Ponder this:

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

For my friends outside the Triscuit range

Nobody paid me or gave me anything to publish this post. I just like the things. 
My favorite is the Low Sodium; they still have enough salt, especially since I usually put hummus or cheese on top. 



How Triscuits Work


Varieties of Triscuits

  • Deli-Style Rye
  • Garden Herb
  • Thin Crisps
  • Rosemary & Olive Oil
  • Cracked Pepper & Olive Oil
  • Reduced Fat
  • Roasted Garlic
  • Fire Roasted Tomato
  • Cheddar
  • Original
  • Low Sodium
Production of the Triscuit wafer began in 1903 at the Niagara Falls, New York plant with the Triscuit packaging proclaiming “Baked by Electricity.” The wafer measured 2-1/4 inches by 4 inches and remained that size for twenty-one years. At that point, the ovens were altered and improved and the cracker size changed to 2 inches square.
To make Triscuits today, the wheat is first cooked in water until its moisture content reaches about 50%. It is then tempered, allowing moisture to diffuse evenly into the grain. The grain then passes through a set of rollers with grooves in one side, yielding a web of shredded wheat strands.

Many webs are stacked together, and this moist stack of strands is crimped at regular intervals to produce individual pieces of cereal with the strands attached at each end. These then go into an oven, where they are baked until their moisture content is reduced to five percent.
In 1935, in order to better address consumer taste preferences, Triscuit crackers were sprayed with oil and lightly salted. The flavors remained the same until 1984 when popular tastes changed again. The public wanted nutritious wafers, but they also demanded more out of those wafers, including additional choices, “crunch” appeal, and flavor varieties. There are now eleven Triscuit varieties on store shelves.

19 comments:

threecollie said...

I love Triscuits!

Olga said...

All those varieties and yet I only buy the original/low salt. I find some things cannot be improved. They are meant to be a vehicle for getting cheese into one's mouth, I always thought of course, now I know more about Triscits than I ever did before.

Marcia said...

I'm more of a Cheezits girl myself.
Anyone remember soda crackers or Royal Lunch milk crackers? A staple, in New England at least, in the 50's and 60's. I think you can still get the milk crackers in some areas.
Yummy!

DJan said...

I don't by these any more because I can't eat just one. Or two. Or twenty. :-)

Tom said...

Like the post ... very clever. But I must admit, not a Triscuit fan. I like Ritz and stoned wheat thins.

Muffy's Marks said...

I can't believe anyone would hate Triscuits, but my husband does. I absolutely love them. So we are always having cracker wars!!! He likes boring old Ritz!!! Bleah!

Unknown said...

Thanks so much for explaining how triscuits are made! I love Triscuits ... I always go back to the original but am enjoying exploring the new flavors.

georgia little pea said...

Gosh, you really like this stuff. Must admit I've never done research on how any of my snacks are made. "Baked by electricity" priceless!

June said...

Georgia and Typist, don't be too impressed with my "research." It consisted of Googling "Triscuits" and choosing that portion of an article that I found. Click on the link (the article's title) and you can learn EVEN MORE!!!! :-P

Barb said...

Sorry, but I now crave Wheat Thin Flatbreads.

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

They all sound alarmingly healthy , until you put the cheese or hummus on , that is !
Conservative as ever , I like rye crispbreads for cheese ( sadly , low-fat these days ) and carrot sticks or a baked potato for hummus . Alas , with any sort of cracker at all , it's difficult to stop at one .

June said...

Yes, alarmingly healthy until the toppings . . . or unless you're allergic to wheat or gluten... Both of those allergies seem to be growing in numbers of sufferers. What next!

Tom said...

Hey, Muffy ... I'm with your husband! What's wrong with Ritz?!?

Carolynn Anctil said...

I'm familiar with Triscuits. We have them here, too. I'm not a fan of them though. I think it's an acquired taste.

rachel said...

Although they look very odd, like squashed Shreddies, I think I would like them very much....

Hilary said...

I like them too.. which is why I don't buy them. They wouldn't last. ;)

Friko said...

A bit like our crispbreads, maybe. Or thins. Triscuits are not available here.

All it means is thrice baked.

Morning Bray Farm said...

Well, I'll be. I love the things and it never occurred to me to research their history. :)

My favorites are the roasted garlic and garden herb. I've been seeing a new dill variety at the store these last couple of times but haven't bought them yet (dill just seems so much more of a summer herb to me).

June said...

Just so you don't think I'm . . . quirky . . . I don't normally go investigating the manufacturing processes of snack foods. I was just looking for a description of the things for the people across the pond who didn't know what Triscuits were.