Friday, April 3, 2015
This next spring I am going to get honey bees. I decided to get a nice bee hive from Dadant & Sons Bee Keeping supplies. I wanted it to be a functional hive but also a bit of yard art. So I commenced to painting it, a bit whimsically...
I will order bees next spring and begin another journey here on the farm.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Grandma's Apple Pie
My momma duck has started to lay eggs. She usually starts around this time laying an egg each day in a hollowed out spot on the floor in the chicken coupe. She isn't serious about having any babies at this point, and certainly doesn't sit on them yet. That won't happen until around June. That's when she usually makes a nest in the iris patch, lining it with grass, feathers she has pulled from her own chest as well as feathers from around the yard discarded by the chickens. Then she will lay a clutch of eggs, one each day until there are about 6 or 8. At this point, she will sit on them day and night (I put a large dog kennel around her to keep the skunks away!) and will hiss at me when I get too close. The male ducks stay pretty close during the day, but they seem to understand that she is well protected at night and will leave her to go into the chicken coupe when it gets dark. It takes 34 days for her eggs to hatch (She is a Rouen duck). Usually only one or two actually hatch as not all of them are fertile. It is so much fun to watch her teach her new babies to swim in the horse trough.
It was another blustery day, and a good day to use up some of the apples that were left from picking last fall. Apples keep quite well if constantly refrigerated, and the Golden Delicious and Spartans have only just become a little wilted. So apple pie was in order. Here is how to make my grandmother's pie crust and apple pie filling:
Apple pie Filling:
Depending on the size of your pie plate (I like a 10 inch Deep Dish plate) you will need 4 or 5 large apples. Peel core and cut up apples into small pieces and place in a medium bowl. Add the following:
1 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
3 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
Stir together and set aside Make the crust as below:
Grandma Toftner's Pie Crust:
Each recipe makes one crust - for a double crust pie (such as apple) double the recipe.
1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp shortening (I only use Crisco brand)
3 tbsp ice water
Using a pastry cutter combine the flour, salt and shortening until well blended in the medium bowl. Add ice water a little at a time while stirring with a butter knife and just until blended. Do not stir too much and only add as much water as needed to get the flour mixture to stick together. This should be slightly dry while not having excess flour left in the bottom of the bowl. Place in refrigerator while making the filling, or for at least 10 - 15 minutes. Roll out on a lightly floured surface, taking care to not work the dough too much as this will make it hard and less flaky. Fold the dough in half, place in a greased pie plate and open out. Lightly press the dough to fit the pie plate. The bottom crust should always be thicker than the top crust. Fill with the apple mixture above and add the top crust. Cut a few slits in the top crust, trim the excess with a butter knife, flute the edges and bake at 350 for an hour. Top with ice cream or whipped cream and Enjoy!!
It was another blustery day, and a good day to use up some of the apples that were left from picking last fall. Apples keep quite well if constantly refrigerated, and the Golden Delicious and Spartans have only just become a little wilted. So apple pie was in order. Here is how to make my grandmother's pie crust and apple pie filling:
Depending on the size of your pie plate (I like a 10 inch Deep Dish plate) you will need 4 or 5 large apples. Peel core and cut up apples into small pieces and place in a medium bowl. Add the following:
1 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
3 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
Stir together and set aside Make the crust as below:
Grandma Toftner's Pie Crust:
Each recipe makes one crust - for a double crust pie (such as apple) double the recipe.
1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp shortening (I only use Crisco brand)
3 tbsp ice water
Using a pastry cutter combine the flour, salt and shortening until well blended in the medium bowl. Add ice water a little at a time while stirring with a butter knife and just until blended. Do not stir too much and only add as much water as needed to get the flour mixture to stick together. This should be slightly dry while not having excess flour left in the bottom of the bowl. Place in refrigerator while making the filling, or for at least 10 - 15 minutes. Roll out on a lightly floured surface, taking care to not work the dough too much as this will make it hard and less flaky. Fold the dough in half, place in a greased pie plate and open out. Lightly press the dough to fit the pie plate. The bottom crust should always be thicker than the top crust. Fill with the apple mixture above and add the top crust. Cut a few slits in the top crust, trim the excess with a butter knife, flute the edges and bake at 350 for an hour. Top with ice cream or whipped cream and Enjoy!!
Monday, April 21, 2014
Spring has sprung, time to bake bread
The new baby chicks are in the brood pen, growing like weeds. These are the meat chickens and will be ready to process in 6 weeks. There are a few turkeys in with them too but they will not be ready till later this fall.
