Author Topic: storing produce  (Read 7165 times)

rdak

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storing produce
« on: February 20, 2004, 11:30:34 »
I know there are some books on storing produce, but being a cheapskate, I wondered whether someone could give me a basic overview of what should be done when harvesting crops - e.g. which crops can be left in the ground, which should be frozen and which store well without freezing. Am particularly interested in whether there are any crops that have a very short harvesting window and when ready need to be picked before they 'go over'. Appreciate this is a big topic and I really should buy a book- but any replies welcome
:)
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

Mrs Ava

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Re: storing produce
« Reply #1 on: February 20, 2004, 20:25:22 »
I know some folks have bought books about this, but I shall tell you the way I will be going.  Carrots and I figure beetroots and parsnips can be stored in a clamp - which I will be investigating further, but from what I understand, the roots (only undamaged ones) are layered up covered with slightly damp compost or sand.  Course, you can pickle beetroots, but I hate them so won't be going down this route.  Beans and peas can be blanched and frozen.  Toms can be cooked and the sauce jarred or frozen, I freeze toms whole also to be used in cooking.  Onions and garlics can be left the dry and platted or just hung in bunches, spuds sacked up in paper sacks and stored in the dark.  As for caulis and brocolli- no idea!  I guess if I have masses then I will blanch and freeze some, and make soup and cauli cheese and freeze it.  Cabbages and sprouts seem to be okay left in situ and used as you need, same with leeks.  With all veggies of course you can make yummy recipes and then they can be frozen.  Jams with fruits, and pickles with alsorts.  Mum has a very old fashioned pickling book which might come in useful later in the year.  Chilis can be dried, ooo so can toms, you can oven dry them and then keep them in olive oil and use like sundried.  What other things will you be growing and hoping to store?  Hope this helps Ross.   ;D
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

Hugh_Jones

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Re: storing produce
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2004, 22:05:20 »
Parsnips can be left in the ground (they actually taste better if they are), as also can most varieties of maincrop carrots - but give them a good watering with cheap coffee at drinking strength in mid October to keep slugs off them.

Peas and beans can be blanched before freezing, but they freeze and keep just as well, and retain their texture and taste better, if you simply freeze straight from the plant.

Potatoes are best in hessian sacks which allow them to breathe - I use the ones we buy the birds` peanuts in, and after several years of painstakingly stringing onions I found out that they keep just as well in mesh sacks or bags such as those which wholesalers supply them in - if you`re friendly with your local greengrocer you can probably beg one from him.
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

tim

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Re: storing produce
« Reply #3 on: February 20, 2004, 22:11:22 »
But strings of onions in the kitchen are a MUST? That's where ours live.

And peas and beans - suggest you open freeze them like raspberries etc?

Oh, and do stock or soup in cubes to be quick to thaw and be more easily apportioned.

Hessian, Hugh - yes - but paper ones do us very well = Tim
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:02 by -1 »

Hugh_Jones

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Re: storing produce
« Reply #4 on: February 20, 2004, 22:29:40 »
Strings of onions in the kitchen, Tim?. I tried it, but our kitchen must be too warm - they all started to sprout by February, quite apart from the odd one that always seemed to come adrift and drop on someone`s head.
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

tim

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Re: storing produce
« Reply #5 on: February 20, 2004, 22:35:49 »
Luck of the draw? We have an AGA and it's a constant 65ish. And they seem to last through till May, at least.  And the sprouts are great in cooking?? = Tim
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

Hugh_Jones

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Re: storing produce
« Reply #6 on: February 20, 2004, 23:09:29 »
We never thought of that. Do you cook them separately, or just chop them up with the rest, Tim.
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

ina

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Re: storing produce
« Reply #7 on: February 21, 2004, 10:13:59 »
>>Peas and beans can be blanched before freezing, but they freeze and keep just as well, and retain their texture and taste better, if you simply freeze straight from the plant.<<

What about all this scientific stuff about some kind of process being stopped when blanched Hugh? It will save me a lot of work this season. After harvesting I can do without having to stand in a hot kitchen late in the evening to blanch kilo's of beans. Just top, break,pack and freeze the beans?  
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:02 by -1 »

The gardener

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Re: storing produce
« Reply #8 on: February 21, 2004, 14:01:05 »
The blanching (as I understand it) is to kill off certain 'enzymes' that can affect the keeping quality of the product.

From memory I think if you intend to store frozen produce for in excess of six months, you are recommended to 'blanch' them. This is not so important if storing for less time than this..

I'm afraid we don't do much blanching any more (if any) and don't appear to have any side affects. ( no comments from the stalls ;D )

In fact quite often each year I have to remove some of last years stock out to get the new years stock in, meaning that some of my stuff has been frozen for a full year..... unblanched,and it tastes OK.
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:02 by -1 »


The Gardener

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Re: storing produce
« Reply #9 on: February 21, 2004, 14:24:50 »
Thanks Gardener.
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

Debs

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Re: storing produce
« Reply #10 on: February 21, 2004, 15:37:50 »
Has anyone ever stored apples successfully ?
My sister has an apple and a pear tree in her garden.
I tried storing the apples last year, by wrapping in newspaper taking care that they did not touch. Then stored them in garden shed - only to find that they all began to rot  ???.  Advice please anyone !?!

At my local fruit wholesaler, they were selling boxes of tomatoes from the canaries at 99p per box!!  Needless to say, the thrifty cook in me bought a box and I made
several batches of 'fresh tomato sauce' from one of my many cookbooks.
Its to die for, so I shall put it on recipe forum for any interested parties.

I luv to cook  :D( and eat !!)  :P

Debs.
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

rdak

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Re: storing produce
« Reply #11 on: February 21, 2004, 16:44:29 »
apples are a bit of a pain to store- because each one should be wrapped in newspaper as you are doing, but you have to check each apple quite frequently, as one rotting apple will quickly make the others rot. make sure the atmosphere isn't too humid.

did a quick google, try these:

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/fallick41.html

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/applestor.html

http://www.getrealmaine.com/learn/apple_information.html
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

Debs

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Re: storing produce
« Reply #12 on: February 21, 2004, 17:06:38 »
thanks for that Ross, in hindsight, I may have stored fallen apples which were probably going to bruise and spoil the rest. :-[  Never mind,  now I know better !!

Debs
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

Palustris

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Re: storing produce
« Reply #13 on: February 21, 2004, 21:31:38 »
It also depends on the apple variety. Some like Cox types will keep for longer than say Sunset. Bramleys will keep even longer. We do not wrap our apples. They are stored in apple boxes with plastic inserts which keep the fruit apart. They are kept in a dark, frost free shed. Store only unblemished fruit and if possible pick slightly under ripe. Watch out for mice and rats who love the fruit. Our Cox type are just coming to an end now (boo hoo), but the Bramleys are still going strong. You stillneed to ckeck for any rotters as they quickly infect the others.
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »
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tim

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Re: storing produce
« Reply #14 on: February 21, 2004, 22:32:15 »
Indeed - our Bramleys in the cellar last through till May. bUt I find that things like Sunset, which are supposed to be at treir best in November, have long gone.

As to 'windfalls' - equally, nothing with even a tiny abrasion, or bug hole in it. = Tim
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

Hugh_Jones

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Re: storing produce
« Reply #15 on: February 21, 2004, 23:05:54 »
I must confess that I always have difficulty in providing proper storage conditions for more than a small number of my Bramleys.  The result is that a large part of October evenings is given over to peeling and coring Bramleys, cooking them in the microwave, then bagging and freezing them for later use. Windfalls and damaged ones are dealt with urgently, and the remainder at a more leisuredly pace.
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

 

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