[jimyra]

"From ship's biscuits to pemmican, from raisins to pasta, all of these foods have incredible shelf life, and have been used for centuries, from farmers to explorers, armies and navies.
What is their common link? Why do they keep so long"

Don't forget jerky and smoked fish.  They have most of the moisture removed.  Pemmican is based on an Algonquian word for this dish.  The Algonquian groups were as far south as the Carolina's and around the great lakes down into what is now Colorado.  I learned that in my high school US History class. The Canadians can't take all the credit.  

 

[foodpump]

And that, Jimyra, is why I have never even once went on the "wikipedia" site looking for information....

 

[glutenfree]

It turned out the evaporate cane juice that my client had his supplier send me would not break down, but when I used Wholesome brand, it broke down just fine. I was going crazy because three of the cookies were not sandy/sugary but one was. It was simply the brand I was using. Perhaps it melted in shipping and recrystallized or something. Whew! What a relief! The amount of vanilla extract I had been using contained just enough water to break down the sugar. I used a lot of extract!

 

[iamavapollard]

why you are not considering organic Stevia? I am not challenging your knowledge, i just want to learn from all the other members. Why you are using stevia in your recipe?