ADD 4 WEEKS option? They have gone from our garden to your home– a few notes:
Potatoes–Russets and Reds, store in a cool place (50 degrees). The 5# plastic bags we use are temporary–transfer to a box, mesh or burlap bag (Co-op for around $2). A burlap bag is perfect because it allows the potatoes to breath and helps with the exchange of air. DO NOT STORE THEM IN PLASTIC BAGS WITH NO HOLES or in tight containers–they will spoil. I check my potatoes weekly during storage.
We dug and bagged the potatoes within a 2 day period. Yesterday when loading them we were seeing some moisture and a few bags with spoils. What happens is those potatoes near the surface in the garden freeze, but you won’t know it until they are dug and sit for a while. Sort through your potatoes before storage and pull out any that are wet or soft. Determine if the wet is actually spoiled or just wet because the one next to it is spoiled.
Carrots–Sugarsnax–a long and tender Imperator variety. You have 5# of regular size and a handful of babies, which are also sweet and need not be peeled. Chop them up for soups or serve as a fun kid snack. These carrots are amazing–because of the sandy soil, they grew long and STRAIGHT!
We bagged them in 5# bags with twisty ties. Bags with holes would have been better, but not as critical for carrots as for potatoes. If there is moisture building in the bag- remove the twisty tie and let the bag breath. I store my carrots for the winter months into April in the fridge–best results at 36 degrees. I move mine a pound at a time from the storage fridge into my kitchen fridge, washing them for convenience, and putting them in a fresh bag. Unwashed carrots keep longer, so only wash those that will be used in a week.
Onions–Patterson Yellow–Perfectly dried! Easy to store in a cardboard box, brown paper bag, or mesh bag in a cool place–too warm and they will sprout and start to grow again–34-40 degrees if possible.
Squash, including your pumpkin–Buttercup, Acorn, Kabocha, or Hubbard…Small sweet pumpkins called Hooligans–bake them in the oven for a dessert! We had Butternut set aside but when we unbagged them yesterday most were spoiled–They suffered from the early frost and did not store well at all! The Acorn is not known as a storage squash and will not keep as long as the others. The Buttercup is a storage type, but because of the ‘button’ on the bottom they will not keep as long as the Kabocha. Hubbards, as long as the handle is in-tact and there are no soft spots, will keep up to four months. Pumpkins this year suffered from powdery mildew and did not develop the normal hard shell.
Cabbages–Storage #4 and Ruby Perfection. Both are thick leaved and can be kept in a cool place 34-40 degrees. I had one in the outside fridge from October to April. This is the cabbage recommended for making sauerkraut. Sauerkraut is easy–importance is the right amount of salt and a constant cool temperature. The best cabbage is that fresh from the garden as it still has active bacteria on the outside which will help it cure. Your cabbage was harvested October 27th and is still fresh enough for kraut making–do not be concerned with washing it. Easy to follow sauerkraut recipes are on the internet–You can add carrots, hot peppers, or dill to your kraut.
ENJOY YOUR ADD-ON for the winter months–The Farmer’s Wife
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