DIY Lydia's Ship Biscuits - Doll Food Series

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Lydia and her family left Bristol, England for Plymouth, MA in 1760. The Peyton's were among the more wealthy passengers because they were able to pay for a small private cabin aboard ship. If the weather was nice, during the day they could walk along the ship's deck and get exercise, smell the salted air and enjoy cool breezes. Imagine seeing nothing but ocean for weeks! Because they had more money than the other passengers crammed below deck with sacks of rotting potatoes, Lydia and her family could enjoy fresh food. 

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The ocean journey took months and this meant ships would often run out of fresh food before reaching their destination. So small amounts of fresh food with larger amounts of canned or pickled food would be consumed.

• Sea biscuits
• Casks of salt port and beef
• Dried peas
• Malt, barley, wheat, and oatmeal
• Sauerkraut,
• Rum, beer, wine and water. 
• Hard cheese

After the fresh meat and vegetables ran out they would eat ship's bread, also called hard tack.

 

Ship Biscuits were inexpensive and lasted a long time. Made with flour, a little salt and just enough water to make a stiff dough, they were then baked so hard they had to be soaked to be edible. Weevils and maggots would be crawling on many biscuits! I'm sure Lydia was SICK to death of ship biscuits by the time she landed in the New World, but because they are a part of her story we are going to make ship biscuits for her! (I promise no worms).

Supplies:

• polymer clay or salt dough
• toothpick or skewer
• light brown acrylic paint
• small paint brush
• matte Mod Podge

Directions:

1. Form small doll size biscuits out of clay or dough.
2. Poke small holes using the toothpick or skewer.
3. Bake.
4. Dry brush the paint on top to give a baked look.
5. Seal with matte Mod Podge.