How to store vegetables 2

Brussels sprouts
Leave Brussels sprouts in the ground and mulch
them heavily to protect the sprouts. Brussels sprouts
plants can be stored in a frame, like celery, or in a
mound, like cabbage, but often the size of the plants
makes this impractical. Store Brussels sprouts
plants at 32°F to 34°F and 90 to 95 percent humidity
(moist), with just a little air circulation. Store in a
basement storage room or root cellar up to 1 month.
Cabbage
Choose late-maturing varieties. For storage in a
root cellar, remove the roots, then cover the heads in
moist dirt or sand in a bin. For outdoor mound
storage, don't remove the stem or root. Place the
cabbages head-down, pack straw between the
heads, then cover with a final layer of dirt. Store at 32°F
to 34°F and 90 to 95 percent humidity (moist), with
just a little air circulation. Cabbage will freeze at 30°F.
Store in a mound, buried barrel, or root cellar for 3
to 4 months. Do not store cabbages in a basement
storage room; their strong odor can escape up into
the house.
Cardoon
Harvest the plants with roots intact. Don't remove
the tops. Set the roots firmly in moist sand or dirt so
the plants stand upright, and construct a frame over
the plants, as detailed earlier in this chapter. Keep the
roots moist during storage, but don't water the
leaves of the plants. Store at 32°F to 34°F and 90 to 95
percent humidity (moist), with just a little air
circulation. Cardoon will freeze at just under 32°F.
Store in a basement storage room, outside frame,
or root cellar for 2 to 3 months.
Carrots
Choose late-maturing varieties, and leave them in
the ground until after the first couple of frosts. After
harvesting, leave them on the ground for 3 to 4
hours. Remove the tops, leaving about 1/2 inch of the
crown. Don't remove the roots. Pack in packing
material in wooden boxes, barrels, plastic bags with
air holes, or bury in a mound. Store at 32°F to 34°F
and 90 to 95 percent humidity (moist), with just a little
air circulation. Carrots will freeze at about 30°F.
Store in a basement storage room, mound, buried
barrel, or root cellar 4 to 5 months.
Cauliflower
Harvest in late fall. Remove the root, but leave on
the outer leaves as protection. Pack in boxes; separate
and cover the heads with moist sand. Store at 32°F to
34°F and 90 to 95 percent humidity (moist), with a little
air circulation. Cauliflower will freeze at about 30°F.
Store in a basement storage room or root cellar for 2 to
3 weeks.
Celeriac
Dig up the roots when the soil is dry, and leave them
on the ground for 3 o r4 hours. Cut off the tops, leaving
2 or 3 inches of the crown; don't remove the root
fibers. Pack in wooden boxes, barrels, or plastic bags
with air holes, or in a mound or buried barrel. Store
at 32°F to 34°F and 90 to 95 percent humidity (moist),
with just a little air circulation. Celeriac will freeze at
just under 32°F. Store in a basement storage room,
buried barrel,mound,or root cellar for 2 t o3 months.
Celery
Harvest the plants with roots intact. Don't remove
the tops. Set the roots firmly in moist sand or dirt so
the celery stands upright, and construct a frame
over the plants, as detailed earlier in this chapter.
Keep the roots moist during storage, but don't
water the leaves of the plants. Store at 32°F to 34°F and
90 to 95 percent humidity (moist), with just a little air
circulation. Celery will freeze at just under 32°F. Store
in a basement storage room, outside frame, or root
cellar for 2 to 3 months.
Chick peas^ dried
Dried chick peas won't freeze, and will store well
when properly dried and packaged. Dry them
according to the instructions in "How to Dry
Vegetables." Then store them at 32°F to 50°F and 65 to
70 percent humidity (dry), with some air circulation.
Store in a dry shed or attic for 10 to 12 months.
Chicory
Harvest the plants with the roots intact, and don't
t r im the leaves. Tie all the leaves together, then stand
the plants upright in moist sand or dirt and
construct a frame over the plants, as detailed earlier in
this chapter. Store at 32°F to 34°F and 85 to 90
percent humidity (moderately moist), with just a little
air circulation. Chicory will freeze at just under
32°F. Store in a basement storage room, outside
frame, or root cellar for 2 to 3 months.
