Permacul Protein needs per day: about 16 medium potatoes a day for adult man or 12 medium potatoes for a woman.

[China Connection]

If you decide to grow vegetables to survive you need to consider your bodies protein needs. Potatoes are not too bad for protein but you need to eat about 16 medium potatoes a day for adult men or 12 medium potatoes for a woman.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

White potatoes are extremely versatile and contribute a range of key nutrients to your diet, including potassium, niacin, vitamin C and protein. Potatoes are a “complete protein”, which means they contain all 9 amino acids (the building blocks of protein) that the body needs. In fact, just one medium potato provides around 4 g of protein



How much protein do you need?
The National Health and Medical Research Council recommends that men up to age 70 eat 64g of protein per day to stay healthy, and women up to age 70 eat 46g (unless pregnant or breastfeeding).

Food in focus: potatoes

The humble spud - hugely versatile and a staple ingredient of many meals in one form or another. From boiled and mashed to chipped and baked, here’s why the ’naughty carb’ deserves a fair go. Read on…

www.sanitarium.com.au

.

 

[China Connection]

If you study men held in prison camps where food supplied results in malnutrition and death it usually comes down to a protein deficiency. Prisoners who can barter or access in some way things like eggs, rats and mice, cockroaches and fly maggots, garden worms etc get to survive.

Say you are a man! Can you see yourself growing 16 medium potatoes for every day of the year?

What happens when you can't eat enough? For one thing you can do very little work.

So if things get hard and food gets very expensive what are you going to do?

'

 

[West]

Here kitty, kitty.....

JK,

Really that's a lot of spuds! Can't stand eating more than one a day with a venison steak though and some greens.

Oats in the morning and spam(etc) for lunch sometimes.

Seems we do need a lot, need to follow this up with a plan, and stack more protein.

 

[abby normal]

Mental note: buy more peanut butter

 

[summerthyme]

Before the blight wiped out the potato crop in Ireland, Irish men survived and worked hard on @8# of potatoes a day plus a quart of milk. Apoarently, that's nearly a complete diet in terms of macro and micro nutrients.

Summerthyme

 

[China Connection]

The problem is, if we can't get or afford grain from a produce store then how does one feed chickens etc.

Even garden worms want protein. Fly maggots are also the same. Both worms and maggots feed on bacteria. Bacteria need nitrogen and sugars along with minerals.

If one gets to eat 100 grams of meat or eggs a day, one can get by say on greens and a bit of grain. Say 100 grams of rice plus some garden greens plus 100 grams of meat.

So it is more complex than most think it is to survive off a home garden.

 

[China Connection]

Milk/Protein Amount

33 g
Protein
Type
Breast milkEnsureMilk, 1% fatMilk, 2% fatMilk, 3.7% fatMilk, nonfatMilk, whole, 3.25% fatPowdered milk


Quantity
100 grams1 cup (244 g) 1 quart (976 g)

 

[China Connection]

One other thing to consider is oil needs. A quart of milk would take care of that off grass fed cows.

 

[Freeholder]

It's important to get your food from as wide a variety of sources as possible. This is good nutritionally, but it's also really important in case one food source (or two, or three, or four) fails. Like in Ireland, where the poorest people were dependent on potatoes and milk, and the potatoes failed. You don't want to be in that situation.

Kathleen

 

[China Connection]

There is a problem from getting your vegetables from as wide a variety of sources as possible. Most of them don't have much protein content and most don't offer a complete protein. Potatoes are a good vegetable source of protein but look at how much you need to eat. Most don;t have much oil content of the right type either.


So before one gets stuck think out how you can get your protein needs off your block and oil for that matter.

 

[Cardinal]

Once upon a time, chickens (and hogs) had to find their own food.
I have both banties (they are good at that) and Orpingtons (not so good)
and both types come to my door and crow and cackle til I give them treats.
Lazy buggers.

