The Best Techniques To Preserve Autumn Produce

In my neck of the woods, this weekend marked the last official day of farmer's markets and as a result, vendors were eager to unload the fruits and root veggies of their labors for rock bottom prices.

Staring at all of the potatoes, apples and squash that I scored for pennies on the dollar, I realized that there would be no point to being such a wheeler and dealer if I couldn't make the items last long enough to eat them...and I wasn't about to gorge myself in record time so that it wouldn't all go to waste.

I came to a compromise by researching the optimum storage techniques for autumn produce and thought I'd share these handy facts with everyone here.

These tips are especially great because they help you to save a lot of green by buying in bulk and you can rest assured that there won't be any waste.

POTATOES: Have you noticed how incredibly cheap they are right now? A store near me is selling 10 pound bags for $1.25 which is a smokin' deal, but unless you keep them in dark, slightly moist conditions (between 32 - 40 degrees), your investment is going to sprout and walk off in the middle of the night. My grandmother keeps her spuds in a clean metal "garbage pail" (designated specifically for root veggies) in the garage from November through March without any issues...I found that a cheap Rubbermaid container with a lid works equally as well. If you'd like to prevent different varieties from intermingling, put them in a burlap or cloth sack prior to depositing them in your storage container.

ONIONS & GARLIC: While my grandmother keeps these items in a separate mesh bag inside the same container with her potatoes, I read online that the ideal temperature for onions and garlic is ten degrees higher (50 degrees maximum). Just make sure that you keep them somewhere cool and dry, and leaving them in a paper bag works just as well as putting them in a mesh or burlap sack.

APPLES: This is the right season to stock up on very affordable apples, and if stored properly (at 32 degrees), they have a remarkably lengthy shelf life of between 3 to 6 months. While I've used the fridge as my main apple storage location, I never mix other fruit in the same bin with them due to the release of ethylene gas which accelerates the ripening (and consequently the "rotting") process.

SWEET POTATOES, WINTER SQUASH & PUMPKINS:  Make sure that the stems on all squash and pumpkins are left intact in order to ensure a lengthy shelf life and be sure to initially "cure" them at warm, dry temperatures for about 10 days prior to storing them for an extended period of time in cooler conditions (50 - 60 degrees). Sweet potatoes can either be placed in a paper bag with an apple (to prevent sprouting) for about 1 month, or if you want to get really serious, you can fill a tub with dry sand and submerge them inside.

VARIOUS ADDITIONAL ROOT VEGETABLES: Whether you have carrots, leeks, turnips, rutabaga or beets on hand, make sure that you store them at temperatures between 32 and 40 degrees, either by submerging them in sand/sawdust (as with sweet potatoes) or inside bags that can breathe that are placed in a tub or box.