Simply brush off excess soil before storing vegetables.

Separate good from bad

Separate the rotten vegetables from the good.

Get rid of any immature, damaged or diseased items - otherwise the rot will spread and ruin the rest of your crop.

Regularly check the stored produce for developing rot. Remove those that are bad.

Optimum environment for storing vegetables

Temperature and humidity are key things to consider when storing your home grown vegetables.

The three combinations for long-term storage are cool and dry (50-60ËšF / 10-15ËšC, 60% relative humidity), cold and dry (32-40ËšF / 0-4ËšC, 65% relative humidity), and cold and moist (32-40ËšF / 0-4ËšC, 95% relative humidity).

Some homegrown vegetables, such as cucumbers and peppers, require cool and moist conditions. These are hard to maintain so be prepared for a shorter shelf-life.

Where to store home grown vegetables

Cool and dry - Basements are ideal for keeping homegrown vegetables cool and dry. However, be sure to provide good ventilation.

Cold and dry - Fridges provide a cold and dry environment - ideal for storing vegetables such as garlic and onions.

Cold and moist - Add moisture to the fridge's cold environment by storing vegetables in perforated plastic bags.

'Root cellars’ also provide cold and moist conditions. They are simple to make:

• A wooden box or crate layered with newspaper is the base for your root cellar.
• Add moist sand.
• Place your root vegetables on top.
• Cover the home grown vegetables in sand.
• Keep them cool.

Storing vegetables - leafy crops

Leafy crops, such as celery and cabbage, give off ethylene gas which causes other vegetables to age early. To prevent damage to other crops, store these homegrown vegetables separately.