Winter shortage of veg

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64729317

I expect most of you have heard that supermarkets are struggling to source tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and more because of extreme weather in Spain & Morocco. For example, Asda, has restricted sales of lettuce, salad bags, broccoli, cauliflowers and raspberry punnets to three per customer, along with tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. 

The UK also gets some produce at this time of year from domestic growers and the Netherlands. But farmers in both countries have cut back on their use of greenhouses to grow winter crops due to higher electricity prices.

Tim O'Malley, managing director of Nationwide Produce, one of the UK's largest fresh food producers, said British carrots, parsnips, cabbages and cauliflower had been affected by the poor weather. He said on Tuesday that there may be price rises as a result of the shortages in the coming weeks.


When I read this news, it makes me all the more determined to grow more of my own food and only eat seasonally. 

Like Bren, I have plenty of lettuce and "salad bags", and raspberries in the freezer. However, I must try harder on the winter veg production for next year.

Veggie I’m the same I need to give more space to winter veg, just now I only have kale, JA’s, chard and assorted lettuce growing.
I used the last of the parsnips today.

Plenty of frozen, French beans, roasted toms, spinach, peppers, raspberries then apple purée/slices/juice.

I don’t buy Toms or cucumbers they’re a disappointment after growing my own.

I don't buy toms & cues either. Prefer to wait until I can pick my own. Absence makes the heart grow fonder or summat.

I was surprised to hear these reports as (last week anyway) there are currently no shortages here. It may be different come Friday of course! 
We don't buy out of season veg so I may just not have noticed, but there were certainly no empty shelves. I find this reliance on unsustainable production and importation so crazy in the face of the climate crisis. And so much winter veg is so tasty 

To me it just brings home the belief I should be eatng more seasonally. Who needs tomatoes in February! The knock on effect will be that tinned tomatoes and suchlike will go up in price and numpties will start hoarding!
We won'tbe able to buy seeds for stuff soon as Veggie will have bought them all!

Don't worry about seeds, Vinny. I always have some to spare for friends.

On the back of the reported shortages, a member of the government suggested yesterday that Turnips could be a suitable alternative whilst tomatoes and cucumbers are in short supply. It seems that what they were trying to convey was, that we should be eating seasonal UK produce and supporting our own farmers. Whilst I agree with that sentiment, they might have done better suggesting carrots, not turnips. (Reminds me of Baldrick!). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD2iYSKHHzo

I've lost count of the number of seed retailers who are promoting turnip seeds today.
How many of us grow turnips? I've tried several times but can't say they are my favourite veg - maybe because I don't grow them very well and they end up the size of large radish.

I very nearly sowed some turnips yesterday. It had nothing to do with what ever the government might be advising.  I like turnips with a roast dinner. Not really done anything else with them. But the same could be said about several of the veg I eat.

You can never go wrong with a bit of black adder   .

"Let them eat cake, sorry, turnips"

How about Chinese Turnip Cake, Vinny? https://www.ohmyfoodrecipes.com/turnip-cake/

Only problem is...............its made with radish.