[fatbelly]

If this was 200 years ago my family would now be facing a long hard winter with little food.  :cry:

Its my first full year and I have run out of Main crop spuds, Broc, Cabbage, Carrots, Peas, Beans, Sweetcorn. I am down to my last few swedes, but my parsnips and Spouts will last until Christmas.

Next year I need to sow more maincrop spuds, and succession sow everything else. In summer I had a massive glut and didn't have the foresight to freeze that glut. Also I will increase the space allocated to crops like Swede which in winter we use a lot of.

On a better note just bought some seeds from Wilkos on offer for next season for 19p a packet with a use by date of 2011.

[Trillium]

If it makes you feel better, 200 yrs ago you would be regularly growing enough to feed your family with both the knowledge (since birth) and garden space. It was a way of life back then rather than a hobby or small luxury and a very definite 'must know'.  

[richyrich7]

Yes Trilliums right a complete different way of life, we have been coerced away from feeding ourselves etc and become totally dependent on retail.

That's progress ........ apparently  :roll:

[Jodie A]

Hedgerow living was also useful in those days.  Sometimes I think the fact that we have the big supermarkets to fall back on to if the crops go pear shaped makes us a little more complacent in the amounts we grow, store, preserve etc.

Note to self: must learn more about bottling veg.

[Trillium]

Note to self: must learn more about bottling veg.

I've been doing that all my married life and friends thought I was a bit barmy going to all that trouble when the grocery shops were so close. With the projected recession approaching, I'm no longer considered barmy, but rather 'thinking ahead'. Regardless, I've always preferred our home bottled food to the store stuff, which is most cases is over priced and tasteless by comparison.

[Jodie A]

I'm a bit worried with beans, as everyone over a certain age, ie 20 years older than me , says they are good, but very salted to preserve them.

any idea how they taste when you plan to crack open a kilner jar?  do you soak them first, if so, how long? to get rid of the saltiness?

[crowndale]

I guess it depends on what beans you're preserving but I'd have thought drying them would prevent the salt problem.  I really must start preserviing stuff better too.  I tend to eat all the soft fruit as it ripens but end up eating far more than I need to that way and then have none left to eat in winter.  must get myself a bigger freezer, but where to put it?!

[LivvyW]

Fatbelly,

Last year i made the same promise to myself, and this is what i have for the winter

In the store cupboard ... blackberry jelly, honey, semi-dried tomatoes in herb oil, onions, dried chillies, dried lemon thyme, sage, oregano, mint sugar,

In the freezer ...roast garlic tomatoe puree/sauce, peas, gooseberries, redcurrents, raspberries.

In the garden...leeks, parsnips, brussels sprouts, PSB.  Oh and eggs!

I'm impressed with my list, to be fair, not everything is in large enough quantities but the satisfaction is fantastic!!

I'm already making my plan to increase my hoard for next year.

Would love to find out what people have hoarded, to pick up a few ideas.