 

[China Connection]

I have Bantams currently. Including 9 babies that are growing fast.

If I let them out they are attacking my garden beds within a minute. Faster than superman.

So one has to feed them. For their size they eat a heap.

I am about to start trying to grow maggots on stuff I grow.

 

[West]

We had a small speckled mosty white bantum just show up in our free range flock.

Right now she has successfully hatched and raised 4 (out of 9)two+ month old chicks.

4 out of 9 ain't bad!

 

[Samuel Adams]

Oh, eat a walnut, already.



Stinging nettle (urtica) is quite high in protein, and can be sautéed like (even with) asparagus. It can be wilted in butter or bacon grease, or steamed, and enjoyed like spinach or collards.
A spritz of vinegar....

It can also be dried and used in soups and a nutrient-packed hot winter tea.

My favorite use of nettle is in cream, onion and potato soup. Killer.

Yeah. I’m a fan.

 

[China Connection]

Nettles - Friend or Foe
IN EDIBLE GARDENING, INVASIVE PLANTS, VEGETABLES
|BY SARAH MILLER

The hairy, dark green, finely toothed leaves are a real sign of winter. Although it is regarded as a weed by many and needs to be prevented from becoming invasive, I love this much maligned plant. It feeds the soil, plants, compost, hens and the humans in this household. It is an important component of my garden, and as Judith Collins says, it is valuable in any organic garden. This is because nettle is so nutritious, and beneficial to plant and human health.
Nettle is easily identified by the sting associated with its name, Stinging Nettle – and this sting is part of the reason why so few people grow and use it. Urtica dioica, U.urens and U.incise are the three most common forms of stinging nettle. The sting comes from the fluid in the small barb like hairs growing on the face of the leaves and the stem. It is a painful sting but will usually go away after a few minutes. More instant relief can be given by rubbing the juice of the nettle plants itself on the affected part, but doing this may involve a few more stings. The most common remedy is the leaf of the dock plant- which naturally grows quite near the nettle. According to folk tales one should also say the following charm while rubbing the leaf slowly over the sting,
“Nettle in dock out
Dock rub nettle out” 1
This charm may have been a mnemonic helping us to remember which plant actually alleviated the pain!
While the botanical name of the plant Urtica derives from the Latin root, uro – to burn, its common name nettle comes from the Anglo Saxon word noedle, or needle, pertaining to its use as thread and cloth. Fibres from the nettle plant were a very common thread in Germany and Scandinavian countries up to the beginning of the last century. Nettle was used to make anything from clothes, linen, sails and even sheets. Nowadays we have forgotten many of the uses of this plant but only a few centuries ago, nettle was considered one of the most important fibres along with flax and hemp2. So those who like to experiment with eco-fashion could consider a nettle dress! Nettle can produce green and yellow dyes.
An Ideal Companion Plant
Nettle really is a phenomenal plant. Judith Collins author of the highly recommended, Companion Gardening in Australia (working with Mother Nature) lists stinging nettle as her favourite companion plant. She states “it improves the health of fruit trees and vegetables generally.” 3 It can be used as a companion plant in the vegetable garden, and is also an invaluable plant in the making of compost tea as it contains an abundance of iron, copper, phosphorous, and potassium.
Nettle tea for the garden
