A bountiful harvest may overwhelm
you! During summer, freezing and canning vegetables
are major activities. In late summer and fall, it's
time to harvest the carrots, beets, winter squashes
and pumpkins for meals. Good eating depends on proper
harvesting and storage.
Harvesting Fall
Vegetables
Harvest vegetables when they are at
their peak, not immature or overripe. Select vegetables
that are free from damage and any insect or disease
injury. Harvest them in the morning or let the crops
cool outdoors overnight.
Storage Conditions
Proper moisture and ideal temperature
are critical in storing vegetables. Without correct
conditions, vegetables lose quality, shrivel and become
unfit to eat. The goal is to store vegetables for several
months after harvest in a cold, moist atmosphere that
will not allow them to freeze or decompose. Unheated
basements, if well-ventilated and cool, are good for
storage. In heated basements, it may be necessary to
build a separate section where temperature and humidity
can be controlled and ventilated. For gardeners with
a large quantity of vegetables, a separate storage
building or storage pit may be necessary. For gardeners
with a small harvest, a second refrigerator is an excellent
storage area. Your storage will depend upon the crops
you wish to harvest and keep for winter meals. Most
crops require a cool or cold moist area..
Beets |
Harvest fall beets after
several moderate frosts (24-28 degrees Fahrenheit)
or mulch with straw and leave in the garden
until late fall. For storage, rub off soil,
trim tops to 1/2 inch, place in perforated
plastic bags or pack in layers separated
by moist sand or peat moss in a large box
or bin. Store in a refrigerator or a moist,
cold cellar or pit.
|
Carrots |
Follow the same harvest and
storage requirements as beets. |
Parsnips |
Harvest in late fall after several
moderate freezes. Exposure to cold develops their
sweet flavor. Store the same as beets and carrots. |
Potatoes |
Store in cool area with high
humidity and good ventilation. Avoid exposure
to light. |
Turnips |
Harvest from the time turnips
are one inch in diameter. Leave in the garden
until they have withstood several light freezes
or mulch and leave until late fall. Store the
same as beets, carrots and parsnips. |
COLE
CROPS — Cold,
moist storage (32-40 degrees Fahrenheit,
90%-95% humidity). |
Broccoli |
Harvest while head is still
tight and of good green color. Store in perforated
plastic bags for up to one week in the refrigerator.
Freeze any surplus.
|
Brussels
Sprouts |
Sprouts can stand several modest
freezes (24-28 degrees Fahrenheit). Harvest all
sprouts before the first severe freeze (below
24 degrees Fahrenheit) and store in the refrigerator
in perforated bags for up to three weeks. Freeze
any surplus. |
Cabbage |
Harvest before a moderate freeze.
Store in a root cellar in a bin and cover with
moist soil. If stored in an outside pit, leave
roots and stem on. Place head down and cover
with straw or hay, then soil. (Caution: cabbages
have one of the strongest odors of all vegetables,
so don't store them where the smell will drift
through the house.) |
Cauliflower |
Store in perforated plastic
bags in the refrigerator for two weeks. Freeze
any surplus. |
Collards,
Kale, Spinach |
Wash and store in perforated
plastic bags in the refrigerator for up to two
weeks. Freeze surplus. (Cool, moist 45-50 degrees
Fahrenheit, 80%-90% relative humidity.) |
Sweet Peppers |
Store for two to three weeks
in the warmer part of the refrigerator in perforated
plastic bags. Cool cellar storage is also possible. |
Tomatoes |
Harvest before frost. Wrap mature
green tomatoes individually in newspaper and
store in cellar where temperatures are 55-58
degrees Fahrenheit. Inspect for ripeness weekly.
(Warm, moist 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit, 80%-85%
relative humidity.) |
Pumpkins
and
Winter
Squash |
Harvest when the skin is hard
and the colors darken. Both pumpkins and winter
squash should be harvested before frost and removed
from the vine with a portion of the stem attached.
Store on shelves in a single layer so that air
can circulate around them. |
|
