re: food storage
Posted by: empalo <empalo@...>
drying mushrooms.
from my files I have this information on onions but I don't know the source.
Onions should be stored in a well ventilated, dry place. Don't store them in
piles; single layers ensure longer life. Old panty hose are an excellent
place to keep them. Just slide an onion in and tie a knot. Slide another in
and tie a knot etc.
the following information is from the Michigan State extension office.
They have wonderful information on
food storage, I am always looking here to find out things.
Pat
Storing Onions
Harvest onion family crops when the tops have died or
in the late fall before the ground freezes. Allow the
plants to dry for several weeks before storage. Spread them
out on on an open screen off the ground.
Do not try to store bruised or thick-necked bulbs.
Storage should be in a dry, well-ventilated area with a
temperature near 32 degrees. Place the bulbs in mesh bags,
half full, and hang them from overhead hooks in the storage
area or put them in open slatted crates, half full, and
stacked on cross bars.
Slight freezing will not be harmful if the bulbs are
not handled while they are frozen. When stored properly,
the onion family bulbs should keep through the winter.
Storing Root Crops
Root crops may be stored in the garden or the
root cellar. If left in the garden, they should be covered
with 1 1/2 - 2 inches of insulating material. Parsnips,
salsify and horseradish are particularly sensitive to
alternate freezing and thawing so keep them covered
until outside temperatures are consistently low, then
remove the mulch to permit thorough freezing. After they
have frozen, mulch them deep enough to keep them frozen.
Before storing root crops in the cellar, wait until
the storage area is cool. The plants may be left in the
garden until then (late fall). Dig the root when the soil is
dry so less soil will cling to the roots. Cut off the
root crop tops about 1/2 inch above the root. They may be
washed but should be allowed to dry before being stored.
Temperature of the storage area should be between 32 and 40
degrees and very humid. Temperatures above 45 degrees
will encourage woodiness and sprouting. Pack the root
crops in bins or crates between layers of moist sand,
sawdust, sphagnum or peat moss. Containers should be
lined with a perforated plastic sheet.
If the humidity is not high enough in the storage
area, place the roots in plastic bags in which at least
4, 1/4 inch holes have been cut. Store only healthy root
crops. If storage conditions are right, the root crops
should keep 3 to 5 months, except for kohlrabi, which keeps
for only a few weeks.
Storing Potatoes
Potato storage will be more successful if only
good quality tubers are stored. Allow the crop to cure at
55 to 65 degrees for 7 to 10 days. The storage area
should be well-ventilated and dark. The process will be
slower and incomplete at temperatures less than 50 degrees.
The storage area should have temperatures between 35
and 40 degrees and moderately moist air. At temperatures
around 35 degrees the potatoes may turn sweet. This
can be corrected by holding them at 70 degrees for 1 to
2 weeks before using them.
If the storage area is not dark, the tubers may turn
green and bitter.