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Vegetables from home gardens have the benefits of being harvested just prior to use. This usually means that the product not only is fresher and more flavorful but also is more nutritious. Vegetables are living tissue and these living tissues continue to live after harvest. Providing conditions to slow deterioration in quality after harvest is important.
Cold, moist. Many vegetables keep best if storage temperatures are low and the humidity level is high. Respiration is kept as low as possible, and crispness is maintained by preventing water loss. Most early spring vegetables and leafy green vegetables are in this category.
Cool, moist. Some crops suffer internal damage if the storage temperatures are too low. They are best kept in a cool storage location--between 40-50o F-- with high humidity. Many fruits such as cucumbers, melons, peppers, ripe tomatoes, and related crops are in this category. A storage temperature in the thirties may shorten the life, resulting in discoloration of the product and disagreeable flavors.
Cool, dry. Onions require a cool storage location with low humidity. Onions store best in open mesh bags so that excess humidity does not build up near the product.
Warm. Crops such as sweetpotatoes, winter squash, and pumpkins store best at cool basement temperatures around 55o F. These temperatures might not be considered warm by human comfort standards, but for produce they are. These crops are subject to internal injury when storage temperatures drop too low. The damage, called "chilling injury," is as serious as many other types of physical damage.
Nothing improves in storage, and defective produce should be discarded or used up immediately so that only the best quality, soundest products are put into storage. Produce must be handled carefully to avoid surface damage, skinning, or bruising. All these types of injury provide entry points for bacteria or fungi that may rot the produce and reduce storage intervals.
Frequently check on vegetables in storage and discard any that are starting to rot or discolor by gently removing them from the basket or box. Areas that are used for storage, including boxes or baskets used to hold produce should be disinfected prior to use. Placing the containers or storage racks in bright sunlight for several days is effective. Wiping them with a dilute bleach/water solution using about 1 part laundry bleach to 10 parts water can disinfect as well. Allow containers or racks to dry thoroughly before using.
When storing vegetables for later use, follow the recommendations in the table presented in fact sheet # 51, Recommended Vegetable Storage Conditions. Vegetables in the cold-moist and cool-moist groups may be stored in an old-fashioned outdoor pit, an underground cellar, or a specially designed interior storage area in the basement. Vegetables in the cold-dry and warm groups may be stored in a cool area in a heated basement. Avoid water that may condense and drop from pipes or ceilings. Do not allow the vegetables to freeze.
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