Storing vegetables

Do you have a lot of potatoes, carrots, winter squash and other vegetables which you would like to store for winter use?

Most root vegetables including potatoes, carrots, parsnips, beets, onions and leeks store best at temperatures between 40 and 50 degrees. Temperatures above freezing in the 30s will not hurt them, but potatoes become sweet. Refrigerator temperature works just fine. Store in a mesh bag or something which allows air circulation. Carrots and parsnips can be stored right in the ground and dug as needed.

Potato skins will turn green if exposed to the light. Green skins do not hurt the quality of the potato. If you cover them with a dark cloth to prevent greening, make sure it is open at both ends so air can circulate.

Winter squash and pumpkins store best between 45 and 55 degrees. Be sure to harvest them with a piece of the stem. Without a stem, there is an entry point for rot organisms. I like to store squash so the fruits do not touch. This keeps one rotting fruit from infecting another.

Green tomatoes can also be stored for up to 2 months at cool temperatures between 45 and 55 degrees.

The main problem with all vegetable storage is rotting. Vegetables should be checked regularly so rotting fruit does not spoil adjacent good fruit.