To store the roots only, dig them up when the soil
is dry, and leave them on the ground for 3 to 4 hours.
Remove the tops, leaving about 1/2 inch of the
crowns. Pack in packing material in wooden boxes,
barrels, plastic bags with air holes, or in a mound or
buried barrel. Store at 32°F to 34°F and 90 to 95 percent
humidity (moist), with just a little air circulation.
Chicory roots freeze at about 30°F. Store in a basement
storage room, mound, buried barrel, or root cellar
for 10 to 12 months.
Chinese cabbage
Harvest the plant with roots intact. Don't remove
the tops. Set the roots firmly in moist dirt so the
cabbage stands upright and construct a frame over
the plants, as detailed earlier in this chapter. Keep
roots moist during storage but don't water the
leaves of the plants. Store at 32°F to 34°F and 90 to 95
percent humidity (moist), with just a little air
circulation. Chinese cabbage will freeze at just under
32°F. Store in a basement storage room, outside
frame, or root cellar for 2 to 3 months.
Fennel
Harvest the plants with roots intact. Don't remove
the tops. Set the roots firmly in moist sand or dirt so
the plants stand upright, and construct a frame over
the plants, as detailed earlier in this chapter. Keep the
roots moist during storage, but don't water the
leaves of the plants. Store at 32°F to 34°F and 90 to 95
percent humidity (moist), with just a little air
circulation. Fennel will freeze at just under 32°F.
Store in a basement storage room, outside frame,
or root cellar for 2 to 3 months.
Horseradish
Choose late-maturing plants and leave them In the
ground until after the first few frosts. Dig them up
when the soil is dry, and leave them on the ground
for 3 or4 hours. Remove tops, leaving about 1/2 inch of
the crown. Don't remove the roots. Pack in packing
material in wooden boxes, barrels, plastic bags with
air holes, or in a mound or buried barrel. Store at
32°F to 34°F and 90 to 95 percent humidity (moist),
with a little air circulation. Horseradish freezes at
about 30°F. Store in a basement storage room,
mound, buried barrel, or root cellar for 10 to 12
months.
Greens (collards kale and turnip)
Harvest the plant with roots intact. Don't remove
the tops. Set the roots firmly in moist dirt so it
stands upright. Keep the roots moist during
storage, but don't water the leaves of the plant. Store
at 32''F to 34°F and 90 to 95 percent humidity
(moist), with some air circulation. Greens freeze at
just below 32°F. Store in a frame for 2 to 3 weeks.
jerusalem artichokes
Dig the roots when the soil is dry, and leave them on
the ground for 3 or 4 hours. Remove the tops, leaving
about 1/2 inch of the crowns. Then pack into boxes
or other well-ventilated containers, but without
additional packing material. Store at 32°F to 34°F and
90 to 95 percent humidity (moist), with little air
circulation. Jerusalem artichokes will freeze at just
below 31°F. Store in a basement storage room or root
cellar for 2 to 5 months.
Kohlrabi
Choose late-maturing varieties and leave in the
ground until after the first few frosts. Dig when the soil
is dry, and leave on the ground for 3 or 4 hours.
Remove the tops, leaving about 1/2 inch of the crown.
Don't remove the roots. Pack in packing material in
wooden boxes, barrels, plastic bags with air holes, or
in a mound or buried barrel. Store at 32°F to 34°F at
90 to 95 percent humidity (moist), with just a little air
circulation. Kohlrabi freezes at 30°F. Store in a
basement storage room, mound, buried barrel, or
root cellar for 1 to 2 months.
Leeks
Harvest with roots intact. Don't remove the tops.
Set the roots firmly in moist dirt so the leeks stand
upright. Keep the roots moist during storage, but
don't water the leaves of the plant. Store at 32°F to 34''F
and 90 to 95 percent humidity (moist), with some air
circulation. Leeks freeze at just below 32''F. Store in a
basement storage room, outside frame, or root
cellar for 2 to 3 months.
Lentils, dried
Dried lentils won't freeze and will store well when
properly dried and packaged. Dry them according to
the instructions in "How to Dry Vegetables." Then
store them at 32°F to 50°F and 65 to 70 percent humidity
(dry), with some air circulation. Store In a dry shed
or attic for 10 to 12 months.
