How to Make Hoe cakes, or Johnnycakes for Pioneer Recipes

[@southerngirlsrock2799]

My dad used to make a different bread called hoe cake bread, it was made with white flour and covered the skillet completely, he used bacon crease that made a nutty taste to the bread, thos looks good, gonna give this a try!

[@eqlzr2]

My great gramma, and my gramma, both from Kentucky, used to make these often. They were somewhat gritty on the outside and reminded me a little bit of eating a sanding block. My grampa loved them though. He would often ask her to burn them and crumble them in a glass of milk with pepper. No joke. Also, out here on the Left Coast, there's a restaurant called Marie Callendars. They're famous for their pies, but they also make a cornbread mix that's sold in a lot of grocery stores. It's one of the easiest, tastiest things to prepare on earth. If it's the EOTW, I have several bags set aside. You just add water, mix and then fry and sand yourself silly. ;-)

[@rondagoodlet5588]

Looks like a scrumptious recipe over the Camp Stove, Thanks a bunch, I do love Cornmeal recipes!

[@katsalazar6960]

I have made this recipe a number of times, and I discovered that the batter/dough is smoother if you add the dry ingredients to the milk instead of vice versa. I've tried it several times both ways, and it's always less lumpy adding dry to wet ingredients.

[@survivalcommonsense]

Good to know!

[@cucunono]

Was looking for a just cornmeal recipe (no flour) and yours turned out great. Since i'm not a pioneer i put some parmesan on top at the end. Loved it, thanks!

[@survivalcommonsense]

If the pioneers would have had Parmesan, they would have used it. personally, i like butter and maple syrup - and that is a traditional topping!

[@chuckwaters9047]

Survival Common Sense the only way to eat fried mush

[@mackenziewhethers1257]

Survival Common Sense now that sounds delicious. Being that I happen to live within a stones throw of Vermont I can get a steady supply of fine-azz maple syrup.

[@northcacalacka545]

Those look great, will definitely try with my kids.

[@survivalcommonsense]

You nailed it: Adapt the recipe according to what's on hand.

[@specailist49]

lol...You should come on down to western north Carolina and we will teach you how to cooks these the right way....God Bless Your Efforts Anyway Chief bet they taste great...

[@survivalcommonsense]

They turned out great - what is the right way?

[@deloisrichardson6054]

Hi' can you use jiffy cornbread mix

[@survivalcommonsense]

Sure - making hoe cakes is more of a statement of purpose than a recipe.

[@1cathexis]

Nice traditional take on this recipe. Good historical background too. Job well done, thanks! Does anyone know where the name "dodger" comes from?

[@survivalcommonsense]

I don't - anybody out there know?

[@el7jake]

I assume that you could keep the batter in the fridge for a few days if you wanted to cook them fresh?

[@survivalcommonsense]

Miel Mani I would think so. The batter should be fine until the milk starts to sour. That's actually a good idea if you're looking for a quick breakfast - make the batter the night before, then in the morning, all you do is fire up the griddle.

[@robinstiles2692]

I'm practicing making these for a Pioneer Day at our state park next weekend. I had to add LOTS more milk to thin it enough to scoop out. When they're done, are they still wet in the middle?

[@survivalcommonsense]

+Robin Stiles They should be done completely. Lower the temp on your griddle if they are browning too fast.

[@yuccanator1]

I make something called Corn Dodgers. Recipe does not have milk and you bake them till hard. They hold up well and do not go bad quickly. I have not put them to the time limit test since I eat them rather quickly.

[@joeroger6287]

I could easily eat half of that plate. Thanks.

[@kellyou4413]

Did I miss the amount of milk you used? half a cup, maybe??

[@survivalcommonsense]

+Kelly ou That's probably about right - add milk until the right consistency is reached.

[@el7jake]

I have saved the dough/batter in the fridge, and it lasts about four days. I call it my "poor" food, since I usually make these only when I don't have a lot of money. They're good with a little bit of catsup or spaghetti sauce.

[@survivalcommonsense]

Simple is good, and can save you money.

[@shannonsmitification]

Man I was raised on these. You can make flapjacks out of flour the same way.

[@fionladfinley281]

Interesting how many variations there are. My family calls it scalded bread. We don't use milk and just add boiling water to the meal. It's cooked in more oil also.

