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Many gardeners plant, weed, water, fertilize and control pests throughout the summer to raise a bounteous harvest. Unfortunately they fail to reap the full benefits of that harvest because they do not harvest and store produce correctly. Many fruits and vegetables lend themselves to common storage. Storing produce is faster, easier and more economical than canning, freezing or dehydrating.
Root crops generally store best when grown until there is danger of the soil freezing. Delay the harvest by hilling soil over the shoulders of carrots and beets to protect them from freezing. Pile straw, soil or leaves over the row to form an insulating barrier that delays the harvest even longer.
These insulating barriers protect the vegetables so that they can be dug and enjoyed throughout the winter. Few if any gardeners are ambitious enough to venture forth with pick and crowbar to chip carrots out of frozen soil, so insulate the soil before it freezes.
Parsnips tolerate frost well. Part of the crop should be left in the ground to be dug in the spring when the flavor will be greatly improved. Kale is a very nutritious vegetable that can be left in the garden and used as a green all winter long. In areas where substantial winds dry out the plants, use windbreaks or a protective covering such as burlap or muslin over the top of the kale.
Cabbage stores well in common storage. After frost, cut the cabbage, remove the loose, outer leaves and store the cabbages upside down in a cool, moist place. All root crops, including potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips, rutabagas, kohlrabi and parsnips store best at near freezing temperatures with high humidity.
Store cabbage separately because it gives off ethylene gas which causes other vegetables to deteriorate more quickly.
When keeping vegetables in common storage, check for any signs of damage. Immature, diseased or damaged specimens should be discarded as they decay and affect adjacent produce. This process starts with selective harvesting. Don't store problems! Leave the problems for the compost.
If onions are still in the ground, dig them, remove the tops and allow them to cure in bags or crates until the necks have dried down. Move them into cool, dry storage where they will store for several months.
Winter squash and pumpkins do best if left on the vine until frost has killed the vine and the skin is hard to the thumbnail. Leave the stems on the fruits to protect against decay. Pumpkins and winter squash store longer at 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit with a very low relative humidity.
Store fruit separately from vegetables. Apples store easily in refrigerated or common storage if the temperature is cool enough. Winter apples such as red delicious and Rome beauty store in ordinary crates or apple boxes.
Once again, it is important to store high quality, sound produce. Golden delicious apples shrivel in storage and are best stored in boxes lined with plastic bags. After placing the apples in the bag roll the bag loosely over the top and check them frequently to make sure they are not rotting from the extra moisture trapped in the plastic bag.
Winter pears are best stored at near 32 degrees Fahrenheit for a couple of months. They are then removed from cold storage and allowed to ripen at room temperature for a few days. They will not necessarily turn yellow, but let them soften before they are used.
Successful storage usually depends on creating a successful storage area. These range from pits in the garden to storage mounds made of straw or other material. Cellars are exceptionally good areas for storing many kinds of produce.
