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Root Cellar Storage Fall Winter
   
A root cellar for fall and winter storage is a must for any latitude, even in the far south where cold-season temperatures may not reach a cellar’s ideal levels between 32 and 40 degrees F.
It calls for high humidity of 80-90% in order to keep fresh vegetables from losing their moisture and shriveling up. A damp soil floor provides this condition best. A concrete floor will provide lower humidity, but this is a better condition for some fresh foods, not to mention dry goods. Some root cellars wisely include two rooms, one with, and one without, a concrete floor.
Bring most vegetables and fruits into the root cellar immediately after harvesting. Some vegetables, however, such as onions and garlic, need to be dried in the sun for a week before dry-cellar storage. Squash and pumpkins need two weeks in the sun to develop a hard rind, and they need a warm cellar. Sweet potatoes also need to be cured.
Do not clean the vegetables before storage as this will risk bruising. Leave them covered in a layer of dirt if that is how they arrive. Shake off large clumps of dirt, of course, but be gentle. To reduce the clumps, harvest in dry weather. Do not cut the tips of roots off or slice any parts of perfect vegetables as this will invite bacteria to form colonies. Cut off most of the leafy stems of root vegetables to inhibit the escape of water, but leave an inch to keep bacteria from getting into the tops of roots. The tops of beets and parsnips are themselves edible, so take advantage.
The following are root-cellar products that are best stored in cold and very moist conditions (32-40 degrees F and 90-95% relative humidity):
Beets, collards, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, carrots, turnips, radishes, rutabagas, parsnips, Jerusalem artichokes, celery, salsify, celeriac, parsley, Brussels sprouts, leeks, and kohlrabi.
The following products do best in the same temperatures but at a slightly reduced humidity (80-90%):
Potatoes, endive, escarole, cabbage, cauliflower, quince, apples, pears, oranges, grapefruit, and grapes.
The following do best in 40-45-degree cellars with a relative humidity of 85-90%:
Cucumbers, cantaloupe, eggplant, tomatoes, watermelon, and sweet peppers.
Reduce the temperature and humidity of the following vegetables (35-40 degrees and 60-70%):
Garlic, onions and green soybeans in the pod.
The following need high temperatures and lower humidity (50-60 degrees and 60-70%):
Hot peppers, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, winter squash, and green tomatoes.
* Beets 4-5 months
* Broccoli 1-2 weeks
* Brussels Sprouts 3-5 weeks
* Cabbage (long keeper)
* Chinese Cabbage 1-2 months
* Carrots 4-6 months
* Cauliflower 2-4 weeks
* Celery (long keeper)
* Chives (not a root-cellar crop)
* Collards 1-2 weeks
* Cucumbers 2-3 weeks
* Eggplant 1-2 weeks
* Horse Radish (long keeper)
* Jerusalem Artichokes 1-2 months
* Kohlrabi (long keeper)
* Leeks N/A
* Onions (good keeper)
* Parsnips 1-2 months
* Pepper (good keeper)
* Sweet Potatoes (long keeper)
* Potatoes 4-6 months
* Pumpkin (good keeper)
* Radishes 2-3 months
* Rutabagas 2-4 months
* Salsify (good keeper)
* Soybeans (long keepers)
* Squash 4-6 months
* Tomatoes 1-2 months
* Turnips (long keepers)
Very Susceptible to Frost:
Cucumbers, Eggplant, Lettuce, Squash, Sweet Peppers, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Pumpkins.
Moderately Susceptible to Frost:
Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage (young), Carrots, Cauliflower, Escarole, Garlic, Onions, Celery, Spinach, Parsley, Peas, Radishes.
Least Susceptible to Frost:
Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage (mature), Collards, Kale, Kohlrabi, Parsnips, Salsify, Turnips
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