Muskmelon
Harvest melons slightly immature; they will
continue to ripen during storage. Store at 45°F to 50°F
and 85 to 90 percent humidity (moderately moist),
with some air circulation. Pile or stack melons loosely,
with no packing material, on shelves in a basement
storage room or root cellar for 2 to 3 weeks.
Onions
Dig up mature onion bulbs and leave them on the
ground to dry completely, usually about a week. Cut
off the tops, leaving 1/2 inch of stem. Pack the bulbs
loosely, without any packing material, in wellventilated
containers. If you like, braid the tops
together and hang the onions from hooks in a cold
storage area. Store at 32°F to 34°F and 60 to 75
percent humidity (dry), with some air circulation.
Onions freeze at just under 31°F. Store in a dry shed
or attic for 6 to 7 months.
Parsnips
Choose late-maturing varieties and leave them in
the ground until after the first few frosts. Dig them up
when the soil is dry, and leave them on the ground
for 3 or 4 hours. Remove the tops, leaving about 1/2
inch of the crown. Don't remove the roots. Pack in
packing material in wooden boxes, barrels, plastic
bags with air holes, or in a mound or buried barrel.
Store at 32°F to 34°F and 90 to 95 percent humidity
(moist), with a little air circulation. Parsnips freeze
at 30°F. Store in a basement storage room, mound,
buried barrel, or root cellar for 2 to 6 months.
Peanuts, dried
Dried peanuts won't freeze, and will store well for
10 to 12 months when properly dried and packaged.
Dry them according to the instructions in "How to
Dry Vegetables." Then store them at 32°F to 50°F and
65 to 70 percent humidity (dry), in a dry shed or
attic.
Peas, dried
(shelling, black-eyed)
Dried peas won't freeze, and will store well when
properly dried and packaged. Dry them according to
the instructions in "How to Dry Vegetables." Then
store them at 32°F to 50°F and 65 to 70 percent humidity
(dry), with some air circulation. Store in a dry shed
or attic for 10 to 12 months.
Peppers
Harvest before the first frost. Choose only the
firmest peppers for storing, since they're easily
damaged. Pack into plastic bags punched with air
holes; then place in boxes. Peppers must be
monitored very carefully during storage to be sure
they don't become too moist or too cold. Store at 45°F
to 50°F and 85 to 95 percent humidity (moderately
moist), with a little air circulation. Peppers will freeze
at just below 31°F. Store in a basement storage room
or root cellar for 2 to 3 weeks.
Potatoes
Choose late-maturing varieties. Early potatoes are
difficult to keep in cold storage. Dig the potatoes
when the soil is dry, and leave them on the ground
for 3 or 4 hours. Avoid sun and wind damage. Cure
by storing them at regular basement temperatures —
60°F to 65°F—in moist air for 10 days. Then pack
them into boxes or other well-ventilated containers,
but without additional packing material. Store at
38°F to40°F, and 85 to 90 percent humidity (moderately
moist), with a little air circulation. Potatoes will
freeze at just below 31°F. Store in a basement storage
room or root cellar for 4 to 6 months.

BASIC COLD-STORING TECHNIQUES

BASIC COLD-STORING TECHNIQUES
Your vegetables must be harvested at just the right
moment so they'll take well to storing and won't decay
before you're ready to use them. Damaged or
imperfect vegetables will spoil quickly, so you must be
very careful when handling them prior to storing.
Never store bruised or damaged vegetables; they can
cause spoilage of your whole crop. It's usually
better to clean off but not wash vegetables before
storing, because washing can lead to the
development of soft rot.
With methods of food preservation, you can
process the food and then forget about it until you're
ready to use it. Not so with storage. Since the
temperature outdoors is the major factor affecting the.
storage of your vegetables, you have to be
constantly alert to the changes in weather. If it turns
suddenly colder, warmer, or wetter, you must
make whatever adjustments are needed to maintain
the proper conditions in your storage area. You
must also make regular spoilage checks of the boxes,
bags, or bins of vegetables stored indoors.
