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What’s stored where and when to use it, with a storage guide for every crop and warnings when it’s too warm, too cold or too damp.
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What keeps, and where
Crops keep best in one of a few kinds of storage. A cellar or basement corner gives you “cold and moist”; a cool upstairs closet gives you “cool and dry”. Times are typical ranges from extension guides — good varieties, picked mature and handled gently, keep longest.
Cold and very moist (32–40°F, 90–98%)
| Crop | Keeps | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Carrots | 4–6 months | Twist off the tops. Pack in damp sand or sawdust. |
| Beets | 3–5 months | Leave an inch of stem. Pack in damp sand. |
| Parsnips | 2–6 months | Can also stay in the ground under mulch. |
| Turnips & rutabagas | 4–5 months | Strong smell — keep away from apples and cabbage. |
| Cabbage | 3–4 months | Smells strongly; store in an outbuilding or wrap in newspaper. |
Cold and moist (32–40°F, 80–95%)
| Crop | Keeps | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Potatoes | 5–8 months | Cure 1–2 weeks at 50–60°F first. Keep in the dark so they don’t turn green; colder than 38°F turns them sweet. |
| Apples | 2–6 months | Give off ethylene gas — keep apart from potatoes, carrots and cabbage. |
| Pears | 2–3 months | Pick mature but hard; ripen a few at a time in the warm. |
Cold and dry (32–40°F, 60–70%)
| Crop | Keeps | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Onions | 5–8 months | Cure until the necks are dry. Hang in mesh bags with good air flow. |
| Garlic | 5–7 months | Cure 2–4 weeks. Braids or mesh bags. |
Cool and dry (50–55°F, 50–70%)
| Crop | Keeps | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Winter squash | 2–6 months | Cure 10–14 days at 80–85°F first (not acorn). Store one layer deep, not on concrete. |
| Pumpkins | 2–3 months | Cure like squash; keep the stems on. |
Cool and moist (55–60°F, 75–85%)
| Crop | Keeps | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet potatoes | 4–7 months | Cure 7–10 days at 80–85°F and high humidity. Never below 50°F. |
A few rules
- Store only sound produce: no cuts, bruises or disease.
- Keep apples and pears away from potatoes, carrots and cabbage — their ethylene gas makes roots sprout and turn bitter.
- Air flow matters: an inlet low and an outlet high lets you cool the cellar on cold nights.
- Check often and remove anything going soft.
“Go to the ant… Which… provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.” — Proverbs 6:6–8