"the rawhide rolls and wallets that the natives used may be traditional, but the purpose was to prevent water from getting to the dried ingredients. The fats, aside from being super high in calories, perform the same function. The modern zip lock bag is far better in my opinion.

When adding fruits, be sure you have dehydrated them very well. Fruits should be of the dense fruit leather consistency. Ingredients with sugar in them should be a smaller part since the sugars are hygroscopic. The whole idea behind pemmican is to remove water. It is the original dehydrated food.

Grains are not a traditional ingredient to pemmican either. I have experimented with flour and corn meal. Flour makes it pasty. Corn meal make it gritty. Neither add much in the way of calories. I am making some pemmican today, I plan to try some with rolled oats. Nuts, however, do contribute high calories from vegetable fats, carbohydrates, and protein. Grains (if you can tolerate the texture) and nuts (and legumes in the case of peanuts) add a broader spectrum of vitamins and minerals. The idea is to increase diversity, not to make granola with meat.

79% of the calories in Pemmican (based on my recipe) comes from [animal] fat. So over a long period this is not a very healthy food. As a survival food, it is hard to beat. When eating pemmican on should restrain oneself to small amounts. Keep in mind that it is a concentrated food.
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"pemmican is kind of a catch all name for a storable food source adopted out common usage by known native americans. "

"Side note: I find it interesting that this was considered a staple food of the Native Americans and yet, modern economy makes this an expensive food.
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