[mjpalin]

store yours?

Pumpkins
Squashes
Spuds
Root veg etc

I know it's supposed to be somewhere dark and cool (but frost free).
We only live in a little house, have a garage but it's not frost free, so looking for ideas from everyone else as to where your store your veg from the time you harvest it until you need to use it?

[GrannieAnnie]

When I've got enough potatoes to store, my shed also isn't frost free, but I used to put them in a black plastic bag, then into newspaper lined cardboard boxes.  But we get given most of our spuds at the moment, so I haven't grown any for a couple of years.

My pumpkins and squashes never do very well so I don't have to worry about them.  Most of my root veg we eat fresh, then freeze the rest for stews and stuff.

[mjpalin]

Thanks GrannieAnnie, this is the first year where it looks like I may finally have squashes and pumpkins to store :-) ........ damn... did I just speak too soon?
I'm not sure if i'll have enough freezer space or not (we have 3 freezers) we buy all of our meat in bulk and then batch cook into portioned meals to save cash. I know where there is a 4th freezer going spare in the family.. but that may be another thing that makes hubby want a divorce!

[BobE]

anoher thing that makes hubby want a divorce!

I bet he doesn't, it sounds like he loves all the activity. 

[mjpalin]

I bet he doesn't, it sounds like he loves all the activity. 

He loves the output.... claims he's getting too old for all the hard work 

Did I see another post from you that then disappeared?

If I did... Loft? Is that not too warm? Ours is like a bloomin' furnace most of the year round?
And love that BQ keeps stuff under the bed!

[BobE]

Yes you did but I read your post to fast.  I started to talk about preserves but then realised you meant fresh food, so I removed the post.  Just me being daft Im sorry.

If I did... Loft? Is that not too warm? Ours is like a bloomin' furnace most of the year round? And love that BQ keeps stuff under the bed!

That was jams and chutneys, preserves, not what you wanted. Sorry my fault.

[mjpalin]

no worries! And yes, it's the fresh stuff i'm trying to find somewhere to store!

[BobE]

no worries! And yes, it's the fresh stuff i'm trying to find somewhere to store!

Its because you were in the preserves section, I jumped to a conclusion.  I am a Taurus.  Others know about fresh a lot more than I.

[mjpalin]

aah! I read it as cooking / storing / preserving... as in topics could be about any of the three!
No doubt mods will move me on if I got it wrong!

[BobE]

No your not wrong, but just lately Ive been heavily into preserving and have become focused.  Your in the right place.  It was me that was wrong.  Please forget this and wait for Annie and the others to suggest ideas.

[mumofstig]

You are in the right place

My potatoes are stored in cardboard boxes, on boards so they're not in contact with the concrete floor,  in a brick lean-to shed. If it looks like it'll be really cold they get old sacks and stuff thrown over them to keep them a bit warmer.

My pumpkins/squash are stored on trays in the spare bedroom which is unheated, unless I have guests 

My swede stay in the ground or get cubed and frozen til I want them.

[compostqueen]

I keep my pumpkins and squashes in the conservatory and I turn the heat right down and keep a few of the windows just open to make sure there is adequate ventilation. I turn them and check them regularly, as the last thing you want is an exploding pumpkin    My sheds are hopeless for storing veg as they have no ventilation so I've given up trying to store veg in them. I have stopped growing loads of potatoes too as I just can't store them.  If you have a garage with an opening window that should be ok. Spuds usually get stored in hessian or paper sacks and then onto racks so they get ventilation round them but light is kept out.  Onions etc, once properly dried can be hung from the garage rafters in onion sacks or just strung up. 

[mjpalin]

Thanks MoS!

And yes, I know all about exploding Pumpkins (allbeit in the garden). Went away to the US for a few days last autumn (pre frosts), Hurricane Sandy hit, and we ended up being twice as long as we'd planned and didn't get back before the first frost :-( So had exploded nasty pumpkins all over the garden, and of the 6 we managed to grow, all we got to enjoy was the one we'd picked before we went away!

Determined that won't happen again this year, I will find somewhere to store the produce!

[compostqueen]

When I took on my plot I'd never given a thought to storing the produce. I'd not thought that far ahead.  Having veg to store is what it's all about and sort of rounds off the year.  Along with freezing, drying and preserving it makes it all worthwhile 

[BobE]

Thanks MoS!

So had exploded nasty pumpkins all over the garden, and of the 6 we managed to grow, all we got to enjoy was the one we'd picked before we went away!

Determined that won't happen again this year, I will find somewhere to store the produce!

What do you do with pumkins except put candles in them at halloween?