Game was scarce, but pioneers were able to get bison, deer and rabbit. Beans were one of the other few sources of protein. Biscuits, salt pork, corn bread, dried corn, hull corn, cream corn, and dried corn mush.
In addition:
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.
Copyright © 2026 eLLeNow.com All Rights Reserved.