Authentic Irish dishes have much more to them than green dye or Irish cream, especially for St. Patrick’s Day, which is a national holiday in Ireland. If you’re looking for some authentic Irish dishes to try this St. Paddy’s day, look no further! We’ve got you covered.

Here is some interesting history about Irish food along with some authentic Irish dishes you can actually find on the Emerald Isle. Slainte!

A Bit Of History About Irish Food

Irish food has evolved alongside centuries of sociopolitical change. This is why many foods that are associated with Ireland, like corned beef, aren’t actually Irish in origin. Traditionally, Irish food tends toward the simple and heartwarmingly rustic. This is because Irish cuisine was based around what people could raise themselves. Ireland was also prone to periodic famines, which affected what people ate.

For instance, did you know that corned beef isn’t actually Irish? The term “corned beef” was actually coined by the British – and due to British colonization of Ireland, it’s no wonder that while the Irish do eat corned beef occasionally, it’s not as popular as Americans would assume. The association between corned beef and the Irish actually comes from Irish Americans.

Boiled bacon and other pork products have historically been the most eaten meats in Ireland. Cows were a sacred animal and a sign of wealth. As such, they were rarely eaten in the early days, but rather used for dairy products. Thus, most Irish people didn’t even eat beef until the British came.

However, in America, pork was expensive, so Irish Americans turned to beef brisket, which was the cheapest meat. This combined with cabbage, which was one of the cheapest vegetables, gave Irish Americans a sense of home away from home.

Such has been the case with many foods people commonly consider to be Irish.

Delicious Authentic Irish Dishes To Try

Want to try your hand at some authentic Irish dishes for St. Patrick’s Day? We’ve got you covered with some fantastic ideas. From the well-known delights to ones you may not have heard of before, you’re sure to impress your guests.

#1. Boxty

Many cultures have their own versions of potato pancakes and Ireland is no different. Traditionally made with leftover mashed potatoes and grated raw potato, boxty is a delicious cross between a hash brown and a pancake. They also have flour and eggs to hold the pancakes together, as well as seasonings, like scallions. These make great snacks or sides.

#2. Soda Bread

When most Americans think of Irish soda bread, they think of something similar to barmbrack (listed below!) For an authentic Irish dish, soda bread was made on a griddle as a flatbread. It doesn’t have yeast, but uses baking soda (aka bread soda) as a leavening agent. Soda bread is typically round and cut into pie-like slices. You can adjust the recipe to include olive oil or sweeteners, if you like.

#3. Colcannon

Colcannon comes from the Gaelic “cal ceannann”, for white-headed cabbage. This authentic Irish dish is basically potatoes that have been mashed with either cabbage or kale. After mashing, mix with butter or cream, as well as onions. As with any recipe, you can adjust as you like, like adding in some garlic.

#4. Carrageen Moss Pudding

Carrageen moss also goes by Irish moss. This is a type of seaweed that is gathered off the west and south coasts of Ireland. Contrary to what you may think, carrageen moss doesn’t taste like it came from the sea, but has a lovely gentle flavor. Carrageen moss pudding is served chilled with cream, soft brown sugar, and fruit compote, like poached rhubarb. You can also make an Irish coffee sauce and chocolate carrageen.

#5. Dingle Pie

Hailing from the Dingle Peninsula, Dingle pie is a savory lamb dish. Often made as hand pies, this has lamb and root vegetables with a hot water crust. If you truly want to go the route of the authentic Irish dish, use mutton fat instead of butter. You could also make this in a pan, and adjust the recipe to make it gluten-free.

#6. Dublin Coddle

There isn’t a singular recipe to follow for this authentic Irish dish, as coddles usually consisted of leftovers. Catholics weren’t allowed to eat meat on Fridays, so they would make coddles on Thursdays in order to use up the meat in the home. Make with sausage, potatoes, onions, and whatever else you like for a heart-warming stew.

