So. Hungry gap and self reliance. How is it going now, ten years into my blog, and eight years into my allotment?
Recall the hungry gap is when the winter stores have run out but the new season harvests haven't begun. I first wrote about it in 2018 and have touched on it a few times since. Is the hungry gap a thing any more? It was for generations past, certainly. For us? Well, I have more storage options than just a root cellar and some pickle crocks; here's what I still have in my stores, of which most but not all is from 2025-2026:
- One large squash
- Several large bags of frozen tomatoes, leeks, squash puree, broccoli greens, and a few small bags of various berries
- Many jars of dehydrated cabbage, parsnip, swede, zuc, carrot, tomatoes, and quite a few small jars of dried figs
- Several jars of beets pickled in vinegar
- Several litres of kimchi and sauerkraut (mainly shredded kohlrabi/turnip/beet combination)
- A few jars each of apples and plums
- A couple gallons of fruit wine
- A basket of unshelled almonds
Now eating fresh:
- Purple sprouting broccoli and greens (close to finishing)
- Lettuce
- Herbs: rosemary, sage, parsley, mint, chives
- Chard
Taken together we still have a good variety of veg to eat until summer production begins, but if we were relying on fresh only, our meals would be very limited. Having grown so much last year meant I could put away a significant portion into my storage, intended for just this time: the hungry gap.
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