Enjoy Fresh, Local Food All Year
(Page 2 of 4)
August/September 2007
By Barbara Pleasant
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Cool Storage Superstars
These crops will keep for two to six months at cool room temperatures, and they require no processing, containers or refrigeration. Can things get any easier than slipping a few buttercup squash under your bed, or finding a place in your closet for sweet potatoes? The sweet flavor of these two crops actually improves under good storage conditions, so you’re not settling for less by storing your own. When bringing winter squash home from a farmers market, cradle them in towels to avoid accidental nicks or bruises.
Garlic benefits from cool conditions, but most varieties will keep at room temperature for several months. Do keep nuts out of the reach of hungry rodents, and freeze them after their protective shells have been removed. Click here for a list of good cold storage crops, their peak seasons, and handling and storage tips.
Underground Sleepers
These foods will keep for two months or more under cold, moist conditions — no processing required. A root cellar is ideal, or you can bury boxes or barrels underground. (Search for “root cellar” for more.) If you live in a cold climate but don’t want to dig, you can store many of these crops in an unheated garage or outbuilding. In warm climates where the soil stays above 45 degrees in winter, a second refrigerator may be your best option. Running an extra fridge consumes energy, but not nearly as much as is needed to process, package and ship the crops you would buy otherwise. Click here for a list of foods that are good candidates for underground storage.
Water Bath Wonders
Pickles, acidic tomatoes and sweetened chutneys or fruit preserves have a pH level below 4.5 that retards bacterial growth, so they can be canned in a large water bath canner. A water bath canner is nothing more than a large pot with a metal tray or rack that holds glass jars at least a half inch off the bottom. They are not expensive to buy new, and used ones often can be found at thrift stores or yard sales. Canning jars will last for decades, so look for them used, too. Each time you reuse a jar, you’ll conserve all the materials and energy that would be needed to create a replacement. Jars sealed in a water bath canner need no refrigeration. (See Learn to Can for Homegrown Flavor for more on home canning.) It’s important to closely follow the recipes and instructions that come with your canning equipment to avoid food contamination. Click here for foods for water bath canning, plus their peak seasons and handling and storage tips.