[@survivalcommonsense]

I imagine there are countless variations, based on what ingredients were available.

[@gordanazakula5669]

@@survivalcommonsense Love it. However, since Iam from the UK, cup's must be converted to pounds and ounces.

[@survivalcommonsense]

@@gordanazakula5669 Here's a link that can do that for you: www.rapidtables.com/convert/weight/pound-to-gram.html

[@devono7230]

I made corn dodgers after watching true grit. Boy they must have been starving to want to eat those things

[@oldtimerlee8820]

Better, IMO. make batter stiffer. Pick up amount for desired size of cake. Flatten in hand. Then slide into grease in a skillet or onto a griddle. Easier than trying to shape after pouring on griddle, skillet, or clean shovel. Real lard or fatback grease best. Shortening, oil, whatever is OK. Tip: In a stuff hits the fan, just mixing meal with water & frying works, too. Adapt recipe according to what's on hand. For example, if powdered milk on hand mix with cornmeal & then add water.

[@kwaklion3003]

Was the milk hot?

[@survivalcommonsense]

No. Room temperature.

[@GreatBigRanz]

hmm..add a table spoon of flour or two and maybe a pinch of baking...soda to get them to rise?

[@survivalcommonsense]

This recipe is really a statement of purpose. Teak it to your personal tastes.

[@Mr_Lupine]

is this Pone ?

[@survivalcommonsense]

Sure enough. This is dish is also commonly known as corn pone.

[@billybelk1831]

I add some finely chopped jalapeno and that livens them up

[@survivalcommonsense]

It would.

[@mztrininewyorker1121]

u should do it the west indian way

[@survivalcommonsense]

+mztrininewyorker1121 What is the West Indian way?

[@tallioegian]

"In the southern army, you ate something called “sloosh.” You got issued cornmeal and bacon and you fried the bacon, which left a great deal of grease in the pan. Then you took the cornmeal and swirled it around in the grease to make the dough and make a snake of it and put it around your ramrod and cook it over the campfire. That was sloosh. They ate a lot of that." -Shelby Foote With due respect to Shelby Foote, I'm suspicious about this. Try it yourself, there just isn't enough gluten formed to make a 'snake'. Also, wouldn't a wooden ramrod be suffused with foul-tasting compounds? Even a hungry jawjaw militia guy wouldn't want his food laced with combusted black powder residue, lead, grease etc, and surely alternatives were available.

[@survivalcommonsense]

Me too. The ramrod of my Mississippi rifle always had oil and some powder residue on it, and that would have made me very leery of using it for cooking. (Just checked my flintlock - it has enough oil on the ramrod to make cooking on it a bad idea.) And the standard coarse ground cornmeal, which is what usually issued, wouldn't make a snake. I've always been vaguely suspicious of Mr. Foote's work - he was a novelist by profession, and didn't have footnotes in his three-volume "The Civil War."

[@avianphlu5397]

mix a little oil in the recipe before putting on griddle ;)

[@aburningpromise]

I heard it was the Narragansett Native Americans who introduced this to the Colonists...calling it : Nokehick

[@survivalcommonsense]

Thanks for the info!

[@kennkid9912]

Pat them down so they are thinner.

[@CDRIIVE]

supa thanks

[@darlenetillman6290]

Add garlic butter on top.

[@grayfox7182]

Supa

[@drivesthecar3247]

They seem to be sticking too much, maybe season your pan again.

[@stephaniecrow147]

The original never had milk. Just hot

[@keileymynk1791]

that looks alright except for the vegetable oil

[@shlomoshekelberg4631]

Dude....you're using the spoon the wrong way. The scoopy end isn't the handle

[@survivalcommonsense]

Shlomo Shekelberg I didn't want to use the scoopy end for combining the dry ingredients.

[@jamesaritchie1]

Cornmeal journey cakes use no sugar and no milk. This kind of journay cake was usually made as needed, out on the trail. Just cornmeal and water. And if your smart, you'll leave out the salt. Sugar and salt are the two biggest killers we have. If you need salt for flavor, put it on afterwards, not during the preparation.

[@survivalcommonsense]

Thanks for the input.

[@psycofloyd]

Team Ramrod! Sorry, I had to....

[@nedrapeterson3353]

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