What did European people of the 5th century AD eat during spring and what was the availability?

Question

It is commonly believed that winter during that age was a period of starvation, with very limited means of procuring food. If the above is true, what did the commoners (peasants, serfs, etc) had to eat during spring? I think the crops would take months to harvest, there would still have some ice thawing. Would they hunt? Was there a crop / fruit / vegetable that grew during winter and could be consumed in spring? How much food was available? Was the "winter famine" over right after winter, or how much time did it take for food supply / distribution to spread out?

Answer 1

Indeed, there was little means of producing food during the long winter months in Europe during the Early Middle Ages, which covered the 5th century A.D. or C.E. (Common Era). Livestock like cows, pigs, and chickens were usually butchered before the winter arrives due to the lack of food to sustain these animals inside the farms. But in reality, meat was mainly for the wealthy or those who can afford to buy and eat these during those times. Fruits and vegetables were collected by the poor for winter time. These same poor people, including the peasants, eat mostly bread and fish, with the latter accessible from the village or town fords and streams during spring time.

On a side note, many European explorers ventured out across the seas for spices, which were used to preserve meat during the winter months. Salt was also used by spreading these over meat and fish stored inside barrels.