Flavor savers - storage of vegetables - Brief Article

Country Living Gardener, Dec, 2001 by Caraline Lambert

If you find yourself at harvest time with more crops than you know what to do with, try saving your bounty to enjoy through the winter months.

Here's how:

* Sink a barrel or crate into the ground so only a third of it is visible. Vertically stack vegetables such as carrots, celery, and potatoes in it, along with soil from your garden. Seal the top; cover with more soil and straw.

* Hang cabbage by its stalk from the rafters of your basement ceiling, or some other cool, dry place.

* Pull late-season tomatoes up, vines and all (make sure foliage and fruit are dry to avoid rot). Hang them in your cellar or shed, at about 55[degrees]F.

* If you don't have a cool spot indoors, try preparing herbal vinegars, or hang while peppers or apple slices to dry.