Help with storing produce, please.

[GlenAmple]

I want to grow more veg this year but I've no idea how I'm going to store it. My shed is damp in the winter and gets very hot in the summer. I don't have a large freezer either, so I can't freeze much

I would like to try growing, Leeks, Potatoes, Peas (grown before), Carrots (grown baby ones before), Tomatoes (grown before but not successfully), Sweetcorn, Onions and possibly some Iceberg Lettuce.

Any help appreciated

[Glutton4...]

Get a freezer!

[piskieinboots]

Have a look through this lot

[Nicos]

I've been thinking of getting a food dehydrator .My birthday is coming up, so now's the ideal time for me to ask for one!
I have 2 large freezers which are full- and it does worry me that is there is a power failure, then I'll have lost all my years produce!

here is one I've googled...no idea how good it is though- although the videos are quite interesting!

Excalibur

[OllieMartin]

Leeks - Will keep for 7 days in the fridge. You can freeze them, and although they lose some flavour they can still be added to soups. Dehydrate them, this will retain more flavour and they can be rehydrated by soaking them in hot water for 30 minutes, they will probably lose some of their texture.

Potatoes - Can be stored in a clamp, paper bag, or in straw, somewhere dark. Not too hot and not too cold.

Peas - Can be frozen easily (as Bird's Eye demonstrate)

Carrots - Can also be stored in a clamp. Lots of information here

Tomatoes - Can be turned into a variety of sauces, or alternatively you can dehydrate them. More info on this thread: http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...-tomatoes.html
I've had some success dehydrating them, dipping them in vinegar and storing them in oil.

Sweetcorn - Can also be frozen or turned into burger relish! Mmmm

Onions - Apart from a variety of onion chutneys, onions keep best between 32°F and 40°F and with little humidity. Use up the immature, soft and big-necked ones first.

Lettuce - Can't really be preserved.

[Nicos]

Here's the one pigletwillie has...


L'Equip 528 Food Dehydrator - Grey: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home

[OllieMartin]

Here's the one pigletwillie has...


L'Equip 528 Food Dehydrator - Grey: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home

Awww, that's a really posh one. Mine's not that fancy

[Nicos]

Awww, that's a really posh one. Mine's not that fancy

well...he's posh in't he??

[OllieMartin]

well...he's posh in't he??

Hmm, it's a mere 6-times the price of mine too!

[Alison]

I bought one of these last autumn - Food Dehydrator from Westfalia at our Preserving food and jam making inside the Household shop, cheap and seems pretty good. Not done loads with it yet but OH dried a lot of foraged mushrooms and I did some oranges for Christmas decorations.

I use a combination of methods to store, onions and potatoes are dry stored in the garage (onions in old tights, potatoes in hessian sacks), tomatoes are frozen, made into chutney / relish or canned, French beans, peas and courgettes are frozen, runner beans are salted etc etc. This year I am also going to try some storing tomatoes which theoretically should last until about Christmas. Squashes etc are just left on the side, probably warmer than they should be but have always lasted until I've run out. Carrots were kept in the ground but next year I'm going to store in sand as it was a pain to get them out the frozen ground and some of them have gone a bit mushy.

[Pies]

"how to store your Garden Produce"
By Piers Warren

[Jeanied]

I have the same dehydrator model as Alison: cheap and cheerful, does the job, doesn't take up too much room. Great for drying rasps, toms, mushrooms - and making fruit leathers!

[matthew2riches]

I might grab one of those... we had soooooo many toms last year and have none at the moment

[Flummery]

I used to have problems - till I discovered successional sowing! I like to try to eat fresh stuff all year round. I'm stuck with oca, leeks, JAs and greens at the moment but they all keep well in the soil!

[GlenAmple]

Thanks for all the help, I might try keeping my carrots in the ground