The big chickens are out and about in the yard free-ranging as they do all year except winter. The three roosters have done a good job this spring so far of keeping the hens safe.
Yesterday was a good day to bake bread. My favorite bread recipe and the staple bread for our family is a honey wheat bread made with milk. This recipe will make two large loaves of bread. I double it and mix it in my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer fitted with the dough hook. You can blend it by hand, but it does take significantly longer to incorporate the flour.
When my cow is milking, I prefer to use whole fresh milk or buttermilk after making butter. Unfortunately she won't have a calf till July so store-bought milk it is. I have been using Organic Valley Skim Milk since Violet dried up in December. It is from pasture raised organically fed cows. (Follow the link to read more about their cows and their milk.) I do not remember where I got this recipe, but here it is:
Milk and Honey Bread:
In a medium bowl add:
1 cup very warm water
4 TBSP butter cut into small pieces
Set this aside. In another medium bowl add:
1/2 cup warm water (105 - 115 degrees F)
1/4 tsp sugar (stir into water)
2 1/2 tsp (1 pkg) yeast
Set this aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer combine:
1 cup milk or buttermilk
1/4 cup honey
1 TBSP salt
1 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp vinegar
Stir these ingredients together and add the butter/water mixture and the yeast/water mixture. Be sure you are using the lowest setting on your mixer. Then add:
6 cups bread flour
If you would like to make this into wheat bread as I do, you can instead use 2 cups of whole wheat flour and 4 cups of bread flour. Continue mixing on low until all the flour is incorporated. Turn the mixer to the 2nd setting and knead for 10 minutes. Turn the dough out on a floured surface and sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour. knead by hand for 3 or 4 minutes to finish the dough. Grease a large bowl and turn the dough into the bowl. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise until doubled in size. This will take a varied amount of time based on how warm your room is. If it is very warm, the dough may proof in 1 hour. In a cooler room, it may take as long as 2-3 hours.
Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a clean surface and cut in half (for a single recipe). Form each half into a loaf and put in a large greased bread pan. (I prefer dark heavy metal pans that are non-stick. You can buy them here.) Cover with the tea towel and allow to rise again until the dough fills the pan and is shaped like a loaf of bread. This takes approx. 1-2 hours depending again on how warm the room is.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the loaves in the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 25 - 35 minutes or until golden brown all over. Remove from oven and turn out onto a tea towel and allow to cool completely.
Trouble shooting:
1. If your dough refuses to rise:
a. Check the expiration date on the yeast. Stale yeast will not work.
b. Your room may be too cold.
c. Be sure you have used the proper amount of sugar in the recipe. Attempting to
substitute sugar for other sweeteners will not properly feed the yeast and allow
it to bloom appropriately.
2. If your finished bread has too many holes in it or it falls apart too easily:
a. You may have allowed the loaves to rise too long putting too much air into the
bread.
3. If your finished bread is heavy and dense:
a. Check the expiration date on the yeast.
b. You may not have kneaded the dough enough.
c. Your room may be too cold.
d. You may not have allowed the dough to rise enough.
4. If the finished loaf is doughy or not cooked through:
a. Increase the bake time.
Enjoy your finished bread and the satisfaction that you have made a tasty alternative to cheap cardboard bread or expensive bakery bread.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Home made Caramel sauce
Having a "half milk cow" (half Jersey, half Angus) like I do, gives me the opportunity to have endless amounts of fresh milk, and with endless amounts of fresh milk, there are an abundance of delicious things you can make. I don't want to debate the whole "hormone free" vs "hormone ridden" cow issue, nor do I want to debate the pasteurized vs raw milk issue. Suffice it to say, I like knowing what is in my milk, and if I want to pasteurize it I can, if I want to drink it raw, I can. I'm big on personal choice when it comes to food anyway. I do know that while there is a fair bit of work involved with having a family milk cow, even someone with a crazy schedule can do it, if you leave the calf with her. Initially, it does require some twice a day milking, just to get started while the calf is not drinking as much, but after about 2 weeks, the calf will "milk her out" pretty well, and you can transition to once a day milking fairly easily. After a couple of months however, the calf will take nearly all the milk and if you want some, you will have to separate mom and baby for a few hours to let her supply build up. By this time the calf is eating enough grass or hay to sustain himself and missing a few hours of nursing will not effect his growth. But you can expect a lot of complaining from both mom and baby while they are separated. It is a little easier if they can see each other, but there will still be some bawling.