#7. Barmbrack

You know how we mentioned that most people think of barmbrack when they hear “Irish soda bread”? When soda bread is made with fruits, it actually called a tea cake, like barmbrack. It is sweeter, but not as sweet as a cake. While typically made around Samhain or New Year’s Eve, you can make this authentic Irish dish for St. Patrick’s Day too.

#8. Irish Apple Cake

This is another dish where recipes vary. Families throughout Ireland had their own versions of apple cakes that they would make during apple harvest season. It’s traditionally served with custard sauce, but you can use ice cream or nothing at all, if you like!

Do You Need Kitchen Supplies To Make Authentic Irish Dishes?

Kitchen Kneads has got you covered! We sell a wide variety of ingredients, appliances, and more to assist you in your baking and cooking ventures. We also offer cooking classes. Contact us today with any questions you may have about our products.

If you are gluten-free, then building a long-term food storage can be difficult. People who are gluten-free for the supposed health benefits have an easier time, because they don’t have to be as vigilant. However, for those who have a gluten-related medical condition, they need to be hyper-vigilant about what they put in their storage.

Here’s what you need to know about building a gluten-free food storage.

Why Follow A Gluten-Free Diet?

A gluten-free diet is one that excludes wheat and some other grains, such as rye and barley. This type of diet is essential for those with Celiac disease or other gluten sensitivities, such as a gluten allergy. Gluten can trigger damaging immune system activity and other symptoms, such as bloating or rashes. People with Celiac disease or other gluten sensitivities need to take special care to avoid gluten for the sake of their health.

There are also people who avoid gluten for its supposed benefits, but who do not have a gluten-related medical condition. It is believed that avoiding gluten can increase energy, promote weight loss, and improve your overall health. More research is needed to determine the effects of a gluten-free diet on people who do not need to be gluten-free.

What You Need To Do To Build A Gluten-Free Food Storage

Just because you or one of your loved ones needs to avoid gluten doesn’t mean that you can’t build a long-term food storage. With special care, you can rest assured that in the event of an emergency, you’ll have food that will both sustain you nutritionally and adhere to your dietary needs.

What Needs To Be In A Gluten-Free Food Storage?

A gluten-free food storage should be as nutritionally sustainable as any other food storage. The main difference between building a normal food storage and a gluten-free food storage is the fact that you need to ensure that what you store excludes gluten. This means storing items such as proteins, fruits and vegetables, and types of entrees that have alternatives to gluten.

What Are Gluten-Free Food Storage Essentials?

Nutritionally sustainable foods that can keep for years on end are your friend here. You especially want calorie-dense foods. This is because your body burns calories even when you don’t do anything. When you’re stressed, as happens in emergency situations, it burns even more. You need to be able to sustain yourself on what you have.

Some of the ways that you can ensure that your food lasts longer include:

Storing food items in airtight containers with oxygen absorbers.
Getting emergency food kits.
Drying food, either with a freeze-dryer or another method.
Preserving foods.
And more.

Essentially, you just need non-perishable options in line with your dietary needs. Protein bars, dried meat, broth, and gluten-free pastas and the like are all good options.

Is There Anything You Shouldn’t Put In A Gluten-Free Food Storage?

There are some common foods that people put into their food storages that you’ll want to avoid if you’re gluten-free. Most survival foods that you’ll find have gluten in them. These include protein bars and other types of highly processed foods.

However, there are gluten-free alternatives to these foods. When building your food storage, you’ll just want to do what you do already: double-check the labels to ensure that the item that claims to be gluten-free actually is. For extra safety, you can check the ingredients list for any added wheat or other types of gluten.

Will A Gluten-Free Food Storage Last As Long As A Normal Food Storage?

Survival foods are made to keep for a long time. Some can even last you 25 years. To answer the question, yes, a gluten-free food storage can last as long as any other food storage. It comes down to how the food is prepared and how it is stored.

In order to help your gluten-free food storage last as long as possible, you can use airtight containers with oxygen-absorbing packets. For extra insurance, you’ll want to opt for water resistant containers.

