I know I'm always going on about how wonderful squash are but here's some more proof (as if you needed it)!
I cut this squash in half the other day and it was still edible. Bear in mind that this was harvested form the end of September last year! The skin was rock solid and I did think it was hollow inside when I cut it using a shovel, but it smelt fine and the flesh was the same as ever.
If you want a food key to self sufficiency that involves very little effort in storage then this is the one for you! We just put them in a box in the dinning room, once we've ripened them, and take them out as we need them.
What's your favourite veg for good storage?
Same as you squash are ideal to keep for an age
ReplyDeleteSo easy as well and everyone asks about the box of squash tucked in the corner. I feel like quite a good gardener when they people ask about them!
DeleteKev - Tomatoes, which I preserve and squash. Butternut and pumpkins are the very first things I plant as Spring approaches.
ReplyDeleteI need to get better at preserving my tomatoes - at the moment we seem to eat most of them!
DeleteI'm with you on the squash. Shallots and garlic strung and hung up last all winter long (so long as you have enough obviously!) I also grow beans for drying, which are great stand-by ..Do I feel another post coming on there?
ReplyDeleteWhat type of squash is that? I grow butternut and Crown Prince for keepers.
Gill
Yeah, I need to build somewhere cool enough to store them though as the shed isn't ideal! To be honest I never bother with what type is what as they all grow all over each other so I always loose the names. I just grow a large variety every year and we seem to like them all.
DeleteI'm always worried about attracting mice...so I tend to freeze stuff.
ReplyDeleteJane x
I'm planning on building a mouse proof shed soon so maybe thats the answer! I always think that if the power goes off and you lost everything in the freezer it would be terrible.
DeleteWe wouldn't worry in the winter!! But we sure would in the summer.
DeleteJane x
I'm not a squash lover but maybe I may need some good recipes x
ReplyDeleteI love it roasted or as part of a spicy stew. I'll have to dig up some recipes for over winter!
Deletewe love squash here too because they store so well and for so long. but my absolute fave veg for storage, and for taste and versatility - potatoes! i love potatoes!!!
ReplyDeleteyour friend,
kymber
I wouldn't live very happily without potatoes I must agree. They are amazing and I like them every way possible. It's mad to think that they're relatively new to our diet (hundreds of years) and they're such a staple.
DeleteAll of my long term storage food is either dehydrated and stored in Mylar bags, in nitrogen flushed pails, or canned. I do have some smoked hams, but vegetable wise I've never had any luck with fresh vegetables. I once tried to store potatoes long term in wooden cases, filled with saw dust. I put them in a dark, climate controlled space but they rotted anyway.
ReplyDeleteStoring them in sawdust is something you shouldn't do as it pull the moisture out of them. slightly damp sand or soil would be best in a dark cool room or cellar. I clamped some carrots this way last year and they lasted until the spring.
DeleteKev - you are exactly right! we use slightly damp soil to store all of our potatoes, squash, carrots etc. in a basement which has a dirt floor and we maintain a usual temp of about 3-5C....it keeps alot of our food from spoiling.
DeleteWell, hell. That explains that. But who is this Kymber woman. I like the looks of her. I bet she is a Canadian.
DeleteSo far I have had little luck keeping the powdery mildew off the Squash plants. They do fine at the beginning, but then as soon as they start to flower and the get the first squash the powdery mildew attacks the leaves.
ReplyDelete