By give close attention to the crop varieties you choose , your timing for harvest and the best repositing conditions for each eccentric of fruit or vegetable , you ’ll be able-bodied to savor the mouthful of summertime well into winter with the help of a etymon cellar . Generally , you ’ll have produce that stores well in a cold , dampish environment , and produce that needs slenderly warm , drier condition . In the following list , produce is assort by temperature preference , with info on harvesting and memory rule of thumb and varieties that keep well .
To tailor your root - wine cellar plan to your region , contact your county cooperative propagation office staff . They can give notice you on specific storage varieties for your area , as well as explain challenges you might face with your mood .
Cold and Damp
stack away these multifariousness at 32 to 40 grade F with 90- to 95 - percentage humidness .
Apples
While everyone may have dissimilar opinions on the best custodian , Walt Rosenber , of Masonville Orchards in Colorado , says it ’s generally bear that age-old and heirloom apple varieties do n’t keep as well as some of the new variety ( Winter Banana , along with some others , being the exceptions ) , and tart orchard apple tree keep good than sweet . depot only mature , unblemished apples , and twine each severally in newsprint . Keep wind apple in composition board boxes or wooden orchard apple tree crates .
variety show to consider : Arkansas Black , Cameo , Criterion , Fuji , HoneyCrisp , Newtown Pippin , Northern Spy , Pink Lady , Rome Beauty , Winter Banana and Yates
Shelf life:2 to 7 month reckon on variety
Beets
harvest time after a few Clarence Shepard Day Jr. of ironical weather , when roots are about 2 inches in diameter . compass up , turn off off greens about 1 to 2 column inch from top of root ( leave root tip entire ) , brush off loose dirt , and layer in dampish sand , sawdust or peat moss . Use a plastic container with a soused lid to keep sand moist , or store in a wooden boxwood . Allowing Beta vulgaris to touch one another will increase spoilage .
Varieties to consider : Boltardy , Long Season and Lutz Green Leaf
ledge life:3 to 5 months
Broccoli
Broccoli is n’t a longsighted steward , but it will keep best at 32 stage F ( cautiously regulated ) with very high moisture . passementerie and bag in perforated plastic . Do n’t hive away near yield or vegetable , such as Malus pumila , that give off ethene gasoline — it will significantly shorten entrepot life .
Varieties to moot : Greenbelt , Green Comet , Legacy , Marathon and Waltham 29
Shelf life:1 to 2 week
Brussels Sprouts
For right smell , harvest home Brussels burgeon forth after several frosts . If you have room , dig up the plant and repot it , localize it in your cellar and continuing to reap from it , or hang it upside down from the base . If space is modified , pick the sprouts and stash away them in a perforated charge card udder .
variety to consider : Jade Cross and Long Island ameliorate
ledge life:3 to 5 weeks
Cabbage
Choose firm , upstanding shekels heads . violent cabbage computer memory well than green form , and late salmagundi are usually better keepers than early variety . harvest time after the first frost by pulling the plant out of the reason , then reduce off leaves . depot in out-of-door storage pits or garbage rump because the cabbage ’s scent will permeate the cellar or house if put in inside and can impact the flavor of celery , apples and pear . you could also wrap each shekels individually and place on shelves , leaving a couple of inches between each drumhead .
multifariousness to look at : Brunswick , Danish Ballhead , Late Flat Dutch , Red Acre , Red Drumhead and Storage No . 4
ledge life:3 to 4 calendar month or longer depending on smorgasbord
Carrots
Like many root crops , carrots can be stash away where develop in the garden , if you do n’t have problems with rodents and can mulch deep with 1 to 2 feet of hay or straw . To store deep down , dig up at the end of the time of year , before the reason has freeze down . Cut off the tops close to the carrots , or snap off by hand — the fronds deplete the Daucus carota sativa of moisture and nutrients if result in place , shortening the Daucus carota sativa ’s memory biography . Layer in a box with moist guts , peat or moss .
variety to consider : Chantenay , Danvers , Bolero , Carson , Kingston , Kurota Chantenay , Nigel , Red Core Chantenay , Royal Chantenay and St. Valery
Shelf life:4 to 6 months or long , depending on variety and conditions
Jerusalem Artichokes
These tubers do n’t store as well in a root cellar as they do in the ground — they’ll last all wintertime in the garden if the priming coat does n’t freeze . Although Jerusalem artichokes are hardy to zone 3 , take precautions to avoid immobilise : Over clock time , exposure to almost - freezing or freezing temperatures causes their starches to break down , changing their color , grain and flavour . Diseased , bruised or skinned tubers will increase spoiling .
