1800s Backcountry Homesteads: Most Important Crop/Food Staple

By Cade Shadowlight

Picture yourself on a remote 1850s homestead, miles from the nearest trading post. One crop failure could spell starvation for your family. What crop would you bet your survival on?

Not wheat. Not corn. Not even beans.

Root Crops!

The undisputed king of the 1800s backcountry diet? Root crops: turnips, rutabagas, beets, parsnips, carrots, potatoes, onions, and lesser-known gems like black salsify (the "oyster plant" with its seafood-like flavor, more common in the 1800s). 

Here's why roots reigned supreme:

• Very filling (high carb, high fiber, prevents hunger)
• Reliable, easy-to-grow (crop failures can mean starvation and even death to homesteaders in the 1800s)
• Highly productive (insane yields fed families for months)
• Nutrition packed (vitamins A, C, potassium, antioxidants) 
• Simple, easy food storage methods (root cellars, drying, and pickling) 
• Endless prep options (baked, boiled, mashed, stews, soups, fried) 

Black Salsify roots

The #2 Heavy Hitter: Winter Squash

Squashes, particularly winter squashes with their thicker skins, are probably the second most important staple on the 1800s homestead. The thick skins of winter squashes mean that they store very well in root cellars. Summer squashes, with their thinner skins, do not store well in root cellars, but can be pickled for long-term storage.

Reliable Runners-Up 

Beans and peas are another popular 1800s homestead staple because they are a relatively reliable crop, highly productive, and easily dried for long-term storage. Seed-saving, important on the backcountry homestead, is also very easy with beans and peas (as well as squashes) which is another factor in their favor. 

Of course, a typical 1800s homestead also grows a wide variety of other crops, such as cabbages, tomatoes, and corn. However, when push came to shove in an 1800s winter, root crops were the difference between thriving and dying. 

What root crops do you grow in your garden? 

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