The Grocery Store

HINT: I hope you have a green thumb

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, listeners. I can't thank you enough for stopping by
for this episode of What We Did Before, a podcast
dedicated to all those things in our day to day
that are so easy to take for granted, but the
instant that they're gone, we basically don't know what to

(00:20):
do with ourselves some things. If they fail, I just
curl up in a ball in a dark room and
go to sleep. Wait for somebody to wake me up.
Tell me it's better. No, it's not quite that bad,
but you get the idea. To day's episode is dedicated

(00:43):
to the modern day grocery store. I just went into
the kitchen for some lunch and ran out of all
kinds of things. Fortunately, it's a quick hop in the car,
and just a couple of minutes down the road on
the corner is a store that has just about any
and everything that I want, even things that I didn't

(01:07):
know that I wanted. Without even making a list, I
can fill up a cart, be on my merry way,
and be stocked with provisions for whatever is in store
for me. Next. What did we do before this modern

(01:28):
day invention? Well, folks, it wasn't pretty. Most households had
to maintain their own kitchen garden. You had to grow
staples like potatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage, and tomatoes if you

(01:51):
wanted those things. Gardens were often divided into sections for
root vegetables, leafy greens, and herbs. Many families also planted
companion crops like corn, beans, and squash. These are known
as the three sisters in Native American agricultural practices to

(02:11):
improve soil health and deter pests. If you want some fruit,
I would suggest having some trees in the backyard, a
couple apple trees, pear tree, maybe a plum tree. These
were all common. If you wanted berries well well, raspberries

(02:33):
and strawberries grow great along fences. Grape Vines often climb
arbors provide both shade and fruit. Larger farms cultivated grains
like wheat, corn, and barley. These were either processed at
home or taken to a local mill. Farmers often saved

(02:57):
seeds for the best crops for the next planting season,
ensuring continued harvests without relying on commercial seed sources. If
you wanted eggs, you better keep some chickens. Goats were
good for milk and well. I love bacon, so I've

(03:19):
got to have some pigs in the backyard. All of
these things were common family pets. Cows were more common
for larger families or small farms. Animal waste was composted
used as fertilizer, creating a sustainable cycle. Seasonal chores like plowing, planting,

(03:43):
and harvesting dictated the rhythm of life, with entire families participating.
Children often had their own garden plots to tend, teaching
them essential skills from an early age. Four. Other meats
and game hunting and fishing was essential. Deer, rabbits, birds

(04:07):
all provide meat. You can find fish in rivers and lakes,
not just a grocery store. These activities were both sustenance
as well as recreation, with skills passed down through generations.
Communities often had designated hunting seasons to avoid overhunting and

(04:28):
to preserve wildlife. This practice ensured sustainable populations of game animals.
Fish were caught using nets, traps, or fishing lines, while
hunters used bows, muzzle loaders, or early firearms. In coastal regions.
Shellfish like clams, oysters, and mussels were also harvested. Hunters

(04:53):
often preserved excess meat by drying, smoking, or salting. It,
creating jerky salt pork that could last for months. As
for anything else, well, you could forage for wild plants, berries, nuts,
mushrooms were collected from nearby forests and meadows. This practice

(05:15):
required deep knowledge of local flora to distinguish edible plants
from poisonous ones. Popular foraged foods include dandelion, greens, wild garlic, blackberries, elderberries,
and hazel nuts. Acorns were sometimes leeched for tannins and
ground into flour. Knowledge of what was safe to eat

(05:36):
was passed down through generations. Foraging walks were common, often
led by elders with expertise. Some communities relied heavily on
foraging during lean seasons, especially in early spring, before gardens
yielded fresh produce. Bartering and trading were always good ways
of exchanging goods rather than using money. A farmer mic

(05:59):
trade eggs and butter for flour or fabric. Craftsmen traded tools, pottery,
or textiles for food. Rural communities relied heavily on bartering,
especially if they were far from towns with stores. Social
connections often facilitated fair exchanges. Barter Markets were common gathering

(06:21):
places where people not only traded goods, but also shared
news and strengthened community bonds. Local farmers sold fresh produce, meat,
and dairy, and town squares or designated market spaces called
farmers markets. These markets were often weekly events, drawing crowds
from surrounding areas. Markets often occurred weekly, and vendors sold

(06:44):
everything from seasonal fruits to freshly baked bread. Honey, preserves,
and handmade goods were also popular. Market days were social events,
with people exchanging recipes, farming tips, and community news. Not
everything was available around like it is today. Fruits and
vegetables were preserved by sealing them in glass jars with

(07:06):
boiled water. Water Bath canning was common for high acid foods,
while pressure canning was used for low acid items. Pickling
involved submerging produce and vinegar brine. Popular items include cucumbers, beets,
and green beans. Some pickles were fermented, while others were

(07:26):
quick pickled or short term storage. Canned fruits like peaches
and apples were a treat during winter. Jams, Jellies and
preserves were also common, often sweetened with honey, with sugar
was scarce. Meat, fish and fruits, and herbs were all
air dried sun dried or hung near a fire to

(07:48):
remove moisture. Apples and peaches were sliced and dried on screens.
Smoking not only preserved meat but also added flavor. Hams, sausages,
and fish were commonly smoked. Hickory, oak, and apple wood
were popular smoking woods. Dried foods were stored in cloth sacks,
tin containers, or glass jars to protect them from pests.

(08:13):
Root cellars were underground storage spaces which maintained cool temperatures
year round. This was ideal for storing rude vegetables, apples,
and preserved goods. Ventilation helped control humidity levels. Shells held
canned goods, while bends stored potatoes, carrots, and onions. Crops
were often layered with sand or straw to prevent spoilage.

(08:37):
Families checked root sellers regularly, removing any spoiled items to
resent the spread of rot. Meat was heavily salted to
prevent spoiliage. Fish, pork, and beef were common candidates for salting.
Salted meat was soaked before cooking to remove excess salt.
Fermented foods like sauer kraut and kimchi were rich in

(08:59):
probiotics could last months Other fermented staples include pickles, yogurt,
and sourdough bread starters. If you were lucky, you had
an ice house. Ice was harvested from frozen lakes in winter,
stored in insulated buildings, and used throughout the year. Blocks
were cut with saws and hauled by sled. Blocks of

(09:20):
ice were packed with sawdust or straw to slow melting.
Ice houses were often located near ponds or rivers for
easy access. In warmer months. Ice was used to keep milk, butter,
and other perishables cool. You couldn't just go down to
your local store and good a loaf of bread let alone,

(09:41):
a sliced loaf of bread. Bread was baked at home,
usually once or twice a week, using flour, water, yeast,
and salt. Some families maintained sour dough starters, passed down
through generations. Families often had a designated bread baking day
and the aroma filled the house. Ovens were heated with wood,

(10:04):
and the temperatures were gaged by experience rather than thermometers.
Besides bread, households baked pies, biscuits, and cakes, often sweetened
with molasses or honey. Grain was ground using hand cranked
mills or taken to a local mill. Milling was often

(10:24):
a social activity, with farmers gathering while waiting for their grain.
Flour was often coarser than modern versions and stored in sacks.
White flour was a luxury, while whole grain flour was
more common. Folks, I don't know about you, but I

(10:46):
am exhausted just thinking about all that farming alone, milking cows,
baking bread. My goodness, what else did we used to
do other than eat? Thank you for joining me for
this episode of what we did before. Until next time.