I find that 6 hours is the magical number for miss Violet, and she will replenish plenty of milk in that amount of time. I also have found that if I allow the calf to nurse on one side while I milk out the other side, the cow "lets down" a lot more milk, and I can get one and a half - two gallons from just one half of her udder. That is plenty of milk for my family. Once the calf is weaned, you can milk her twice a day and over a few days transition to once a day milking. At least 2 months before her next calf is born, allow her to dry up to ready her udders for producing colostrum for the new calf.
Since fall is baking season at our house, I have taken to using the fresh milk whenever possible. One common ingredient is sweetened condensed milk. Rather than using the store bought, canned variety, I decided to make my own. Here is how:
Using a heavy bottomed, stainless steel pot (a staple in any serious cook's kitchen) combine:
1 quart milk
1-1/2 cups sugar (I use granulated, but you can use brown, it will have a slightly darker color and slightly different flavor. Do not use confectioner's sugar as it often has cornstarch in it and will not turn out well.)
Pour the milk into the pot. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Place the pot of sweet milk on the stove top and heat at medium heat, stirring frequently until the steam starts to rise off the milk. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for 2 - 3 hours or until reduced to half the volume. It is not necessary to stir but once in a while IF you use a HEAVY BOTTOMED pan. Allow to cool slightly and pour into a hot, pint sized jar, cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. (Tip: You can make "evaporated" milk in the same way simply by eliminating the sugar.) This can be use in any recipe that calls for sweetened condensed milk.
One of my favorite things to do with sweetened condensed milk is to make caramel dipping sauce for apples (or whatever else you like!!). You will need:
1 pint sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
1Tbsp butter
Melt the butter in a skillet or pot preferably stainless steel. Add the vanilla and the sweetened condensed milk, whisk until well combined. Bring to a boil and cook for several minutes continuing to whisk until the mixture becomes bubbly and thickened. Remove from heat and pour into a heat-safe container. Allow to cool completely then enjoy with apples or whatever other fruit or treat you like smothered in caramel sauce.
Enjoy!!
I find that 6 hours is the magical number for miss Violet, and she will replenish plenty of milk in that amount of time. I also have found that if I allow the calf to nurse on one side while I milk out the other side, the cow "lets down" a lot more milk, and I can get one and a half - two gallons from just one half of her udder. That is plenty of milk for my family. Once the calf is weaned, you can milk her twice a day and over a few days transition to once a day milking. At least 2 months before her next calf is born, allow her to dry up to ready her udders for producing colostrum for the new calf.
Since fall is baking season at our house, I have taken to using the fresh milk whenever possible. One common ingredient is sweetened condensed milk. Rather than using the store bought, canned variety, I decided to make my own. Here is how:
Using a heavy bottomed, stainless steel pot (a staple in any serious cook's kitchen) combine:
1 quart milk
1-1/2 cups sugar (I use granulated, but you can use brown, it will have a slightly darker color and slightly different flavor. Do not use confectioner's sugar as it often has cornstarch in it and will not turn out well.)
Pour the milk into the pot. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Place the pot of sweet milk on the stove top and heat at medium heat, stirring frequently until the steam starts to rise off the milk. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for 2 - 3 hours or until reduced to half the volume. It is not necessary to stir but once in a while IF you use a HEAVY BOTTOMED pan. Allow to cool slightly and pour into a hot, pint sized jar, cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. (Tip: You can make "evaporated" milk in the same way simply by eliminating the sugar.) This can be use in any recipe that calls for sweetened condensed milk.
One of my favorite things to do with sweetened condensed milk is to make caramel dipping sauce for apples (or whatever else you like!!). You will need:
1 pint sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
1Tbsp butter
Melt the butter in a skillet or pot preferably stainless steel. Add the vanilla and the sweetened condensed milk, whisk until well combined. Bring to a boil and cook for several minutes continuing to whisk until the mixture becomes bubbly and thickened. Remove from heat and pour into a heat-safe container. Allow to cool completely then enjoy with apples or whatever other fruit or treat you like smothered in caramel sauce.
Enjoy!!
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Dish Soap Money Saver
There are not a lot of luxuries in farming. Most of what we do is sweaty, dirty and involves hard work. But one small indulgence that I treat myself to is a periodic trip to the local mall to shop at "Bath and Body Works". Their lotions are wonderful, aromatic remedies to winter's harsh drying elements and the foaming hand soap is a fragrant delight for hand washing both in the kitchen and the bath. If you give them your e-mail address, they will send you all kinds of money saving coupons that actually can make their products quite affordable.
