Polar Pathways: Robert E. Peary's Arctic Expeditions
The White March- Food
“The provisions for an arctic sledge journey must possess the important desideratum of a minimum weight and bulk for a given nutritive value. Pemmican is the mainstay of a sledge ration. Next in order of important come tea, condensed milk, biscuit, compressed pea soup.” - Robert E. Peary in Northward over the “Great Ice”, published in 1898
A traditional food of native groups in the United States, pemmican played a crucial role in all of Peary’s journeys: it fed both man and dog. Made of dried and pulverized lean meat, dried berries, and rendered fat, pemmican is high in fat and protein. It is satisfying and nutritional and provides people with large bursts of energy. Even today it is a favorite food among outdoor enthusiasts. You might want to try the following recipe that substitutes molasses for fat.
Pemmican
(Amounts can be scaled down if you are experimenting or simply want a
smaller amount.)
2 lbs of lean dried meat
1 1/2 lbs. of dried currant berries
Enough molasses to bind it together
You can dry the meat yourself (with a dehydrator or oven-dry method) or simply purchase a lean jerky. Pulverize the meat in a food processor (you can use a traditional mortar and pestle, but it’s quite a bit of work) until it has flaked into a fine powder. Add the dried berries (they can be any type, though ones without many seeds, like blueberries, will produce the best texture) and mix well. Add enough molasses to bind the mixture together without making it too gooey. You should be able to knead the mixture as if it were wet dough. Once you’ve kneaded it, break off small chunks. Let the chunks sit to dry for a day or so (depending on the humidity). Pemmican is a great addition to any hiking or canoe trip. If you’d like to keep within tradition, you can substitute melted suet for molasses.
Recipe Credit to Zoë Eddy, Family Recipe
