Storing Vegetables To store vegetables successfully, the following requirements need to be taken into consideration. Temperature. Cool temperatures (32 to 55˚F.) help to prevent moisture loss and delays the growth of bacteria and fungi that cause crops to spoil. Have a bunch of green tomatoes? Use warmer temperatures to increase the speed of ripening. Moisture. Stored vegetables quickly shrivel and lose quality without proper moisture. Storage areas must have the humidity raised to reach the ideal 80 to 90 percent relative humidity that most vegetables prefer. Moist sand, wet burlap bags and layers of wet sphagnum moss will help to add moisture. Ventilation. Harvested vegetables still “breathe” and require oxygen to maintain their high quality. Wilting and tissue breakdown are minimized by proper air circulation. Whether you store your crops whole, freeze-preserve, or dry them, it pays to find out which storage conditions are best for the crops that you want to save. Here are some suggestions to help you get started: • Vegetables can be separated into the following storage groups: warm-dry for squash and pumpkin; cool-dry for onions; dry for peas and beans; and cool-moist for root crops and potatoes. • Refrigerate vegetables with a high water content, such as leafy greens, all members of the cabbage family, carrots and cucumbers as soon as you pick them. • Potatoes, onions, winter squash and sweet potatoes require a curing period to enhance their storage qualities. • Beets, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, kale, leeks and onions can be stored through fall frosts under mulch. Brussels sprouts can withstand some light freezing and can be stored in the garden for several months. • Root crops (beets, carrots, parsnips, potatoes and turnips) can be left for part or all of the winter in the garden where they grew. When the ground begins to freeze, these vegetables can be covered with straw, hay or leaf mulch for protection. Learn how to store home-grown vegetables here. • Vegetables, such as garlic, onions, pumpkin and winter squash, should never be stored in the refrigerator. They do best when stored in a dark place at 50 to 60˚F. and normal humidity. Note: Certain vegetables should not be stored with apples because apples release ethylene gas. Ethylene will make carrots bitter tasting and reduce the storage life of Irish potatoes and pumpkins.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 17:37:01 +0000
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