My favorite soap for dish washing is "Dawn". I buy the very large bottle at Costco. It is however, difficult to pour your dish soap from the huge bottle without getting way more than you need. I find it very frustrating to literally pour this extra down the drain and since I like to save money whenever possible, I have discovered a little trick to make my "Dawn" go a lot farther. I use a foaming dispenser to extend the soap, make using it easy and my favorite, save money. Here is how you do that:
You will need:
Concentrated dish soap of choice (I use Dawn)
Foaming soap dispenser (I recycle the Bath and Body Works ones or you can buy one here)
Water
In an 8 ounce bottle put approximately 1 tablespoon of your concentrated dish soap. Fill with water (approximately 7.5 ounces). Screw on the lid and gently agitate until the soap and water are combined without shaking and foaming the soap. It should look like this:
To use, dispense one pump of soap foam onto your sponge or dish cloth and wash the item to be washed. If you want to fill a sink and do a lot of dishes, just dispense several pumps into the sink and wash away. I have had my Costco bottle for 2 years and it is only half empty. Now you can use the extra money you save to buy some of the wonderful Bath and Body Works Lotion!! (My favorites are "Country Chic", "Butterfly Flower", and "Beautiful Day")
Happy dish washing!!
My favorite soap for dish washing is "Dawn". I buy the very large bottle at Costco. It is however, difficult to pour your dish soap from the huge bottle without getting way more than you need. I find it very frustrating to literally pour this extra down the drain and since I like to save money whenever possible, I have discovered a little trick to make my "Dawn" go a lot farther. I use a foaming dispenser to extend the soap, make using it easy and my favorite, save money. Here is how you do that:
You will need:
Concentrated dish soap of choice (I use Dawn)
Foaming soap dispenser (I recycle the Bath and Body Works ones or you can buy one here)
Water
In an 8 ounce bottle put approximately 1 tablespoon of your concentrated dish soap. Fill with water (approximately 7.5 ounces). Screw on the lid and gently agitate until the soap and water are combined without shaking and foaming the soap. It should look like this:
To use, dispense one pump of soap foam onto your sponge or dish cloth and wash the item to be washed. If you want to fill a sink and do a lot of dishes, just dispense several pumps into the sink and wash away. I have had my Costco bottle for 2 years and it is only half empty. Now you can use the extra money you save to buy some of the wonderful Bath and Body Works Lotion!! (My favorites are "Country Chic", "Butterfly Flower", and "Beautiful Day")
Happy dish washing!!
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Chicken and Corn Chowder for a Brisk Fall Day
I love these brisk fall days. Every one of them brings chilly mornings, sunny and bright afternoons and cool evenings. They are perfect for getting the last of the "summer" chores done. Today was spent cutting, splitting and stacking firewood for winter. Since this is our main source of heat, we must prepare for at least one full cord of wood per month, and a little extra in case it gets really cold. That means about 8 cords for an average winter. This one is supposed to be a cold one, so we have gathered up about 11 cords. Any that is not used this winter will be a head start for next winter.
The beauty of heating with wood is the fact that you don't just put it in the stove and get warmed once. Wood used as a heat source has the benefit of warming you several times; you get warmed when you cut it, when you split it, when you stack it and when you burn it. You can't say that with a gas or electric furnace now can you?
There is nothing better than coming in from the great outdoors where you have been doing a satisfying job like putting up wood only to have the comforting aroma of a Chicken and Corn Chowder that has been cooking all day in the crock pot greet your nose. It does not take very long to prepare, and if you have about 30 minutes to throw this together before you go out to work, you will be rewarded with a yummy supper when you are done. This is what it will look like:
Here are the directions:
Chicken and Corn Chowder
3 or 4 skinless boneless breasts of chicken (or 8 skinless boneless chicken tenders)
3 tsp powdered chicken stock or 3 chicken bouillon cubes
1/4 cup dried onion flakes or 1/2 medium onion diced very fine
3 large or 4 medium carrots
2 large or 3 medium potatoes
corn cut from 2 cobs or 1/2 package frozen whole kernel corn
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp beaumond seasoning
1/4 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp ground black pepper (or to taste)
1/3 cup all purpose flour
Water
Place the chicken in a microwave safe dish and cook at high power for 10 minutes or until the chicken is slightly cooked. Shred the chicken with a fork (slightly cooking it helps make this step easier) and place in the crock pot with 2 cups of boiling water. Turn the crock pot on high. Add the bouillon and onion. Cut up the carrots and potatoes into coarse bite sized pieces and add to the chicken. Add the garlic salt, beaumond seasoning
and celery seed. Add a bit more water if needed to cover everything, then place the lid on the crock pot. Allow to cook for at least 3 hours. At least one hour before serving, add the frozen corn, milk and black pepper. Whisk in the flour a little at a time to thicken adding a bit more if needed to your taste. Cook for an additional one to two hours on high. Serve with warm home made rolls or garlic bread if desired. Enjoy!!