Varieties to deliberate : Fuseau is the most commonly visualize ; a less - mutual heirloom diverseness that overwinters well is Corlis Bolton Haynes .
Shelf life : in the root word cellar , 1 to 2 months layered in damp sand ; if left in ground , maintain until fountain ( overcompensate with a light level of mulch to protect from freeze ) , calculate on conditions
Leeks
Mulch in the garden until a knockout icing , then dig up , keep entire . ( Some gardener find they can depart leeks in the garden , heavily mulch . ) Using a mystifying bucketful , storage upright in damp sand or land .
salmagundi to view : Arena , Elephant , Giant Musselburgh , Nebraska and Zermatt
Shelf life:3 to 4 calendar month
Parsnips
As with carrot , parsnip can be leave in the garden under a laborious stratum of mulch , though parsnips do n’t like alternate freeze and thaw cycles . To store inside , cut off tops , and stratum in a boxwood with damp sand , peat or sphagnum moss .
change to deliberate : All - America , Hollow Crown and Offenham
Shelf life:1 to 2 months
Pears
stock only unblemished , unbruised fruit . Pears are very sensitive to temperature and are ideally store at 29 to 31 degrees F. Wrap each pear in paper , and hive away in cardboard or wooden boxes line with perforated plastic . allot to entropy from Colorado State University Extension , “ If pear tree are stash away too tenacious or at too high a temperature ( above 85 degrees F for most variety , but as humiliated as 70 to 75 degrees F for Keiffers ) , they will break down without ripen , often becoming brownish within , while the outside depend sound . ”
Varieties to consider : Bosc , Comice and D’Anjou
Shelf life:2 to 3 months
Potatoes
Once plant have died back , fag up potatoes and cure in a drear place at 45 to 60 degree F for 10 to 14 days . Once cured , potato should be stored at 40 to 45 degrees F — colder temperatures can make murphy overly sweet , while warmer temporary can lead to sprouting . Do n’t put in with ethylene - releasing crops .
Varieties to consider : All downhearted , Katahdin , Kennebec , Red Pontiac , Sangre , Sebago and Yukon Gold
Shelf life:4 to 6 month
Rutabagas
bed in a corner with moist sand and keep moist . entrepot outdoors to avoid odors .
Varieties to believe : American Purple Top and Laurentain
Shelf life:2 to 4 months
Turnips
salt away the same as you would carrot , but keep moist . storehouse out of doors to forefend odors .
kind to consider : Navet des Vertus Marteau and Purple Top White Globe
Winter Radishes
Layer in a boxful with moist sand . Keep moist . storehouse outdoors to avoid smell .
variety show to consider : Black Spanish , Chinese White and Violet de Gournay
Cool and Dry
salt away these varieties at 50 to 60 degrees F with 60- to 70 - percent humidity .
Beans (dried)
let beans to mature on the plant until the beans rattle . Pull up the total industrial plant and place it in a protect , fly-by-night spot to dry for an additional 1 to 2 weeks . If your thumbnail take in an indent in the seedpod , juiceless longer . Shell the bean by hand , or beat industrial plant against a hard surface . Blow away straw with a hair dryer or air compressor , then store in an airtight container . Some gardeners freeze ironic beans for several week to pour down weevils . memory in an airtight container .
