Remembering Suwannee: Early cracker meals, Part 2

Eric Musgrove Contributor This week, we continue our look at what is commonly referred to as Cracker fare, the food of the early American settlers of Suwannee County and the rest of Florida. Coontie, because of its deadly nature if improperly prepared, was soon replaced by other plants, like varieties of corn (including maize). Similar to coontie, maize could be ground into a meal that was used to make breads. Beans were often planted beside corn to allow the bean vines to intertwine with the corn stalks, and squash was planted between them. This arrangement helped to protect all three of the plants. The corn could be used to make many different foods, from today’s well-known corn