The beauty of heating with wood is the fact that you don't just put it in the stove and get warmed once. Wood used as a heat source has the benefit of warming you several times; you get warmed when you cut it, when you split it, when you stack it and when you burn it. You can't say that with a gas or electric furnace now can you?
There is nothing better than coming in from the great outdoors where you have been doing a satisfying job like putting up wood only to have the comforting aroma of a Chicken and Corn Chowder that has been cooking all day in the crock pot greet your nose. It does not take very long to prepare, and if you have about 30 minutes to throw this together before you go out to work, you will be rewarded with a yummy supper when you are done. This is what it will look like:
 |
| Chicken and Corn Chowder |
Here are the directions:
Chicken and Corn Chowder
3 or 4 skinless boneless breasts of chicken (or 8 skinless boneless chicken tenders)
3 tsp powdered chicken stock or 3 chicken bouillon cubes
1/4 cup dried onion flakes or 1/2 medium onion diced very fine
3 large or 4 medium carrots
2 large or 3 medium potatoes
corn cut from 2 cobs or 1/2 package frozen whole kernel corn
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp beaumond seasoning
1/4 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp ground black pepper (or to taste)
1/3 cup all purpose flour
Water
Place the chicken in a microwave safe dish and cook at high power for 10 minutes or until the chicken is slightly cooked. Shred the chicken with a fork (slightly cooking it helps make this step easier) and place in the crock pot with 2 cups of boiling water. Turn the crock pot on high. Add the bouillon and onion. Cut up the carrots and potatoes into coarse bite sized pieces and add to the chicken. Add the garlic salt, beaumond seasoning
and celery seed. Add a bit more water if needed to cover everything, then place the lid on the crock pot. Allow to cook for at least 3 hours. At least one hour before serving, add the frozen corn, milk and black pepper. Whisk in the flour a little at a time to thicken adding a bit more if needed to your taste. Cook for an additional one to two hours on high. Serve with warm home made rolls or garlic bread if desired. Enjoy!!
Friday, October 18, 2013
Storing Carrots, Beets and Potatoes for the Winter
We had another beautiful day. The leaves are beginning to turn color and fall to the ground. I decided to get the rest of the vegetables into storage before the snow flies. It was 60 degrees today, but that can change in a heartbeat.
One of the biggest questions people ask is 'now that I've grown all these beautiful veggies, how do I best store them for the winter?' Many vegetables can be frozen or canned. Root veggies, however, lend themselves to fresh storage so you can enjoy the goodness of them for months to come. Some people leave them in the ground and just dig them as they need them. Unfortunately, our winters can be very unpredictable, sometimes raining for days on end, sometimes dumping 3 - 4 feet of snow with the ground frozen to 2 or 3 feet deep. This makes leaving them in the garden inconvenient. Since I prefer to have them easily at hand, I have tried several different ways of storage, sometimes ending up with a pile of moldy, soggy carrot mush, squishy beets, and wrinkly potatoes. But after some time and research, trial and error, I believe I have discovered a method that is successful.
First, we will start with potatoes. Once they have been dug out of the ground, if the weather permits, lay them out to dry a bit. Potatoes should be dry when they go into storage. If they are wet they will most certainly mold. Be sure that the potatoes are not cut, as in when you slice into one with the shovel or fork while digging them. Pick out all of the ones that have been damaged. Those potatoes should be used as soon as possible, but not left in storage as they will also mold and ruin many of the others. Now that they are dried off a bit, just put them in a cardboard box and into a garage or other area where the temperature will be below 50 degrees F but above freezing. That is how you store potatoes.
Beets are a different story entirely. Again, dig them up and dust off the dirt as much as possible. Be sure they are not damaged. In order to prevent them from drying out and shriveling, they must be kept moist. The best way to do that is to store them in damp sand. Put a layer of damp sand in a cardboard box that is resting on plywood or plastic so the bottom doesn't fall out. Add a layer of beets. It is best if they do not touch each other. Cover them with a layer of damp sand. Be sure they are completely covered. Add another layer of beets and another layer of sand. Continue in this manner until all of the beets are in the box. Finish with a layer of damp sand. Store in a cool area where the temperature will be between 50 degrees F and above freezing. And that is how you store beets.
