Posted on 1.29.21
WINTER PANTRY: The Marvel That is The Onion
According to Wikipedia, "the onion also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. Its close relatives include the garlic, scallion, shallot, leek, chive, and Chinese onion.
"Onions are cultivated and used around the world…..They are pungent when chopped and contain certain chemical substances which irritate the eyes.
“...Traces of onions recovered from Bronze Age settlements in
"...Onions were used in Egyptian burials, as evidenced by onion traces found in the eye sockets of Ramesses IV.”
That could make a great song, “Your Onion Eyes Make Me Cry”
Over history onions have been believed to cure everything from oral sores and toothache to dog bites, lumbago and dysentery. (Hal)
"...Freshly cut onions often cause a stinging sensation in the eyes of people nearby, and often uncontrollable tears. This gas is produced by a chain of reactions which serve as a defense mechanism: chopping an onion causes damage to cells which releases enzymes called alliinases.
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WINTER PANTRY: A Thing or Two About Cabbage
Cabbage ( Brassica oleracea) is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is one of the “cole crops” closely related to broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, Savoy cabbage.
Wikipedia states that “Cabbage was most likely domesticated somewhere in
Firm-headed,green cabbage with smooth leaves is the most common but there are also crinkle-leafed kinds like savoy cabbage and also come in purple. Kitchen Stories looks at 11 members of the “cole” family which includes cabbage and how to use them. "The Ultimate Guide to Cabbage: 11 Varieties and How to Use Them."
It can be prepared many different ways for eating; they can be pickled,fermented, steamed, or eaten raw including using the leaves to make low-carb wraps.
And cabbage is a good source of vitamins and dietary fiber. WebMD says in an overview, “Half a cup of cooked cabbage has about a third the vitamin C you need for the day. It also gives you doses of fiber, folate, potassium, magnesium, vitamins A and K, and more”
YOUR WINTER PANTRY: Fruits and Vegetables
A great article on Ask A Prepper. practically wrote my introduction for me
“What does winter mean for your food supplies?
"Probably not much.
"You won’t see much locally-sourced fresh produce, but modern global supply networks can cope with that. If it’s too cold to grow fruit and vegetables locally they can simply be imported from warmer climates – that’s why you can buy oranges all year round.
"For the pioneers, facing harsh winters on the frontiers of the American West, things were very different. …. – even when the railways came along, without refrigeration there were still serious limits on what could be transported.”
from AskaPrepper.com
In World Wars I and II, the Great Depression and the Great Recession we saw scarcity and even rationing. As the COVID-19 pandemic illustrated that even in our times, transportation and production can be fragile and disrupted for either long or short periods or can be cyclical.
WHAT DID THEY STORE?
Below is a general list of what our ancestors could raise, barter for, gleen or buy to store to see them through hard times. In this path of exploration, we will discuss how we can stock and store all of these including wine!
- Meat & Fish
- Grains, beans, rice, sugar and other dry goods
- Fruit & Vegetables
- Lacto-Fermented Vegetables
- Nuts
- Hard Cheese and Eggs
- Wine, Beer, Cider
HOW
These main techniques are very similar today:
Pickling - Here we are defining pickling as the addition of acid in the form of vinegar. Almost anything was and is still pickled including a lot of types of vegetables, tomatoes, nuts, melons,and cherries.
Fermentation - One of the oldest forms of food preservation and ranges from making wine, beer and ciders, fermenting vegetables into natural pickles, kimchi, and sauerkraut. Fermentation is essential in making the hard cheeses made for storage.
Preserves -Utilizing the natural pectin in fruit or added pectin to create jams, jellies, or other gelled products.
Drying or dehydrating - is really just taking the moisture of the food to make it last longer. Supplies pioneers would dry included almost all fruits and vegetables they grew.. They either hung food by a fire or in warmer climates, out in the sun. One summer I built a small solar dehydrator and was able to dry some fruit successfully even here in
Salting - also removes moisture and creates a hostile environment for bacteria. Mostly used for meats. The excess sodium can’t always be removed so it can be hostile to us too. It is not used much now that we have alternatives like freezing and canning.
Smoking - as a preservation technique was mostly used for meat and fish. Has a lot in common with drying
Root cellars - Pioneers would dig a man made cave and place root vegetables, apples and pears and cabbages underground where they would stay about 50-60 degrees all year round.
As recently as the 1973 my Grandmother had a root cellar. I have a crawl space under a portion of my basement where I store some vegetables. And I am looking into the idea of building a small “ Trash Can Root Cellar”’ Here are links to an article on the type I am going to build:
Repackaging Dry Goods - Even before Costco folks would buy in bulk if they could. Bulk dry goods remain nutritious much longer if properly repackaged and stored in pest proof containers. But whether you have a root cellar or just a closet Backwoods Home has a great article on how to best store bulk dry goods like nuts, gains, and sugar.
