Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-10
Home Food Preservation
How to Store Fruits and Vegetables Now for Next
Winters Use

Is we'll to buy them early in the Fall
at the time of greatest supply and
lowest prices and store them for the
Winter. making yourself Independent
of the market during the time of high
est prices.
Potatoes may be stored in cellar.
Before they are stored they should
be allowed to dry. Sort them care
fully as to size and soundnesS. The
smaller potatoes and those which
show signs Of threatened decay should
not be stored, but should be used
early. The success of potato storage
depends upon the exclusion of light,
proper ventilation, the right amount
of moisture, the size of the pile or
container and the type Of the pota-
toes stored.
When storing potatoes it should be
remembered that the purpose is to
protect them from great changes of
temperature and from light. Even
a small amount Of light changes the
food value of potatoes. There should
be enough moisture to keep the pota.
toes from whiting. but not enough to
cause moisture to gather on the sur
face. If potatoes are stored in q.
place where there Is moisture in the
air provision should be made to per-
nit free circulation Of air through
the containers. Barrels, boxes and
bins may be ventilated by boring holes
IN the sides and bottoms. Barrels,
boxes and crates should be set on Stats
to hold them off the floor and allow
the air to circulate underneath.
If the air of the storage place is
dry. it should not be allowed to cir
culate freely through the containers,
a d, will 20, ~ 10
potatoes. In such storage places the
potatoes should be put in containers
made air tight by lining bottom and
sides with several thicknesses Of
newspaper and covering the top
snugly in the same manner. The
temperature of a cellar storage room
for potatoes should be carefully con-
trolled to prevent wide fluctuations
A constant temperature around 40
degrees f. Is desirable. 1t should not
be allowed to go below 80 degrees or
above so degrees. Potatoes should
not be washed before storage. If they
begin sprouting. all the shoots should
be rubbed off. Do not have one large
bin for potatoes, as those in the center
Will be subjected to too high a tenn
perature, which will cause all Of them
to go through a sweating process.
Too large a bin makes good ventila-
ton impossible. Open bins, not more
than foot dep, arranged as a shelf,
are the best for cellar storage. The
bins should be examined occasionally
ana any rotting potatoes removed to
prevent the spread of infection
Sweet Potatoes.
When storing sweet potatoes, the
important points to be kept in mind
are that the potatoes must be well
matured before they are stored They
must be handled with great care and
must be allowed to dry or cure thor
oughly before being stored, and they
must he kept at an even temperature
after beng stored. Sweet potatoes
may be kept near q furnace in a
cellar. or near A furnace chimney in
vacant upstairs room, or in the
attic. The room should be kept fairly
warm. After drying, the temperature
should be maintained around 55 de-
grees F.
Apples.
Apples should be kept in cool,
dry place and so stored as to be in
no danger of absorbing odors from
vegetables stored near them 1t is
a good plan to buy Winters supply
in the Fall when prices are low. The
cost of purchases thus made will be
considerably less than if apples are
bought as needed during the Winter.
TO store, sort apples carefully. re-
moving and using at once all fruit
which IS bruised or shows signs of
decay. The best results are secured
by wrapping each apple in half a
, sheet of newspaper and storing them
IN barrels, boxes, crates, or bins. The
Wrapping prevents the apples from
touching each other and thus prevents
the spread of decay which may start.
II also protects the apples from odors
! If vegetables are stored nearby. AID.
pies absorb odors freely from potatoes,
onions. turnips and other vegetables
and should never be stored unwrap-
| ped in the same room with vegetables
Of any kind.
In addition 20 wrapping the fndi.
vidual apples, it IS desirable to line
the barrel or other container with
| half-an-inch thickness of newspapers
on the bottom and sides, and then
cover the top with newspapers. and
either nail a cover on or tie the pa.
| pers securely with strings. This will
keep doors out. The lining and COW
ering give full protection and make
! il possible to store apples in the
general cellar storage room. The eel
(
stored must be cool A temperature
I of 80 degrees Fahrenheit Is ideal, and
! the temperature should not be allowed
! TO go above 40 degrees if 1t can be
| held this low.
! Apples may be stored unwrapped
! in barrels. boxes. crates. or bins, if
! proper attention is paid to sorting
20 providing cool place for storage
and to occasional sorting during the
! Winter, for the removal of possible
/ decayed fruit. If any of the fruit
in any container is found to have
| begun to decay all the apples in all
| the containers should be sorted al
| once and the decaying fruit removed
| These apples must not be kept in the
| room with vegetables.
silence is sweeter than speech