Fall Vegetable Storage Tips
I'm probably not the only one who has developed a much more conscious relationship to all steps of my food consumption since joining a CSA. In addition to making active decisions to eat fresh, whole foods, I've also become much more aware of how much food is wasted on a daily basis. (Walk down any New York City street on trash day and you'll know what I mean.)
Especially since CSAs can sometimes be costly, learning how to store produce properly can make buying healthy foods more cost effective and just better for everyone. If you know how to store food properly, then going on vacation doesn't have to mean throwing out a whole week's worth of veggies when you come back.
In an old edition of the newsletter that The Farm at Miller's Crossing sends out to their CSA members, they gave some tips on how to store fall and winter vegetables. I constantly come back to these tips, so I thought I'd pass them along. (You can also sign up for their newsletter for tips and recipes even if you don't belong to one of their CSAs.)
Quick Freeze
The following can be thrown directly into the freezer – no blanching required!
Tomatoes (whole; good for sauces or soups)
Peppers (cut into strips or pieces)
Onions & Leeks (diced or sliced )
Garlic (whole cloves or chopped and frozen)
Blanch & Freeze
Blanching kills the enzymes that are on the surface of the vegetables thus preserving their nutrition and flavor. Bring a pot of water to boil, place trimmed and rinsed vegetables in, wait the appropriate time (the National Center for Home Food Preservation has a good guide) and then strain or scoop into a strainer, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, place in freezer bags and move them into freezer. This method works great for everything from collards & kale to beans & winter squash.
Non-Freezer Storage
Root vegetables and squashes store for months with very little effort if you have the correct environment. If you get farm-fresh vegetables, here are some guidelines to making them last. (Your mileage may vary if you buy from a supermarket; you don't know the storage conditions or how long it's been from harvest to shelving.)
Cold & Very Moist: 34 degrees and 95% humidity, which means refrigerator crisper w/damp rag in the bottom (no tops on vegetables)
Carrots (5-7 months)
Beets (4-6 months)
Turnips (4-5 months)
Leeks (2-3 months)
Rutabagas (4-6 months)
Celeriac (6-8 months)
Radish (2-4 months)
Parsnip (4-6 months)
Brussels Sprouts (3–5 weeks)
Cold & Moist: 32 – 40 degrees and 80 – 90% humidity; refrigerator crisper w/dry rag in the bottom
Potatoes (5-8 months)
Cabbage (4-5 months)
Cool and Dry: 32 degrees and 60 – 65% humidity; crisper drawer in paper bags
Garlic (4-6 months)
Onions (2-6 months)
Warm and Dry: 50 degrees and 60 – 70 % humidity; spare bedroom or cool closet on an open shelf
Butternut Squash (4-8 months)
Carnival & Acorn Squash (1-3 months)
Pumpkins (1-3 months)
Warm and Moist: 50 degrees and 90-95% humidity); eat these soon – they do not reliably store well
Sweet Potato (1-2 months)