “gawd awful” or “gawd…that’s good!” Grate some Cheese & butter into grits or mush, & yummmmm! I’ve also added roasted red peppers for a bit more tang. And if your sweet tooth is active; then just add some sugar&a dab of butter.

For that matter…anything w/ a dab of butter makes it better.

My friends & I joke about how on the eighth day, god created butter…or maybe it was sour cream! :cheers

Leah

#10

Don’t forget the quality maple syrup. I’d also suggest you get it here. http://www.plummerssugarhouse.com/
Bramble’s uncle owns it. The B Dark grade is awesome. Thick and carmel brown. Super to use in Cheers’
50 Something Mile Trail Cookies.

Bushwhack

#11

Yuk to cornmeal!

I’m going to pre-mix some oatmeal, brown sugar and powdered milk into baggies and see how that works. I really dislike the artificially flavored oatmeal that is available in those little paper packets. Oatmeal seems to stick to my ribs and is light and inexpensive.

Nimblefoot

#12

Quaker or jim dandy quick grits (not instant-yuk) premix the dry cereal with molly mcbutter powder and whatever else you might want (garlic powder and red pepper flakes are a fav of mine).
4 tablespoons of the grits and a cup of water and cook. Yum
I have been looking for a powdered cheese topping to mix in, I think cabot makes one, which would really be good.
Mix in some summer sausage or pepperoni, beef jerky etc --the possibilities are endless-

george

#13

My father and I have done 18th century (French & Indian/Revolutionary War) living history since I was a little tyke. On primitive backpacking trips a lot of folks bring only the following for meals: Corn Meal, Cocoa, Brown Sugar, and Tea. One prepares the “meal” by cooking the corn meal, cocoa and brown sugar in water until you get a consistancy somewhat like grits or oatmeal, it takes some getting used to. You can make tea by placing tea in a cloth bag and steeping it in hot water, or you can add it to your other mixture. Another popular item was salt-cured bacon, which apparently keeps well even in heat (well, I didn’t get sick).

A lot of the other guys would bring licorice root (the root of some tree, i don’t think there’s such a thing as a licorice tree, but anyway it tastes like black licorice) and shave it into tea or cornmeal glop for flavoring, although be careful with that stuff, it’s a natural laxative. Hard cheeses (espec. with wax coatings) were a treat but some folks had them, along with beef/deer jerkey and bologna (although in the actual period it is more likely that a traveler would’ve hunted game daily and not carried the preserved stuff). Oh, and if anyone ever offers you “hard tack” candy, don’t take it, it tastes like crap and has a 1 in 3 chance of taking out 1 or more teeth.

Wyatt (as yet trailnameless)

#14

Wyatt,
The root you refer to is from the Sassafras tree.
Does anyone know what happened to the Sidetrack or Trey?
See you at Dot’s
Bum

damascus bum