Varieties to consider : Adzuki , Black Coco , Brown Dutch , Jacob ’s Cattle , Speckled Cranberry , Steuben , Tiger ’s Eye ( Repokeb ) and Yin Yang
Shelf life : well used within 1 year but can last several years
Garlic
When about half the garlic leaves are yellow to brown and dying off , but top leaves are still green , dig up one or two bulbs to judge . If the heads are still tight , leave the ease a slight longer . When the caput are a nice sizing but before bulbs start to split up , it ’s time to harvest . Dig up your garlic , brush off loose soil and handle gently . Cure for about 10 to 14 days in a well - ventilated location where bulbs wo n’t get smashed or sunburned . Once cured , braid tops together and pay heed , or cut off tops and keep bulb in engagement bags . Dry condition are crucial for storage life-time ; otherwise , they start to sprout .
miscellanea to consider : Chilean ash gray , Marbled Purple Stripe , Mother Of Pearl , Porcelain and Tipatilla ( Softneck varieties tend to store better than hardneck motley . )
Shelf Life:5 to 8 month
Onions
Place reap onions on newspaper , filmdom or hardware cloth , out of sun in a juiceless , well - ventilate place and cure for 10 to 14 days , or until skin are papery and roots are dry . cut back off tops about 1 inch above the onion plant , and store in ventilated container . you could use nett bags , newspaper grocery sacks , or even pantyhose for this purpose . Avoid using plastic bag or charge card storage containers that are n’t breathable . Dry condition are crucial for storage life ; otherwise , they lead off to sprout .
variety to regard : Australian Brown , Brunswick , Bronze d’Amposta , Copra , Newburg , Norstar , Red Burgundy , Red Creole , Red Weathersfield , Rossa Di Milano , Stuttgarter , Yellow Globe and Yellow of Parma ( Sweet Spanish case do n’t stack away well . )
Shelf life:5 to 8 months
Pumpkins
harvest home Cucurbita pepo before icing , leave 1 inch or more of the stem intact — pumpkins without stems are susceptible to spoiling . Cure at 80 to 85 level F for about 10 days .
Varieties to take : Howden and Winter Luxury
Shelf life:5 to 6 months
Squash
Store squash the same as you would pumpkins ; acorn squash does n’t need to cure .
Varieties to consider : Crown Prince , Delicata , Golden Delicious Hubbard , Hubbard True Green Improved and Uchiki Kuri , Waltham Butternut
Sweet Potatoes
Dig up odoriferous potatoes in belated fall as soon as the vine become flat , choosing undamaged genus Tuber to bring around for storage . Brush aside dry soil , then bring around in warm temperatures ( 80 to 85 degrees F ) and high humidity ( about 90 percent ) for five to 10 days . Once cured , move to a coolheaded , dry storage region ( 55 to 60 degree F ) . you may wrap spud individually in paper and store in give vent box or field goal .
variety to weigh : Allgold , Centennial and Jewell
Tomatillos
Verde is ripe when fleeceable ; the variety Purple turn purple after the husk is removed . Harvest after the papery shuck has turned from green to tan or has split . Store in a dry , ventilated area in a netted bag , basket or newspaper dish . Tomatillos store well in their husks , but at any signaling of mold on the husk , peel and lave them , then refrigerate .
Varieties to consider : Many seed retailers propose that Purple Physalis ixocarpa keep good than Verde .
Tomatoes
Tomatoes can be pick before ripe and allowed to ripen in storage , or you’re able to take longer - keeping varieties of love apple that will put in well than other mature tomato varieties if shape are good . There are several methods for storing Lycopersicon esculentum . If you have green tomato plant still on the vine ( and lot of space ) , you may pull the entire tomato vine out of the garden and hang it upside down . Or pick gullible tomatoes , envelop individually in newspaper , and maintain a temp of about 55 degree F ( no low-spirited ) to slowly ripen them for use later ; fleeceable tomato will ripen in about 10 to 14 days at way temperature .
Varieties to consider : Eva Purple Ball , Fried Green Hybrid , Green Thumb , Reverend Morrow ’s Long Keeper , Old Fashioned Garden Peach , Red October , Red Siberian , Ruby Treasure and Winter Keeper
Shelf life:1 to 2 month for green ; as long as 4 to 6 months for change intended for winter computer storage
This article was excerpted from “ Root of the Matter , ” which look in the September / October 2012 issuance ofHobby Farm Home .
