Survival is a fundamental human instinct. For thousands of years, people have adapted to a changing environment: withstanding changing climates, mutating diseases, and declining food sources. With food being essential to life, it has been one of the top topics of survivalists and the most important element, along with water, you can have in your personal survival kit.
When preparing for an emergency, it is critical to have a variety of non-perishable foods, and pemmican is a great option. In this article we will share how to make pemmican and provide a little backstory on how it came to be, and why it is a great food storage item.
What Is Pemmican?
Pemmican is a traditional survival food that features a concentrated mixture of dried meat and rendered animal fat. Native Americans originally created it as a portable, long-lasting food source. Pemmican is incredibly calorie-dense and nutrient-rich, making it ideal for emergency situations.
It is one of the more overlooked preparedness foods out there, but it should be at the top of the list!
How to Make Pemmican: Basic Recipe
- Choose a meat. Choose a meat that you already enjoy and that has good natural fat, such as beef or venison.
- Dry the meat. Slice the meat into thin strips and cut away all the fat and set it aside. Place the meat slices on a pan in the oven on low heat. The meat will be dried when it cracks when bent. You can also use a dehydrator if you have one.
- Grind the meat. Use a food processor or blender to finely grind the meat. The smaller the granules, the better. If you don’t have a food processor or blender, mince the meat and grind with whatever is at hand.
- Process the fat. Put all the fat in a large pot over low heat. Once the fat is melted and boiling, strain the fat through a mesh strainer.
- Mix the fat and meat. Pour the fat over your meat granules and mix thoroughly.
- Portion the mixture. You can either use mini muffin pans or just a regular bar pan to form the pemmican. Make sure to dish out the mixture while it’s still soft and pliable. Lay it out on the pan and let it cool and harden somewhat. After it cools, you can cut the bars into smaller portions for long-term storage.
The above will give you a pemmican base which is good as it is. But, you can add various spices and additions to the mixture to bring in additional flavor – and nutrition.
To enhance the flavor of pemmican, you can add some of the below ingredients without compromising its long-lasting qualities. When adding these ingredients, remember to use them in dried form to maintain pemmican’s long shelf life. Mix them with the ground meat before adding the rendered fat. Experiment with different combinations to find your preferred flavor profile. The beauty of pemmican lies in its versatility, allowing you to create a nutrient-dense survival food that also tastes great.
Dried Fruits:
• Saskatoon berries
• Cranberries
• Blueberries
• Cherries
Herbs and Spices:
• Mesquite seasoning
• Herbs de Provence
• Garlic or lemon pepper
• Cajun seasoning
• Italian seasoning
Other Additives:
• Honey (for sweetness)
• Crushed red pepper (for heat)
• Salt (to enhance overall flavor)
• Puffed wild rice
• Squash or pumpkin seeds
• Tree nuts
Why Is Pemmican a Good Survival Food?
Pemmican is an exceptional survival food due to its remarkable longevity and nutrient density. This compact, lightweight mixture of dried meat and rendered fat provides a high-calorie energy source that requires no refrigeration. Its versatility, historical reliability, and ease of preparation make pemmican an ideal choice for emergency food kits and long-term storage.
Below are the pros of including pemmican in your food storage plan.
Nutritional value of pemmican
Pemmican is categorized as a superfood. Because of its high protein and healthy fats, pemmican provides your body with the energy and substance it needs to survive.
Varieties of meat for pemmican use
Although pemmican was developed by the Native Americans to preserve their fresh game, it can be made with almost any meat that has a good fat content. The exceptions to this are small game like rabbit and fish. These meats don’t have the proper natural fat required to make pemmican. It is best to stick with larger animals, such as cow, deer and moose.
Storing pemmican
Pemmican, if made and stored properly, can last decades. This preserved meat can be stored in a cool, dry place, such as a pantry or basement, for up to 50 years. The secret is in the all-natural processing of the meat and fat. When the meat dries and is combined with the heated fat, it allows the salt and other inherent properties in the fat to encase the meat, essentially dry-freezing it. Therefore, all you have to do to keep it is store it away from heat, moisture and, of course, bugs and other critters.
Portability of pemmican
When considering an item for a survival kit, it is important to consider how easy transporting it may be. One of the best things about pemmican is its portability. You can make each portion into whatever size and shape best suits your needs. If you plan on having some to store in a backpack or traveling kit, then you might consider using a mini muffin pan or cookie dough scooper to pre-portion, making storage and transportation easier. If you need to leave your house for any length of time, taking cans and jars just isn’t really feasible.
Pemmican flavors and taste
The taste of pemmican really depends on what meat and spices you choose. If you love beef, then use that. If you aren’t sure about elk or deer, perhaps now is not the time to give it a try. Use what you know, and keep it simple. You will be amazed at how good the finished product tastes.
Pemmican doesn’t only have to be used in the case of an emergency, it is a great item to bring when you’re hiking or camping. It’s portable, lightweight, and can sustain you between meals, or it can replace meals if need be. Since it uses one of the more common preservation techniques – dehydration, it makes it a more simple food storage option to prepare. If you aren’t able to fish or hunt for your own food, or if you become lost and disoriented, pemmican will be on hand to keep you nutritionally sustained until you are able to get back on track.
