There was a time when grocery stores weren’t overflowing with produce from around the globe. Our grandparents relied on humble vegetables, now largely forgotten, to nourish their families through challenging periods. These resilient plants, cultivated in backyard gardens, provided essential nutrients and hearty meals. Today, as we face our uncertainties, rediscovering these heirloom vegetables can connect us to our roots and offer sustainable, nutritious options for our tables.

Salsify

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People once called it the “oyster plant” because it had a faint seafood taste. Salsify thrived in poor soil and gave families a reliable root vegetable when food was scarce. Its mild flavor made it easy to mash, fry, or toss into soups. Grocery stores rarely stock it today, leaving it largely forgotten.

Scorzonera

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With its dark skin and knobby shape, scorzonera never won any beauty contests. But during hard times, people valued this root for its nutrition and versatility. It stayed fresh underground through winter, providing food when nothing else grew. Its rich, earthy flavor worked in stews and roasts, but changing tastes pushed it aside for more familiar vegetables.

Sunchokes

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Farmers once grew sunchokes as a backup crop because they survived droughts and poor soil. These knobby tubers, also called Jerusalem artichokes, taste slightly sweet and nutty. They helped keep families fed when potatoes were scarce. However, they cause digestive issues for some people, which led to their decline in popularity despite their resilience and nutrition.

Celeriac

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Celeriac looks like something out of a sci-fi movie, which explains why people avoid it today. Its rough, gnarled skin hides a crisp, nutty root that was once a staple in soups and mashes. Celery root lasts for months without refrigeration, making it a reliable winter vegetable. As grocery stores prioritized more visually appealing produce, it faded from kitchens.

Parsnips

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Before sugar became cheap, people relied on parsnips to sweeten dishes. Cold weather makes them even sweeter, so families stored them underground for winter meals. Roasted, mashed, or added to stews, they provided flavor and nutrients. But as new crops and processed sugar took over, parsnips lost their status as a household staple.

Mangelwurzel

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People first grew mangelwurzel for livestock, but during food shortages, it became a lifesaver. This massive root vegetable provided much-needed calories, often boiled, mashed, or even fermented into drinks. Its rough, fibrous texture made it less appealing than other root crops. Once food options improved, many happily left it behind, and it became another forgotten survival food.

Miner’s Lettuce

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Gold miners relied on this tender green to prevent scurvy when fresh food was scarce. It grows in poor soil, needs little care, and provides a refreshing, slightly peppery taste. However as mass farming expanded, it never made it into large-scale agriculture. Today, it remains a wild green that few people recognize outside foraging circles.

Chicory Root

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During coffee shortages, people roasted and ground chicory root to make a bitter, earthy substitute. It kept spirits up when coffee was a luxury. Though still used in some regions, most people abandoned it once real coffee became affordable again. Now it hides in plain sight as an additive in some blends but is rarely appreciated independently.

Yardlong Beans

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These beans grow up to three feet long, making them a striking garden vegetable. They produce heavily, thrive in heat, and were once essential in home gardens. People stir-fried, stewed, and dried yardlong beans for later use. But when imported green beans became widely available, these lanky beans lost favor, disappearing from most kitchens and grocery shelves.

Egyptian Walking Onions

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The Egyptian walking onion doesn’t stay put. It grows little bulbs on top of its stalks, which fall over and plant themselves. That made it an easy, self-sustaining food source in tough times. Its bulbs and green shoots added flavor to meals. As commercial onion farming took over, this weird, low-maintenance onion faded from common use.

Stinging Nettle

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Most people see nettles as a painful weed, but past generations cooked them into soups and teas for their rich nutrients. High in iron and vitamins, they helped many stay strong during food shortages. Cooking neutralizes their sting, turning them into a delicious, spinach-like green. Nettle leaves were forgotten as grocery stores filled with easier-to-handle greens.

Amaranth

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Before wheat and rice dominated diets, amaranth provided protein and essential nutrients. Its leaves and seeds were easy to harvest, and it thrived in poor soil. People once used it for porridge, bread, and stews. But large-scale farming favored other grains, and amaranth slipped into obscurity—except among those who recognize its incredible nutritional value.

Rutabaga

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During war rations and crop failures, rutabagas were a last resort. A cross between cabbage and turnip, they stored well and offered much-needed calories. Families mashed, roasted, and even fermented them to get through harsh winters. But as food supplies improved, people eagerly swapped rutabagas for potatoes, leaving them with a reputation as survival food.

Ground Cherries

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These small, golden fruits hide inside papery husks, resembling tiny tomatillos. Their sweet, tropical taste brightened up preserves and pies. They grew easily, even in poor soil, making them a reliable food source. But their delicate nature made them difficult for mass production, so grocery stores never embraced them. Now, they’re mostly known among home gardeners.

Skirret

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Long before potatoes took over, skirret was a go-to root vegetable. It grows in clusters of thin, sweet roots that work well boiled, roasted, or fried. People valued its ability to grow in cold climates. But as potatoes became the dominant staple, the perennial plant all but disappeared, remembered only by those interested in heirloom vegetables.

Dan Smith