growing food underway

[inka]

i was wondering if any of you have experience with growing food underway, i guess sprouts and mushrooms would be easy, but there is even vegetables that don''t need deep soil. anyone?

[928frenzy]

I doubt there are many veggies or fruits that can take salt water, even if it''s only an occasional spray. :^(

~ Happy sails to you ~ _/) ~

[Billpjr]

When cruising, we did sprouts 100% of the time (approx 2 yrs) and it was easy. The hardest part was figuring out which bean you like the taste of best. We spouted them in a pan with towel over the top and set the pan on a quarterberth. Sprouting is sort of a mandatory thing if you are cruising in remote areas.

[Sasha_V]

There is a boat I met in Bundeburg, Australia that had a variety of salt-spray resistent grape-vine growing up the back-stay. (It is a Roberts Offshore 38, but actually nice looking)The pot was wired onto the side of the stay and had a little domed lid with a hole and a slit arrangement in it (I think he cannabalised an aftermarket paint-tin lid) and there was some bubblewrap stuffed around the stem to reduce the amount of salt that hit the soil. The plant itself was a very hardy variety that was bred for life in coastal vinyards and didn''t mind flying salt at all. The vine was a little over six feet tall when I saw it, and doing great.

It yeilded a lovely variety of nearly seedless red grapes (can''t remember what they were called) and provided vine leaves for various recipes that the skippers reek descended wife was fond of preparing.

It also made a great talking point at every marina.

He told me that he had "several" of these vines growing in pots at home and that he rotated them out every year or two (which allowed him to perform radical pruning, repotting and all those other gardeny things).

Not sure I want to take "Australia''s growing wine export business" quite so much to heart when we go cruising.

Folks should also be aware that if you are cartign growing vegetation and most especially soil and going international that Customs services around the place may let you wave your plant bye bye as they drop it over the side...
(certainly the case if you bring plants into Australia)

Sasha

[Sailormon6]

Sir Francis Chichester described, in one of his books, growing sprouts and, as I recall some small leafy veggies. He stretched a large piece of cheesecloth inside the boat and planted them in the cheesecloth. He misted them regularly with fresh water.

[GordMay]

SPROUTING:

Fresh sprouts can be a nutritious, delicious, fresh, and colourful addition to the cruisers’ larder. Sprouts provided the highest amount of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, etc. of any food per unit of calorie. Properly dried & clean sprouting seeds can be stored aboard (dry) for up to two years.

Common seeds for sprouting include Mung Beans (my favourite), Alfalfa, Fenugreek, Lentils, Peas, Radish, and Red Clover.

It’s as simple as 1-2-3:
1. Soak Put 1 to 4 tablespoons of seed in a wide mouth jar. Cover with mesh and secure with rubber band. Add water, swirl, and drain. Add 1 cup cool water and soak for 4 - 8 hrs.
2. Rinse Twice a day, refill jar with cool water, swirl, and drain. Invert jar and prop at angle in sink or bowl - and out of direct sunlight (Mung Beans prefer total darkness).
3. Enjoy In three to six days, when sprouts are 1 to 2"long (3 to 5cm) - enjoy!!!
4. Cover the jar with plastic and a rubber band, or transfer to a covered container, and refrigerate leftovers to store (several days).

A simple, but elegant pleasure!

Regards,
Gord