Fill ½- 3/4 of a large bucket with nettle leaves
Fill the rest of the bucket with water
Leave to stand for 1 week
Dilute 1 part nettle mix to 10 parts water
This nettle tea can be given readily to any of your plants. The benefit of nettle and other “compost teas” is that the vitamins and minerals are readily available to the plants. It feeds the soil while giving a really quick boost to plants since nutrients can be absorbed almost immediately.
Nettle tea is also recommended for you and me! It is a nourishing and nurturing tonic for the entire system4. With all the iron it contains, it is also a useful drink for menstruating women, and Susan Weed (yes that is her name) recommends nettle tea for all menopausal women. 5 So what are you waiting for, go and grab yourself a cup of nettle tea.
It really is a matter of gathering a large bunch of leaves and flowers (if present) using gloves of course. Place leaves in a plunger or pot and pour boiling water over and infuse for 5 minutes. Simple!
Nettle has quite a mild taste and can be mixed with other more aromatic leaves if you prefer. Given the goodness of the plant I also cook with nettles. One of my favourite recipes, Nettle and Buckwheat pancakes comes from the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program at my children’s school, East Bentleigh Primary. This is an easy recipe you can make with the kids, and the pancakes are still delicious with maple syrup or any of your favourite pancake toppings but will be packed with the benefits of nettle including chlorophyll, proteins, Vitamins A, C and D, and of course all the minerals already mentioned above.
Nettle and Buckwheat Pancakes
1-1.5 cups of nettle leaves
I cup plain flour (can substitute gluten free flour)
6 tablespoons of buckwheat flour
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
3 cups milk
60 g butter melted and cooled
Half fill a saucepan with lightly salted water and bring to the boil.
Using tongs – drop in nettle leaves and swish for a minute
Drain nettles , and squeeze out excess moisture
Chop roughly
Sift flours and salt into a bowl
Lightly whisk together egg, milk and 40 g of butter
Make a well in the centre and tip in milk mixture
Using a whisk mix mixture together to form a batter
Stir in chopped nettle and leave to stand for 20 minutes
Heat a crepe pan over medium heat and brush its base with butter
Using a ladle tip in 2 tbps of crepe batter and swirl to cover base of pan.
Leave for a minute till lightly browned then flip over
Cook for 30 sec to a minute and then slide off pan.
Continue with rest of batter
Spread with desired topping and eat!
Thankfully, the use of nettle in culinary dishes is gaining in popularity. Mrs Grieves’, masterful A Modern Herbal, notes that nettle ‘is one of the few wild plants still gathered each spring as a wild herb by country folk’. She provides recipes for Nettle Pudding, Nettle Beer and Spring Greens. Another great recipe, Nettle Soup is adapted from Vegetable Love and is a simple yet delicious meal6. Please note, when cooking with them, you need to plunge the leaves in boiling water for a minute to remove the sting.
Nettle Soup
2 tbsp butter with dash of olive oil
120 grams of nettle leaves
½ cup of water
3 medium sized potatoes- peeled and diced
1.5 quality stock cubes or stock of your choice!
salt and pepper
Melt the butter and oil in a pot. Add the nettles and cook stirring for 5 mins
Add 1/2 cup of water- and simmer for 10 mins
Add potatoes and stock bring to a boil
Simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
Add salt and pepper to taste
Blend in a food mill, or blender
Serve hot
Growing Conditions