Storing your food in a dark, dry, insulated space gives it the best chance of lasting for as long as possible. You’ll also want to set up mouse traps, to protect your gluten-free food storage from any rodents that might get into it.

Are You Building A Gluten-Free Food Storage?

Kitchen Kneads can help! We carry ingredients that you can put into your storage. We also offer gluten-free cooking classes, so that you can know how to make foods that fit your dietary needs. If you have any questions about our products or classes, please don’t hesitate to contact us today!

You never know what can happen, so building a food storage allows you to be prepared for any crisis that may come your way. In the event of an emergency, you don’t want to be stuck, snowed into your home, with nothing to eat and no way to get more food. Stocking up for your winter food storage gives you the assurance that come what may, you have supplies to get you through it.

During the frigid winter months, it’s especially important to be prepared. You want to have a plan for what to do and key essentials in your storage. The last thing that you want is to be forced to delve into your food storage… Only to find that the food has spoiled.

We’ve compiled a list of essential tips for your winter food storage that can help you avoid common mistakes. Here’s what you need to know on how you can be better prepared for your winter food storage.

#1. Know Where Your Supply Is The Most Vulnerable

One of the nice things about winter food storage is that cold is usually good for preserving food. Putting dry goods like flour in a refrigerator can help them to last longer than keeping them in the pantry.

However, there are still challenges you can face. As the temperature fluctuates, your containers can expand and contract. Seams can open due to this contraction, which lets oxygen in. This can lead to spoiled goods. Rodents can seek shelter from the cold in the cozy warmth of your rice bags and ransack your supply. Moisture can spoil your food by allowing for mold growth and bacteria.

You can prevent these issues with your winter food storage when you:

Store your food somewhere dark.
Avoid fluctuating temperatures with insulation.
Keep your food somewhere dry.
Set up mouse traps.
Use oxygen-absorbing packets.

#2. Store Shelf-Stable Food

When crisis strikes, you could find yourself without power. You want to ensure that your winter food storage has dried good and shelf-stable food that you can fall back on if your refrigerator and freezer stop working.

Canned foods and dry goods are great options for this. You can purchase canned goods at the store, as well as make your own. It’s usually cheaper to buy these in bulk. However, when buying canned goods, be mindful of the water content, as cans with high water content can swell or burst if it gets too cold.

Sort your shelf-stable foods with the most recent purchases in the back and the ones with a sooner expiration date in the front. If the foods you stock need some sort of preparation, such as being heated up, ensure that you account for this.

#3. Insulate Your Storage Space

We touched on this tip in the first section, but it’s so important that it merits a section all to itself. If your winter food storage isn’t properly insulated, you may struggle with preserving your food properly and end up with spoiled goods.

Remember that heat rises. If you’re limited in what you can do, insulate your ceiling first. From there, you can take on your walls, doors, and then finally, the floor.

You also want to insulate your cabinets and shelves, if possible. If you have an old refrigerator lying around that you no longer use, this can work to store canned and dry goods, as refrigerators are sealed and insulated already.

#4. Don’t Forget To Do The Math

In our diet-obsessed world, calories are often considered to be this evil thing that you need to limit your consumption of. However, your body burns calories just by existing. You need calories in order to function properly and stay healthy. In the event of an emergency, your body burns more calories than normal, due to high stress levels.

Do the math in order to ensure that your winter food storage has enough food to properly sustain you and your loved ones in the event of an emergency. Focusing on stocking high-calorie foods so that you can rest assured that people’s nutritional needs will be met.

Calculate how many calories are in each item that you store. While today’s culture may have you believe that storing low-calorie, low-fat, zero-sugar type foods is best, you need your strength. Ensure that you have enough stored for about 2000 calories or more per person per day.

We Can Help You Build Your Winter Food Storage

Kitchen Kneads provides all sorts of goods and equipment to ensure that your needs are met. Whether you’re looking for containers or to stock up on dried goods, we can help. We have an upcoming class on food storage you may find enlightening.

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A Bit Of History About Irish Food