Storing vegetables over winter

Posted by Sherry Ramsey on February 17, 2008 at 9:15am in Food preservation

This year I'd like to grow more and store some things for use over the winter. My grandfather used to have a "cold cellar" in the basement, so I do know something about it, but our entire basement is heated. We do have an outdoor shed (not insulated). I wondered about building a storage box for inside the shed, maybe filling it with sand (I remember my grandfather using sand) or some other insulating material. We have cold winters here so I'm wondering whether such a plan would work. I'd love some advice or other thoughts on the matter.

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Permalink Reply by Mia on February 21, 2008 at 1:37pm: There is book called Root Cellaring (I believe that is correct) that discusses different ways of winter storage. I can't recall who wrote the book. I found it at the library.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Margaret McIntyre on February 21, 2008 at 3:13pm: Hi...We are blessed to have a well house in which we store potatoes but actually I would like to know more about how to store other veggies in it as well. The well is dug at the bottom of a eight foot or so culvert which is embedded upright down into the soil.. Over the top part of the culvert is a roof, half of which lifts up to gain access to a ladder going down into the culvert. The previous owners built a series of shelves on one side and it's there that we store potatoes in a large plastic bin, with air holes punched into it. We place old foam insulation sheets over the culvert before we close it up for the winter, and also wrap the well house in black plastic. This makes it rather inaccessible until spring, but when we ARE able to get to the potatoes, they are as fresh as newly dug ones. We tried this method with apples, squash, and pumpkins, but it did not work, so I too, need to learn more about what particular veggies need in order to survive a winter. more-or-less underground. Margaret in Vermont; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Brook on February 21, 2008 at 6:37pm: Any sort of root cellering is dependent on conditions in which the area stays cold but does not freeze. In the book "Root Cellaring" Mike and Nancy Bubel go into all the details, from excavating a full cellar to building a root cellar in an otherwise heated basement.

I don't think your uninsulated shed will work, because anything kept out there is likely to freeze.

Traditionally, root cellars were dug into south-facing slopes, with enough soil surrounding them that they maintained steady temperatures (around 34-40 degrees F) year round.

There are other ways of achieving this. You can, for instance, dig a hole big enough to hold a metal trash can, with the lid and a couple of inches above ground level (so water doesn't enter it), and gravel below (for drainage). Layer it with appropriate veggies/sand) and you have a mini-celler. In fact there is a name for this, which I can't recollect at the moment.

Lots of veggies, root types in particular, can remain in the ground, protected by thick layers of mulch, all winter. You just go out, move the mulch aside, and dig the carrots, turnips, beets, whatevers that you need. Obviously, the deep the winter where you live, the more mulch needed.

Some veggies can be kept where it's cooler, but not necessarily cold. I'm still working on this season's butternut squash, for instance, which was merely stored in a plastic trash can in an unused extra bedroom.

Sweet potatoes were historically kept in boxes stored under the bed. I do the same, with the box kept under a coffee table in the living room.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sherry Ramsey on February 21, 2008 at 8:39pm: Thanks for the replies! I searched our local library's database and the Root Cellaring book is there, so I've requested it. I'm really looking forward to reading it now, it sounds like there might be ideas in it that I'll be able to use.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Plumtreed on April 19, 2008 at 8:51pm: Our problem is just the opposite of yours in that the weather can get too hot for good storage. It is also important to maintain a level of moisture or things dry out.

We are in Australia and live in an old homestead that includes a walk in pantry. We use an inexpensive portable type air-conditioner set to the desired temperature. When well loaded the pantry seems to retain the desired temperature and the airconditioner is seldom activated so does not run for long periods of time. The water, condensate, collects in a tray and contributes to the humidity in the room.

The only point I am trying to make is that the temperature remains fairly constant because the room is well insulated and the 'mass' of stored goods also stores the desired temperature. It takes very little 'introduced' control to keep it constant.

You might, in some way, apply the same principle to store produce.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Penelope on March 15, 2008 at 2:21pm: Every year I leave a few carrots and/or beets in the ground, then dig them up in March for a "fresh" feast. This year, however, is the first year I've tried to overwinter vegetables in my garden boxes which are thigh high. Not a good idea. I just took my trowel out to see and found mush. I must treat the boxes as I would a pot. Above ground overwintering outdoors just doesn't work. I figured it wouldn't but thought I'd give it a try anyway.

It's snowing like crazy today.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Aneeta Negi on May 17, 2008 at 6:36am: i am agree with Sherry Ramsey .

http://www.blueshoots.com; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by harriet fasenfest on May 20, 2008 at 8:11am: Mike Bubel who, with his wife, wrote Root Cellaring now lives in Oregon. The book is now widely available as it has been republished. But is was interesting that when I spoke with him he was very clear that storing foods in mild and wet Oregon is very different then "root cellaring" in Pennsylvania (which is where they were when they wrote that book I think).

My understanding is it is best to choose varieties suited to your area and season - like some that can overwinter. Knowing where your seeds come from and what region they were tested in is helpful. We are lucky that territorial seeds originally hailed about two hours south of Portland and that is where there test gardens were. But saving seeds is probably the most effective in finding varieties that thrive in all seasonal conditions. If they thrived in your garden one year it could well be they are suited for those conditions because generally, only the strong survive.

Like many of you, I have found that storing certain vegetables in the ground overwinter is very effective but then we don't get rock hard freezes or too warm winters. We do get wet winters which challenges us differently. Hardy plants like collards and kale produce most the winter and like another poster, I have grown quite fond of butternut squash. It is a good keeper. Many vegetable catalogues will suggest varieties as such. Right now I have given a significant area of my garden over to Copra onions and garlic so I can have a big batch for over the winter. Both, if "seasoned" properly, should make for good eating with all those hardy greens and squash.

I also do a lot of food preservation which helps me make it through the year.; ▶ Reply to This