
How to Properly Store Home-Grown Fruits and Vegetables

Getting Started
Planning For a Garden
Planting a Garden
Plant Growing and Care
Harvesting and Storing Vegetables
ADVERTISEMENT
Would love this topic to be addressed for those of us who live in warm climates (I.e. Florida). We can grow our share of root vegetables but finding a place indoors or out that maintains a below 60 degree temperature is not a reality (even in winter).
Replying to Katie. We have an older used refrigerator we keep in the shop. Each fall we fill it with boxes or fabric bins of onions and maintain 40 degrees. The onions will last over a year. Just remember some vegetables should not be stored with other vegetables or fruits. Like the apples giving off ethylene gas for example
Found information on Storing potatoes extremely helpful We have a northeast corner of the basement dark humid got shelves I store the canned goods there thought would be too damp for homegrown potatoes I have cardboard boxes I thought I could put the potatoes in a single layer Going to try the last 2 shelves close to the floor and old sheet to keep out light the only light would be from flourestant that I turn on to get something from the freezer skim the sauerkraut get canning or baking stuff out
My home is a pier and beam home, thus I have a large space under my house that is about 3 1/2 feet deep and the size of my home. I have two accesses to this space. Would I be able to use this area for storage? Like a root cellar?
As long as the space is pest-proof, protected from the elements, and dry enough (so no mold occurs), it should be usable as a root cellar.
I have an area in the basement that I can re-purpose as a root cellar. How do I keep from attracting mice into the basement over the winter? If I use closed containers, I am thinking that the veggies would get moldy. Your advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks for this article! I love reading about gardening ideas.The only thing I was dismayed about was the suggestion for using peat moss. I'm a state park naturalist for Volo Bog in Illinois, and among many other things, I educate people about how it takes thousands of years for bogs to form peat moss. Bogs are really cool ancient ecosystems that are destroyed quickly when peat moss is harvested. I'm glad there were other less expensive materials that were suggested. Please use the sand, etc. instead of peat moss.
Premiere is a major producer of peat moss in CN and read an article that interviewed them on sustainability. They harvest sustainably and they have acres they manage. I believe it’s about 15 years it rebounds.
I think the misconception happens when peat moss is taken from small areas like in the UK. Because of shipping it’s not environmentally friendly to ship from CN to UK. Shipping and the washing of coconut coir is also not environmentally friendly.
According to Premiere it’s sustainable. Here’s the link to interview— Growertalks.com. ‘Is Peat Sustainable’.
I have been reading the Almanac articles for storing the harvest. Particularly potatoes. In the article above it says “potatoes need darkness and a spot near 40*”. Later in the article it says potatoes can be stored in the refrigerator.
In another article:HOW TO STORE VEGETABLES AND FRUIT
INCLUDING WHICH FOODS NOT TO REFRIGERATE
By Catherine Boeckmann
July 21, 2018
She says potatoes should never be refrigerated.
I’m a little confused.
Maybe it depends on the length of storage, but I've kept potatoes (both regular and sweet) in the refrigerator without any ill effects. I recently learned whatever container you store the potatoes in should be left uncovered. I used a covered container last month and one of the sweet potatoes was beginning to develop rot due to moisture from the closed container or maybe it could have been the potatoes off-gassing. In any case, I no longer cover the container I use to store potatoes in when storing in the refrigerator.
Comments