What is Pemmican?
Pemmican is a nutritious food that is a mixture of protein and fat. It was derived from the word pimîhkân, which is a Cree word meaning pimî or fat grease. Native people from North America invented this original, ready to eat nutritious food. Europeans engaged in the fur trade adopted the Native American Pemmican food as well as the Antarctic and Arctic explorers like Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, Fridtjof Nansen and Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton.
By tradition, pemmican was prepared using the lean meat of buffalo, deer, elk, moose, or bison – whatever was available. The lean meat was then cut into thin slices and then dried either by slow fire or under the heat of the sun until the meat was firm and brittle. Five pounds of lean meat can make one pound dried meat for pemmican. Using stones, it was then pounded into small powder-like pieces and then mixed with melted fat at 1:1 ratio.
Some Native Americans included dried fruits like Saskatoon berries, blueberries, cranberries, chokecherries, and currants. The dried fruits were pounded also into powder and then mixed with the fat and meat mixture. Rawhide bags were used to pack and stored the resulting mixture.
Native American Pemmican was thought to be vital for sustaining hunters and warriors on the trail. There are many ways pemmican can be eaten. It can be added to soups or stews, out of hand or in any way during the need for an added nutritional boost.
More of the Native American Pemmican
The Native American style of eating pemmican is to pop a small bit in your mouth then chew it like chewing gum. You will not just exercise your mouth but you will also have every bit of taste of the dried meat, nuts, and berries. It is very satisfying when consumed this way. It is also rich in protein so it will definitely boost your energy and stamina.
The shelf life of Native American pemmican depends on the humidity and temperature of the environment, how it was stored and the quality of the ingredients used. Fat content can also determine the shelf life. Others say that it will only last for a month or two while some say that it can last for a year or more.
When the fat becomes stinky or off, the taste gets affected and so it must be thrown away. Storing the fat in a cool storage or cool temperature will make it stay fresh and thus prolong the fat’s shelf life. Nowadays, the freezer can help in extending pemmican’s shelf life.
Storing the pemmican into the freezer is very beneficial but if ever the electricity goes out, take the pemmican out of the freezer and make sure that it is completely dry and then place it inside a sealed plastic bag or glass jar then store in a cool and dry place.
how long does pemmican last, pemmican history, pemmican recipe, pemmican shelf life, pemmican bars, pemmican survival food, where can I buy pemmican, pemmican beef jerky recipe
