The Hungry Gap

I'm just gonna leave that here, in case anyone is not familiar with the term:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungry_gap

At the end of winter in the temperate climate (esp cold temperate), there's this awkward period, when nothing grows yet, but the food from last year's crop is diminishing to almost zero. That period is know as "the hungry gap" (and by the way, it's not a coincidence that the Christian lent is during that period).

Nowadays basically no one in a developed nation knows about that period, because food is abundant year around. Still, knowing the traditions and customs of the past could help us to better prepare for the future.

In early winter and even up to midwinter there's food on the trees still. Like medlars!

They need the freezing temperatures in order to start the process of bletting. So it's best to just leave them on the tree and if it's not some weird abnormal warm winter, usually about New Years and well into January the medlars are ready to eat.

There are certain varieties of apples as well that don't readily drop their ripe fruit. That helps the fruit to stay on the tree and with winter apples, freezing temperatures don't destroy the fruit. Like those prime specimens in mid-January after 2 weeks of -10C temperatures.

You can see how many are still hanging on the tree, even though the are a few dozen kilos on the ground, after a winter storm.

Another crop that's considered a winter staple and could be stored in the ground if the temperature is not permanently below -10C and the ground is frozen solid for extended periods of time (which is somewhat mitigated by a 20 cm straw mulch) is turnip, as well as radish.

There's also kale that doesn't really grow much in winter, but can be harvested until the heavy snows and really cold weather sets it, usually in February, when even the kale dies back to the root and sometimes the whole plant. Along with it green garlic and some other cold tolerating leafy greens can be picked but at some point after mid winter there's not much left outside in the garden!

So that leads us to the main plant food that can be found outside in the garden after mid winter and even into spring ... (drumroll) ... Helianthus tuberosus!

Known lovingly as fartlumps or sunroot, the Jerusalem Artichoke can be harvested from early October to early May. I've dug out buckets of sunchokes from under a foot of snow and from frozen ground - perfect quality. No need for indoor storage or special conditions of refrigeration or canning. Stores perfectly where it grows. Good eating raw, grated, steamed, but excellent oven roasted and lacto-fermented similar to sauerkraut or kimchi with the added probiotic bonus.

If push comes to shove, that's one of the very few foods in our climate that can save you from starvation with 0 requirements. Sure, if you have canned food and full freezer and dry meats and fruit and nuts, that's the best. But in the context of that blogpost, I'm looking for plant foods in the garden that do not require any technological input or processing or special storage, stuff that will be very helpful if (or when) the SHTF.

We've dug more than 50 kilos from a small 5 square meter patch in our garden. It's easy to imagine how a slightly bigger grown in the wild patch and just slightly cultivated could provide for numerous families. And even though we do shop in the supermarket, everything the garden provides is immensely healthier and adds to our resilience.

Especially if it helps us bridge the hungry gap!