Please check out the videos and articles We've done on onions, potatoes, and cabbage. They can be found here, in Posts of Interest, and on our You Tube Channel.
WINTER PANTRY: The Amazing Carrot Part 1
History, Storage and “Discover the power of Carrots”
Think about carrots and what do you see? If you are like me you may have an image of Bugs Bunny hopping into the picture carrying a bunch of longish orange cylinders with long stems and floppy leaves. But carrots originally came in purple, yellow, white and even a reddish hue and had a wider range of widths and lengths. There were no orange carrots until the 17th Century when Dutch farmers bred them from mutations of the yellow variety. Wild carrots are thought to have originally come from the area which is now
Today there are over 400 recognized cultivars in categories based on shape (
DIY Networks describes the categories of shape: What Are The Different Typed of Carrots?
Horticulture Magazine Online discusses the different colors: Edible Gardening - The Color of Carrots
Cleveland Clinic has an article with even more information on the different nutrients in each color by clicking on the color icon.
We’ll assume that you have already gotten your carrots for winter storage in any number of ways including growing your own, gleaning them, bartering, buying direct from farmers (CSA) or bulk buys. You have a lot of options for preserving and using them but unless you are fortunate enough to have a lot of time and help you will need to store some for a while, and have fresh carrots on hand for several months are always welcome.
Storing carrots short term. In a cool spot like a pantry they will keep 3-4 days. But they prefer to be cold and moist in the refrigerator in a perforated plastic bag in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator they will stay crisp 3-4 weeks.
If you grow your own or know someone who does you can Store carrots in the ground during cool winter months unless a freeze is expected; if frost is predicted and the roots can’t be protected, dig them up and store them elsewhere. You can also insulate them with a 10-12 inch-thick layer of hay, straw of leaves over the row. .
Quoting from HarvesttoTable.com, “Store carrots in a root cellar, basement or in a garage…store roots in a bucket or wooden box filled with either sand, peat moss, or sawdust..."
I love all kinds of museums and right now if it is online, even better., I’d like to introduce you to The World Carrot Museum, which is so renowned it is has an entry in the Library of Congress and Wikipedia. It covers every thing carrot from making musical instruments from carrots, Common Q & As, and a list of “Events around the World Which Celebrate the Wonderful Carrot.” BTW, International Carrot Day is April 4.
Be sure to see Carrots, Part 2 preserving methods and more recipes than you can shake a carrot at.
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The Many Ways to Preserve Them
Carrots are very versatile for preserving. Below is an overview of different ways and links to the source material for in depth information. Enjoy!
Freezing
Preparation
Select young, tender, coreless, medium length carrots. Remove tops, wash and peel. Leave small carrots whole. Cut others into thin slices, 1/4-inch cubes or lengthwise strips.
Water blanch small whole carrots 5 minutes, diced or sliced 2 minutes and lengthwise strips 2 minutes.
Cool promptly, drain and package, Seal and freeze.
Dehydrating: Carrot Pieces
- Wash carrots well.
- Trim carrots and peel or scrape
- Cut into 1/8" thick slices or cubes.
- Dry at 125° F for 6-10 hours or until dry and leathery.
Carrot Powder
Dried and powdered carrot has all the sweet flavor and nutrients of the vegetable in an easy-to-use form. Use it to thicken soups and stews, combine it with flour in baking mixes or use as a natural food coloring.
Carrot powder is also added to natural skin care preparations including body powders and facial clay masks. Infused into oils to make salves, lotions, soaps and other cosmetics. These products are often said to work well for mature or sun-damaged skin.
Here are carrot powder instructions from Excalibur Dehydrator, and from Herbco.
Water
The simple answer is "it depends."
As you may already know, there are two kinds of produce: those termed “acid foods” ( pH< 4.6), and “low-acid foods” (pH> 4.6).
Acid foods or acid added foods like pickles can be safely canned in a water bath canner because the acid weakens bacteria and a temperature of 212 F for a specified time will make the product safe to keep on the shelf, Low-acid foods like plain vegetables require the use of a pressure canner to achieve the 240-250 F temperature to make them safely home canned.
Carrot pickle and relish recipes from approved sources have the proper amount of vinegar added to make them safe for water bathing.
Plain carrots or in combination with other vegetables must be pressure canned.
Great article on Water Bath vs Pressure Canning
https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/general/recomm_canners.html
Pressure canning carrots
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