So what happens when the grocery stores are gone and all your food has been confiscated. (for the greater good, of course) Then you gather up some food that nobody knows about.
Today’s example are sunchokes. They do well with poor soil and neglect. There is one big potential downside to sunchokes. If you plant them once you’ll always have them. When I did up the tubers I take all I can find. Whatever little bits of root that get left behind are enough to them to all come back. I knew what I was getting into so I’m fine with this.
Unlike potatoes you don’t have to dig them all up at the end of the season. In fact, they don’t really keep all that well when you do that. If I am going to store some in the house I’ll slice them thin, blanch them and dehydrate. They add a nice turnipy flavor to soups and stews.
However, there are plenty still in the ground. I could shovel snow off garden. Then dig up the tubers from the frozen ground with a pick, and they’d be perfectly fine to eat.
-Sixbears
A good suggestion. Like beans they do take some gut adjustment when you first get serious about eating them.
ReplyDeleteThey are fairly low calorie per cup (110 cal) and low protein per cup (3 gm) so I suggest growing potatoes and beans also. They are excellent companion plants to grow together and while not a complete protein a dab or squirrel once or twice a week will fix that.
Always good to eat now what you plan on eating if things get "Collectivized for the greater good". New foods under stress isn't a fun thing.
If you cook them long on a low heat they are more digestible. Good point about eating survival foods now as part of your normal diet. It also gives you time to try different dishes to see what you like.
DeleteIf your family can eat potatoes a nice emergency seed in a cool dark place, I've found these viable for two years,
ReplyDeletePark Seed Clancy F1 Pelleted Potato Seeds
I've done the store sprouted potato thing and most of the time it works well enough, but disease is a concern.