Carrots are basically the same as beets. Dig them and dust off. Layer with sand as you did the beets. Finish off with a layer of sand. Store in an area that is between 50 degrees F and freezing.
The carrots and beets can be stored in plastic boxes if you'd like, be sure to put a good thick layer of sand 1- 1/2 to 2 inches in the bottom of the plastic container. This will give an area to absorb any excess fluid that may develop since the plastic does not breathe like the cardboard does. Leave the lid ajar and open it to let it air out if excess moisture is building up. Potatoes, should be stored in cardboard since it does breathe. If you must use plastic boxes, put a layer of dry sand underneath. Check them frequently to be sure that moisture is not building up in the box. Leave the lid off.
Tip: Presuming you planted heirloom carrots and beets, you can take a couple of each that you stored fresh and plant them back in the garden in the spring. Allow them to go to seed and in the fall you can harvest the seed for future use. (Check out my earlier post from October 7. I show you in detail how to save the seed.) The small potatoes that collect at the bottom of the box can be planted in the spring. Just put 2 or three in each hole you dig and they will produce beautiful plants and potatoes next year.
One of the biggest questions people ask is 'now that I've grown all these beautiful veggies, how do I best store them for the winter?' Many vegetables can be frozen or canned. Root veggies, however, lend themselves to fresh storage so you can enjoy the goodness of them for months to come. Some people leave them in the ground and just dig them as they need them. Unfortunately, our winters can be very unpredictable, sometimes raining for days on end, sometimes dumping 3 - 4 feet of snow with the ground frozen to 2 or 3 feet deep. This makes leaving them in the garden inconvenient. Since I prefer to have them easily at hand, I have tried several different ways of storage, sometimes ending up with a pile of moldy, soggy carrot mush, squishy beets, and wrinkly potatoes. But after some time and research, trial and error, I believe I have discovered a method that is successful.
First, we will start with potatoes. Once they have been dug out of the ground, if the weather permits, lay them out to dry a bit. Potatoes should be dry when they go into storage. If they are wet they will most certainly mold. Be sure that the potatoes are not cut, as in when you slice into one with the shovel or fork while digging them. Pick out all of the ones that have been damaged. Those potatoes should be used as soon as possible, but not left in storage as they will also mold and ruin many of the others. Now that they are dried off a bit, just put them in a cardboard box and into a garage or other area where the temperature will be below 50 degrees F but above freezing. That is how you store potatoes.
Beets are a different story entirely. Again, dig them up and dust off the dirt as much as possible. Be sure they are not damaged. In order to prevent them from drying out and shriveling, they must be kept moist. The best way to do that is to store them in damp sand. Put a layer of damp sand in a cardboard box that is resting on plywood or plastic so the bottom doesn't fall out. Add a layer of beets. It is best if they do not touch each other. Cover them with a layer of damp sand. Be sure they are completely covered. Add another layer of beets and another layer of sand. Continue in this manner until all of the beets are in the box. Finish with a layer of damp sand. Store in a cool area where the temperature will be between 50 degrees F and above freezing. And that is how you store beets.
Carrots are basically the same as beets. Dig them and dust off. Layer with sand as you did the beets. Finish off with a layer of sand. Store in an area that is between 50 degrees F and freezing.
The carrots and beets can be stored in plastic boxes if you'd like, be sure to put a good thick layer of sand 1- 1/2 to 2 inches in the bottom of the plastic container. This will give an area to absorb any excess fluid that may develop since the plastic does not breathe like the cardboard does. Leave the lid ajar and open it to let it air out if excess moisture is building up. Potatoes, should be stored in cardboard since it does breathe. If you must use plastic boxes, put a layer of dry sand underneath. Check them frequently to be sure that moisture is not building up in the box. Leave the lid off.
Tip: Presuming you planted heirloom carrots and beets, you can take a couple of each that you stored fresh and plant them back in the garden in the spring. Allow them to go to seed and in the fall you can harvest the seed for future use. (Check out my earlier post from October 7. I show you in detail how to save the seed.) The small potatoes that collect at the bottom of the box can be planted in the spring. Just put 2 or three in each hole you dig and they will produce beautiful plants and potatoes next year.
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