Primitive Seasonings for Food?

[batosai117]

Hello there,

I was eating some creamy chicken noodle soup, and the taste just didn't appeal to me so I happily pulled out the good 'ole tobasco sauce and the soup became edible

This got a few gears turning and made me wonder what people would use for natural flavor enhancers? If you or me were to go in the bush and wanted to add some instant flavor to a hog or deer kill, what natural ingredients could we look for to add that spice or sweet flavor?

Of course down here in Texas, the weather is hot, the food is hot, and the wimmins are hot, so we naturally eat Hot (spicy) food. Peppers are easy to find and grow on just about everyones lawn whether they want them or not

Eating just about any meat "as is," leaves that dry gamey taste and isn't as fulfilling to the taste buds. So, if you were in the bush, didn't have your portable tobasco/spices/salt shaker, what could you use for added flavor?

.....speaking of tobasco, I think nature is calling :foot:

 

[midnight flyer]

I usually take a small vial of one of the Tony Chachere's seasoning. I like the "Creole" blend. It is mostly salt, but it does have black pepper, cayenne, garlic, and other things in it. It is a great all purpose trail seasoning to me.

Robert

 

[TR Graham]

Hello there,

I was eating some creamy chicken noodle soup, and the taste just didn't appeal to me so I happily pulled out the good 'ole tobasco sauce and the soup became edible

This got a few gears turning and made me wonder what people would use for natural flavor enhancers? If you or me were to go in the bush and wanted to add some instant flavor to a hog or deer kill, what natural ingredients could we look for to add that spice or sweet flavor?

Of course down here in Texas, the weather is hot, the food is hot, and the wimmins are hot, so we naturally eat Hot (spicy) food. Peppers are easy to find and grow on just about everyones lawn whether they want them or not

Eating just about any meat "as is," leaves that dry gamey taste and isn't as fulfilling to the taste buds. So, if you were in the bush, didn't have your portable tobasco/spices/salt shaker, what could you use for added flavor?

.....speaking of tobasco, I think nature is calling :foot:

Primitive Seasonings for Food?

Smoke it, salt it, jerk it, or just eat it raw with a little blood sauce.

Mmmm......

TR Graham
The Glocksmith

 

[quietmike]

Sage, wild onion, and spearmint all grow wild here. Or various wood (hickory, apple, etc) could be used when cooking the meat to add the smoke flavor.

 

[batosai117]

Ah okay, some good stuff so far. I figured it would be a situation where you go out for a hunting weekend (or fishing), and you forget your seasonings. What stuff from around you could you use to add flavor?

Here in Texas, I figured peppers would be easy to obtain.

Edit: quietmike hit the nail, I took so long to post I didn't see his

 

[theedge13]

In "My Side of the Mountain" he uses something as a salt sub...i just cant remember what...

 

[Ankar Sheng]

Foraging for herbs takes some serious studying imo. My mom's showed me all sorts of wild herbs and seasonings, but I can rarely find anything of use in the bush. You need to know whats available in your region, the specific habitat that it grows in, and a trained eye to pick it out from the sea of green.

I spent 5 minutes looking for a sprig of mint that I was standing right on top of and could smell strongly, I even knew what it was supposed to look like, but I just couldnt see it.

 

[Shotgun]

Mint and wood sorrel would be my go to's where I live. Wood sorrel has a lemony taste to those that don't know.

Is mustard garlic edible? That's a problem plant that we have but I'm not sure if it's called mustard garlic because it's edible?

 

[Ankar Sheng]

you shouldn't eat too much sorrel though.

 

[texasboy]

In "My Side of the Mountain" he uses something as a salt sub...i just cant remember what...

He breaks small hickory limbs off and puts them in a can and boils it down. What's left is essentially salt. You gotta be careful with that though because one type of hickory is poisonous.

 

[pitdog]

I have Lemon Balm where I live. Berries also go well with meats !

 

[hiwa]

I live near boreal forest, but I don't know what I could use in the bush , so I use what Nessmuk had wrote in his book. One part cayenne pepper to 10 parts salt , or to taste. (I use kosher.) If I carry only one seasoning , this is it . I get the salt I want with some spicy heat, plus there's no msg or other stuff in it . I've been using it on everything lately and I love it !

 

[theedge13]

He breaks small hickory limbs off and puts them in a can and boils it down. What's left is essentially salt. You gotta be careful with that though because one type of hickory is poisonous.

Almost said hickory...but wasnt sure..thanks for the clarification and the tip!

 

[texasboy]

Anytime man. That is a great book.

 

[ejes]

When I was a young boyscout, we used yarrow sometimes to spice up ground beef. Sort of gave it a sage-like taste like breakfast sausage.

I've heard of boiling the roots of Hickory for salt, but not the limbs. Never tried it though, might have to do that.

 

[chickenplucker]

Sort of o/t to your question but wasnt our side of the world discovered during the search for a shorter route too the spice regions of the world? Good old pepper.

 

[wintermute]

you shouldn't eat too much sorrel though.

How come?

Ground up sumac berries make a nice spice. and the bored-out trunks make good maple syrup spouts.

 

[theedge13]

Anytime man. That is a great book.

Yessir... i read it to my son this past winter and he dug the hell out of it as well

 

[batosai117]

Sort of o/t to your question but wasnt our side of the world discovered during the search for a shorter route too the spice regions of the world? Good old pepper.

I thought of that too It seems that our forefathers grew tired of the same old stuff

I'm going to have to find that book now too, sounds interesting and I've heard of the title before as well

 

[panch0]

Marinate the deer meat with a can of coca cola if ya got sum. Smoke it with mesquite wood there is plenty of that around here.