LMonty
Advisory Board, Administrator, In Memoriam
I love lettuce and spinach salads fresh from the garden- they are just awesome, I grow as much of it as ai can eat,. with exptra to share.
But, if TSHTF, one of the last things I'd grow would be lettuce. perhaps some for salads under tomatoes and other tall crops, as a "living mulch".
Because if things are grim, and the garden really needs to feed us instead of just being my mental therapy
, then the crops I will concentrate on are going to need to fullfill several requirements.
First-something I can and will eat. It wouldnt make much sense for me to grow Lima Beans-even though DH enjoys them occasionally- I'm allergic to them. So I need to concentrate on the foods we will like and eat.
Although some things will be eaten only in season, one other criteria is that its something I can preserve for the winter. I have a basement that stays around 60F, and I've learned I can store squash there for 6-8 months. Pretty good, huh? Many root crops will be stored there, like beets, carrots and celeriac. And of course, potatoes and onions.
Potatoes fit my definition of "Calorie crops". Many vegetables are actually fairly low calorie. Thats great now, while obesity is a major public health problem. But if your subsistence gardening becuse TSHHTF, then calorie crops will be important.
So consider growing grain. Its an important calorie crop. Corn is easy, and so is wheat. Oats are very simple, the straw from both are useful, and cornstalks have several uses too, besides generating "brown" matter for the compost pile. If you have any livestock, its going to be part of your program to feed and care for them.
Potatoes are a useful calorie crop because they can be coaxed into high production, they store easy, almost everyone eats them, and they are familiar. Sweet potatoes are an awesome choice also- they are one of the most nutritious foods out there! They store well, and can be easily cooked in a outdoor fire, roasted just like white potatoes.
Consider using the "three sisters" method of producing calorie crops. Corn, pole beans and winter squash. 3 crops on the same land. If you use all three together, anticipate the patch will be hard to walk through- Ive done this before, and leaned that its hard to harvest green beans this way. In fact, the first year I did this, the patch was a jungle-every time I ventured into it, I was afraid I'd get eaten by some vine inthere? (remember Little Shop of Horrors?
) so that year I learned that its better for me to chose short vined squash (pumpkins work well, too; sometimes they are forgotten when using this method.) and use a pole bean that is good green and also dried. there are several varieties that are stringless and equally useful as a green bean or soup bean.
Tomatoes are another essential to me- even though they dont count as a calorie crop, they are so useful and can be made into many things. The nutrient profile is good- they are high in vitamins and lycopene is great thing to eat, its apparently helpful in avoiding cancer and other problems. Even though they wont store well in my basement rootceller, they can extremely well- and I have stored canning jars and lids to last for years. Many of my garden goodies will get canned and frozen- I'll do both, because although I prefer freezing, the canned stock is imperitive if the electricity fails.
Corn- I learned something interesting- good old sweet corn dehydrates well! The kernels are much wrinkled than field corn, but thats normal for sweet corn (something to remember if you save your own corn seed- the more wrinkled the seed, the higher the sugar content). Its makes wonderful corn pudding, which is a treat if you've ever tried it- its a custard that really sticks to your ribs. Great comfort food! Comes out great using dehydrated eggs and canned or dry milks, so its a good bet for a long term ciris situation.
So, IMO; corn is one great calorie crop to grow for storage, as well as fresh eating! Add an inexpensive small can of ham to that recipe, and a small handful of dehydrated green beans or peas- baked together its a full, deliscious meal, one that will deliver much needed calories on a cold day. Or add a handful of dehydrated sweet corn to a soup or other casserole- up the calories and carbs on a cold day in winter. Sweet corn seed can also be ground for meal and flour. Flat breads are deliscious and easy to make, and tortillas are so useful- they can turn any leftovers into a sandwich. Some corn varieties are great parched- thats one thing I've never tried, but want to soon.
What calorie crops do you grow, and what tips do you have about them? How do you store them and what mistakes should we avoid?
But, if TSHTF, one of the last things I'd grow would be lettuce. perhaps some for salads under tomatoes and other tall crops, as a "living mulch".
Because if things are grim, and the garden really needs to feed us instead of just being my mental therapy
, then the crops I will concentrate on are going to need to fullfill several requirements. First-something I can and will eat. It wouldnt make much sense for me to grow Lima Beans-even though DH enjoys them occasionally- I'm allergic to them. So I need to concentrate on the foods we will like and eat.
Although some things will be eaten only in season, one other criteria is that its something I can preserve for the winter. I have a basement that stays around 60F, and I've learned I can store squash there for 6-8 months. Pretty good, huh? Many root crops will be stored there, like beets, carrots and celeriac. And of course, potatoes and onions.
Potatoes fit my definition of "Calorie crops". Many vegetables are actually fairly low calorie. Thats great now, while obesity is a major public health problem. But if your subsistence gardening becuse TSHHTF, then calorie crops will be important.
So consider growing grain. Its an important calorie crop. Corn is easy, and so is wheat. Oats are very simple, the straw from both are useful, and cornstalks have several uses too, besides generating "brown" matter for the compost pile. If you have any livestock, its going to be part of your program to feed and care for them.
Potatoes are a useful calorie crop because they can be coaxed into high production, they store easy, almost everyone eats them, and they are familiar. Sweet potatoes are an awesome choice also- they are one of the most nutritious foods out there! They store well, and can be easily cooked in a outdoor fire, roasted just like white potatoes.
Consider using the "three sisters" method of producing calorie crops. Corn, pole beans and winter squash. 3 crops on the same land. If you use all three together, anticipate the patch will be hard to walk through- Ive done this before, and leaned that its hard to harvest green beans this way. In fact, the first year I did this, the patch was a jungle-every time I ventured into it, I was afraid I'd get eaten by some vine inthere? (remember Little Shop of Horrors?
) so that year I learned that its better for me to chose short vined squash (pumpkins work well, too; sometimes they are forgotten when using this method.) and use a pole bean that is good green and also dried. there are several varieties that are stringless and equally useful as a green bean or soup bean.Tomatoes are another essential to me- even though they dont count as a calorie crop, they are so useful and can be made into many things. The nutrient profile is good- they are high in vitamins and lycopene is great thing to eat, its apparently helpful in avoiding cancer and other problems. Even though they wont store well in my basement rootceller, they can extremely well- and I have stored canning jars and lids to last for years. Many of my garden goodies will get canned and frozen- I'll do both, because although I prefer freezing, the canned stock is imperitive if the electricity fails.
Corn- I learned something interesting- good old sweet corn dehydrates well! The kernels are much wrinkled than field corn, but thats normal for sweet corn (something to remember if you save your own corn seed- the more wrinkled the seed, the higher the sugar content). Its makes wonderful corn pudding, which is a treat if you've ever tried it- its a custard that really sticks to your ribs. Great comfort food! Comes out great using dehydrated eggs and canned or dry milks, so its a good bet for a long term ciris situation.
So, IMO; corn is one great calorie crop to grow for storage, as well as fresh eating! Add an inexpensive small can of ham to that recipe, and a small handful of dehydrated green beans or peas- baked together its a full, deliscious meal, one that will deliver much needed calories on a cold day. Or add a handful of dehydrated sweet corn to a soup or other casserole- up the calories and carbs on a cold day in winter. Sweet corn seed can also be ground for meal and flour. Flat breads are deliscious and easy to make, and tortillas are so useful- they can turn any leftovers into a sandwich. Some corn varieties are great parched- thats one thing I've never tried, but want to soon.
What calorie crops do you grow, and what tips do you have about them? How do you store them and what mistakes should we avoid?