Handling
Harvest vegetables as late as possible. For many
vegetables, this means plant later than usual in order
to get a late harvest. You should wait until the first
frost warnings to harvest. Carrots, parsnips, potatoes,
and turnips, for example, can stay in the ground
even after the first frost or two, if the ground is well
mulched.
Pick only perfect vegetables for cold storage and
handle them carefully to avoid bruising. One bad item
can spread decay to others and ruin the whole box,
barrel, or mound.
Harvest on a dry day, if possible, and let the
vegetables dry on the ground, in the sun, for several
hours before packing them away. Onions often
need several days of drying; potatoes, however,
shouldn't be exposed to hot sun or strong wind.
Produce should be cool when packed.
Wash vegetables, if you must, but most experts
agree that all you really need to do is brush off excess
dirt. The vegetables should be dry before you pack
them.
Curing
Potatoes, pumpkins, and most types of winter
squash have to be cured before storing. Curing is
holding the vegetables at a warm temperature —
70°F to 85°F — in a dark, humid place for about 10
days. Curing hardens the skins and rinds and helps
heal surface cuts, reducing mold and rot damage.
Packing
Some vegetables — potatoes, onions, and
squash — can go from the garden right into boxes,
barrels, plastic bags, or other containers. Root
vegetables — such as beets, carrots, turnips, and
parsnips — are better packed in some material such
as newspaper that will insulate them, slow down their
breathing, and keep them from touching one
another, so decay can't spread from root to root.
You can wrap the vegetables separately in
newspaper, then pack them loosely in boxes, barrels,
or plastic bags. If you use plastic bags, poke a few
holes in the bags to allow some ventilation. Other
packing materials include damp or dry sand,
sawdust, peat, sphagnum moss, leaves, straw, or
wood shavings. Line the container with a layer of
packing wood material, then arrange a layer of
vegetables, leave space around each vegetable for
packing material. Fill in around each vegetable and
then again on top with a layer of packing material.
Repeat these steps until the container is full. Be
careful to leave enough room for examining the
produce at the bottom of the container when
you're making routine spoilage checks.
Moist sand is sometimes suggested for packing
certain vegetables. You'll know the sand is just the
right consistency if it feels cold and falls apart in
your hand when squeezed, leaving just a few particles
sticking to your skin.
DIRECTIONS FOR COLD-STORING VEGETABLES
If you plan to store a variety of vegetables, you'll
probably have to arrange several different kinds of
storage. The following directions for storing
vegetables tell you which methods are best suited to
each vegetable. Choose the one that works best for
your climate and your available space.
Artichokes
Cut the fleshy, tight buds before they open.
Artichokes are best stored in the refrigerator, but they
can be kept in cold storage. Store on shelves or
loosely packed in open boxes at 32°F to 34°F and 90 to
95 percent humidity (moist), with some air
circulation. Store in a basement storage room or root
cellar up to 1 month.
Beans, dried (broad, dry, or lima)
Dried beans won't freeze, and will store well when
properly dried and packaged. Dry them according to
the instructions in "How to Dry Vegetables." Then
store them at 32°F to 50°F and 65 to 70 percent humidity
(dry), with some air circulation. Store in a dry shed
or attic for 10 to 12 months.
Beets
Choose late-maturing varieties and leave them in
the ground until after the first few frosts. Dig them up
when the soil is dry, and leave them on the ground
for 3 or 4 hours. Remove the tops, leaving about 1/2
inch of the crowns. Don't remove the roots. Pack in
packing material in wooden boxes, barrels, plastic
bags with air holes, or in a mound or buried barrel.
Store at 32°F to 34°F and 90 to 95 percent humidity
(moist), with just a little air circulation. Beets will
freeze at 30°F. Store in a basement storage room, root
cellar, mound, or buried barrel for 5 to 6 months.
Broccoli
Harvest in late fall. Remove the root, but leave the
leaves on as protection. Pack in boxes; separate and
cover the stalks with moist sand. Store at 32°F to 34°F
and 90 to 95 percent humidity (moist), with some air
circulation. Broccoli will freeze at about 30°F. Store
in a basement storage room or root cellar up to 3
weeks.