Nettle prefers deep loamy soils and if you want nettles for making cloth, such conditions are really important. I have found nettles will grow and self-seed in my generally poor and sandy soils. But the plants are definitely happiest when I pop them into the veggie patch with sun and rich soil. Do be mindful that these plants can spread, and it is advised not to let them go to seed or grow them in a pot – I generally keep mine under control by regularly cutting back the plants for use in my cooking, gardening, and tea or by transplanting or pulling it out. This season I transplanted some seedlings next to the broccoli and cabbages. And this broccoli has much more vigour than the two plants without nettle.
References

1. In Mrs Grieves, A Modern Herbal, Tiger Books, 2005.
2. Mrs Grieves, ibid.
3. Judith Collings, Companion Gardening in Australia, Lothian books, 2005.
4. Nettles are considered by herbalists as one of the best general tonic for the whole body, as they are so full of goodness.eg David Hoffman, Susan Weed, Mrs Grieves.
5. Susan Weed, www.susanweed.com
6. Barbara Kafka, Vegetable Love, Artisan Books, 2005.

Text and photos: Sarah Miller
Sarah Miller runs women’s dance and drumming circles and is a keen gardener, and community activist. She is co-founder of the Bentleigh Farmers’ Market and is passionate about local produce.

Nettles as food and tea | Sustainable Gardening Australia

How to grow stinging nettles and make use of their nutrient value. Recipes for nettle tea and nettle pancakes. How to prevent their unwanted spread as weeds

www.sgaonline.org.au

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How to Grow Stinging Nettle | Gardener's Path
gardenerspath.com › plants › herbs › grow-stinging-net...

Jump to Quick Reference Growing Guide - How to Grow. A very hearty plant, this herb will do well in a variety of climates and conditions. It can grow...
‎What Is Stinging Nettle? · ‎Medicinal Use and Herbal ... · ‎Propagation · ‎How to Grow


.

 

[Samuel Adams]

Nettle ?

Foe ?

Watch your tongue, young man !!

 

[moldy]

Nettle is a fabulous plant. One word of warning....it is VERY drying. Add root veggies to stew or marshmallow root to taste to even it out.

 

[China Connection]

In various studies, dried nettles have been shown to contain between 25 and 42 percent protein—making them one of the best-known green vegetable sources of protein. They're also rich in calcium, magnesium, and zinc, and contain high levels of potassium, selenium, and other minerals, as well as vitamins B, C, and A.
A Wealth of Nettle Benefits - Plant Profile - Mother Earth Living

 

[hummer]

Thanks for all the info CC.

 

[China Connection]

Stinging Nettles: The Edible Weed That Tastes Like Spinach, Is Healthier Than Broccoli, And Is Easily Tamed
Written by: Steve Nubie Off-Grid Foods 5 Comments Print This Article



Image source: Pixabay.com

From Russia across Europe to the United Kingdom, stinging nettles are enjoyed in soups, stews and as an ingredient in everything from pasta to pesto. The nettles also make an excellent tea, but regardless of the recipe you need to apply a bit of caution and common sense when harvesting and preparing stinging nettles.
Of course, stinging nettles also are found in yards and fields throughout the United States and North America.
It’s hard for many people in North America to understand the popularity of stinging nettles in Europe. There are a few good reasons why Europeans consider them a regular part of their diet:

• Stinging nettles can be harvested in early spring, long before other green, leafy vegetables show up.
• They grow like weeds and grow just about anywhere, making them easy to find, and they’re free.
• They are commonly found in grocery stores and markets in Europe, but rarely if ever in grocery stores in the US.
• They are a long-established part of European culinary traditions and culture.

Here’s the point: Don’t be put off by the name. They can be incorporated easily into many recipes if handled and prepared properly.
Once the leaves of a stinging nettle have been exposed to hot liquid for a couple of minutes or finely chopped in a food processor, the needles and stinging chemicals are neutralized and they’re safe to eat. They are often used as a substitute for spinach, and, in fact, have a taste similar to spinach with cucumber flavor notes. There are numerous vitamins in them, from vitamin A to vitamin C to vitamin K. (In fact, they have more vitamin A, fiber, iron, calcium and magnesium than broccoli – although broccoli does have more vitamin C). Nettles have a surprising 25 percent protein content, and they’re known to be a natural blood thinner and diuretic. They’re also high in iron and have a similar nutritional profile to other green, leafy vegetables like kale and spinach.
Learn How To Make Powerful Herbal Medicines, Right in Your Kitchen!

