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Chinese Cabbage

Pull and treat like Celery. See chart for conditions.

Dried Seed (Live)

So long as it is kept quite dry, live seed won’t germinate. Store in food-grade plastic bags that are then put in a large, mouse-proof, covered container; or in canning jars that are wrapped in newspaper to keep out the light. It can’t be hurt by natural low temperatures: see chart for conditions.

Endive

Pull as for Celery. Do not trim, but tie all the leaves close together to keep out light and air so the inner leaves will bleach. Set upright and close together with moist soil around the roots, again as for Celery. See chart for conditions.

Horseradish

One of the three vegetables that winters-over beautifully in the garden when kept frozen. Mulch carefully until the weather is cold enough to freeze it, then uncover to permit freezing and, when it has frozen in the ground, mulch heavily to prevent thawing. For root-cellaring, prepare and handle like Beets. See chart for conditions.

Kale

Treat like Celery right on down the line. See chart for conditions.

Kohlrabi

Handle like Beets; see chart.

Leeks

See Celery and chart.

Onions

Pull onions after the tops have fallen over, turned yellow, and have started to dry—but examine for thrips (which can cause premature wilting, etc.).

Bruised or thick-necked onions don’t store well.

Onions grown from sets are stored in a cool, very dry place on trays made of chicken wire and the tops pointing down through the mesh.

Onions must be conditioned—allowed to “paper over”—in rows in the field; turn them several times so their outsides dry evenly. Smaller amounts may be surface-dried on racks in a dry, airy place under cover; or the tops may be braided and the bunches hung in a dry room. After they are conditioned, trim the tops and hang the onions in net bags or baskets in a dry, airy storage place. See chart for conditions.

Parsnips

Actually improved by wintering frozen in the garden (and not allowed to thaw), but may be root-cellared if necessary. Treat like Beets or Horseradish. See chart for conditions.

Peppers

Careful control of temperature and moisture is imperative in storing peppers (see chart): they decay if they get too damp or the temperature goes below 40 to 45 F/4 to 7 C.

Pick before the first frost; sort for firmness; wash and dry thoroughly—handling carefully because they bruise easily.

Put them one layer deep in shallow wooden boxes or cartons lined with food-grade plastic in which you cut about twelve ¼-inch holes; close the top of the plastic. Even under ideal conditions the storage life is limited.

Popcorn

See Beans (Shell), dried; see chart.

Potatoes, Early

Don’t harvest after/during heavy rains, or on a hot day. Dig them carefully early in the morning when the temperature is no more than 70 F/ 21 C. Condition them for 2 weeks at 60–70 F/16–21 C in moist air to allow any injuries to heal: early potatoes will not heal if they are conditioned in windy or sunny places. After conditioning, store at 60 F/16 C for 4 to 6 weeks. These early varieties do not keep long, and spoil readily held at over 80 F/27 C.

Potatoes

Late potatoes are much better keepers than early varieties. Dig carefully. Hold them in moist air about 2 weeks between 60 and 75 F/16 and 24 C to condition: do not leave them out in the sun and wind. Put them, not too deep, in crates, boxes, or bins stored in a dark indoor or outdoor root cellar; cover to keep away all light (to prevent their turning green, which could mean the presence of solanine—a poisonous alkaloid that must be cut away—not good).

After several months’ storage, potatoes held at 35 F/2 C may become sweet. If they do, remove them to storage at 70 F/21 C for a week or so before using them. Potato sprouts must be removed whenever they appear, especially toward the end of winter. Early sprouting indicates poor storage conditions. See chart for conditions.

Warning: when potatoes have green areas under their