What did the pioneers eat on the Oregon Trail?

Answer 1

Much of what the pioneers ate on the Oregon Trail was non-perishable food that would travel well and, hopefully, last until they reached their destination. Other food items were either purchased along the way, or were hunted or harvested.

Basic items they would take with them included:

flour

hard tack (aka pilot bread, sea biscuit)

crackers

bacon (salted and preserved pork)

rice

coffee

tea

sugar

saleratus (baking soda)

dried beans

dried vegetables (pumpkin, peppers, onion)

dried fruit (Prunes, raisins, currants, apples)

salt

corn meal

corn

vinegar

These ingredients were used to make bread, biscuits, pies, cakes, mush (porridge made from corn meal), corn soup, etc.

Other foods they might bring with them included cheese, chicken, ham, dried beef, sweets/candy, chocolate, codfish, herring, meat biscuits, portable soup, molasses, and syrup.

Most also brought along a cow for the fresh milk and for making butter. Chickens might have been brought along for fresh eggs.

Jam was made from fresh berries found along the way. Also harvested along the way were wild onions, wild plums, etc.

Hunting provided fresh meat from buffalo (bison), deer, rabbits and other wild animals.

Answer 2

Much of what the pioneers ate on the Oregon Trail was non-perishable food that would travel well and, hopefully, last until they reached their destination. Other food items were either purchased along the way, or were hunted or harvested.

Basic items they would take with them included:

flour

hard tack (aka pilot bread, sea biscuit)

crackers

bacon (salted and preserved pork)

rice

coffee

tea

sugar

saleratus (baking soda)

dried beans

dried vegetables (pumpkin, peppers, onion)

dried fruit (Prunes, raisins, currants, apples)

salt

corn meal

corn

vinegar

These ingredients were used to make bread, biscuits, pies, cakes, mush (porridge made from corn meal), corn soup, etc.

Other foods they might bring with them included cheese, chicken, ham, dried beef, sweets/candy, chocolate, codfish, herring, meat biscuits, portable soup, molasses, and syrup.

Most also brought along a cow for the fresh milk and for making butter. Chickens might have been brought along for fresh eggs.

Jam was made from fresh berries found along the way. Also harvested along the way were wild onions, wild plums, etc.

Hunting provided fresh meat from buffalo (bison), deer, rabbits and other wild animals.