Image source: Pixabay.com
So, what makes a stinging nettle sting? The leaves, leaf buds and parts of the stem on a stinging nettle are lined with small, hollow filaments that contain a variety of chemical compounds, including formic acid. When the filaments come in contact with the skin, they break off like tiny needles and cause a stinging, burning sensation. That’s why the standard recommendation of harvesting include gloves, long sleeves and pants. Scissors are usually used to trim the leaves and leaf buds from the plant, and they are typically collected in plastic bags.
Recognizing Stinging Nettles
Stinging nettles have a unique, heart-shaped leaf with serrations along the leaf edge. They are typically a deep green and are often harvested in the spring and early summer. Once they flower, they develop some hard deposits that some believe will irritate the urinary tract. If in doubt about a plant, you can always run your finger along a leaf from the tip to leaf stem. If it stings, you’ve found a stinging nettle. Hopefully you only have to do this once or twice as you familiarize yourself with the plant.
Cures for a Sting
It’s inevitable that you’ll get stung if you regularly collect stinging nettles. Common remedies include the external application of apple cider vinegar, a paste of baking soda and water, over-the-counter sprays like Bactine or Solarcaine, aloe vera, ice cubes and cold water.
Initial Prep for Stinging Nettles
Most recipes for stinging nettles recommend an initial preparation step that involves immersing the nettle leaves in lightly boiling water, broth or sautéed in butter or oil for at least 2 minutes up to 5 minutes. The leaves are then squeezed dry for addition to some recipes, or left in the broth for a soup or stew. Some people simply add the raw nettles to a food processor but I prefer blanching them for at least 2 minutes before any food-processor step.
Countless recipes for stinging nettles can be found on the Internet, and we’ll feature some of them here, but a basic rule of thumb is that any green, leafy vegetable or herb can be substituted with the leaves of the stinging nettle. Examples include replacement of basil with stinging nettles leaves in a pesto, or any recipe that calls for collard greens, kale, spinach, mustard greens and others. You can even make a green pasta with a processed paste of nettles leaves and flour. What’s important is to precede any usage of nettles with the initial preparation step in gently boiling water or hot oil.
Nettle Pesto
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup of blanched nettle leaves
• ½ cup of nuts (pine nuts or your choice or mixed nuts)
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of pepper
• ¾ cup of grated parmesan cheese
• ½ cup of olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Image source: Pixabay.com
Add all of the ingredients except the olive oil to a food processor and pulse until the nettles are a smooth paste. Drizzle the olive oil into the processor while it’s running. You can add more oil to the consistency you like. Use to top pasta or any other dish that calls for pesto.
Nettle Soup with Noodles
(Makes four one cup servings)
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 medium onion chopped
• 3 carrots sliced
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 cups of fresh, raw nettles
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 1 cup of rotini or other spoon-sized noodles

DIRECTIONS:
Sauté the onion and carrots in a saucepan in the olive oil for about three minutes or until the onions are translucent. In a separate sauce pan, bring water to a boil and cook the noodles. Deglaze the carrots and onions in the other pan with the chicken broth and bring to a gentle boil. Add the fresh nettle leaves and simmer for four minutes. Strain the noodles and add to the soup broth. Serve with crusty bread.
Nettle Greens with Bacon
(Serves 4)
INGREDIENTS:

• 6 slices of bacon
• 4 cups of water
• 6 cups of fresh nettle leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Fry the bacon until crisp and drain on paper towels. Reserve the bacon drippings in the frying pan. While frying the bacon, bring four cups of water to a boil and add the nettle leaves and cook at a gentle boil for four to six minutes. Drain the leaves and try to press out some of the moisture and toss in the warm bacon drippings. Serve on a platter and sprinkle crumbled bacon over the top.
If you’ve never tried stinging nettles before, this may be the year to give them a try.
Do you eat stinging nettles? What advice would you add? Share your tips in the section below:
Harness The Power Of Nature’s Most Remarkable Healer: Vinegar

Stinging Nettles: The Edible Weed That Tastes Like Spinach, Is Healthier Than Broccoli, And Is Easily Tamed - Off The Grid News

From Russia across Europe to the United Kingdom, stinging nettles are enjoyed in soups, stews and as an ingredient in everything from pasta to pesto. The nettles also make an excellent tea, but regardless of the recipe you need to apply a bit of caution and common sense when harvesting and...

www.offthegridnews.com