The premise is that we joined a vegetable co-op last spring that brought fresh organic veg up from Palisade, CO every week from June until December, and while we got just enough of some items, potatoes, squash, peppers, and others were so plentiful we had to start thinking about storage.
We have a small ranch style house with a carport and minimal storage. No basement, attic, garage, etc. We have plenty of closet space, but after further research with thermometer and humidity gauge, the closets weren't optimal for storage.
Temperature and humidity are the key to storing home grown vegetables. The three combinations for long-term storage are cool and dry (50-60˚F / 10-15˚C, 60% relative humidity), cold and dry (32-40˚F / 0-4˚C, 65% relative humidity), and cold and moist (32-40˚F / 0-4˚C, 95% relative humidity). In ideal circumstances, vegetables can store up to 4 to 6 months depending on the item.
Some homegrown vegetables, such as cucumbers and peppers, require cool and moist conditions. These are hard to maintain and usually yield a shorter shelf-life. For those, I decided the best thing to do was jar them, so we made four big batches of salsa and two batches of gazpacho this summer~ a first!
But for storing the potatoes and squash, which require cool and dry conditions, I decided to make a storage unit adjacent to a small window so I could regulate the temperature with the outside temp, since the inside alone is too warm, and the outside would get too cold in our winters.
I created a cardboard box the size of my window, cut a small door in it for easy access, and cut the backside off the box so the window became the backside of the "unit," regulating its heat. The box was large enough that it sticks out a little from the window shelf, but not too large so that it doesn't fall off. Then I created darkness (also a must) in the box with a thick piece of fabric, cracked the window, and began testing the humidity and temperature. (sorry, no photos)
Overall, the unit's first season did great. Thanks to Colorado's low humidity, the unit averaged about 55-60%, which is on the low side, (we don't want to dry out our veg completely!) but when the storms rolled in, (or I take a shower!-it is in the bathroom), I've noticed it can creep up to 70%. Our vegetables lasted 3 months, which is great for a first start.
The temperature of the unit stayed constant at about 60˚F which is on the high side, and indeed I would notice mold occasionally as it started and remove the potato or squash immediately.
Although this did require weekly watching, the MacGyver Long Term Vegetable Storage was a success and we're still eating last summer's home grown organic vegetables! Beats Safeway in Colorado in February by a long shot!
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