Year-Round Nutrition: The Best Crops to Grow for Long-Term Storage

Carrots, parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, and beets are cold-hardy crops that can overwinter in the ground in temperate climates. Art_Pictures/Shutterstock

We can extend the garden harvest’s lifespan through canning, fermenting, and dehydrating. But that’s a lot of work and potentially overwhelming, particularly if the harvest is abundant—which, of course, is the goal of a well-nurtured garden. We can also freeze the harvest to extend its viability for a few weeks, but chances are that freezer space is at a premium.

The solution is to take a page from our ancestors and grow some vegetables that are naturally inclined toward long-term storage.

The following suggestions are not just for those who live in gardening zones nine to 11  or are lucky enough to have a greenhouse. It’s for everyone who’s thumbing through colorful seed catalogs and planning to get a jump on next season.

Easy Peasy

A large bag of dried beans at the grocery store is relatively inexpensive, which is why many gardeners don’t think of growing them at home. Lima, kidney, black (turtle), northern, and pinto beans, as well as black-eyed peas and chickpeas, are hearty garden annuals that thrive in warm weather in every zone. They sprout easily, grow quickly, produce abundantly, and can be succession planted for an even larger crop.

For a quick, cheap start, grab a few beans from a grocery store bag and plant them. In addition to their other benefits, they are nitrogen fixers, which add this important fertilizer back into the soil. This is also a chance to add some exotic beans to the diet, such as succotash beans, calico lima beans, purple hull pink beans, and many more. Simply let them dry on the plant, remove the bean pod, and store them in a cool, dry location. They’ll last for years.

Grow and dry your own beans for an easy, abundant source of protein that will store well all year. Digihelion/Shutterstock

Enduring Gourds

Pumpkins and winter squash require 130 to 160 days to mature before the first frost, so it’s best to start them indoors. The exception is gardens in a frost-free zone, such as zone 10b, where seeds can also be planted outdoors in the fall for an early spring harvest.

To get the longest storage life out of pumpkins and winter squash, cure them until the skin is hard enough that it cannot be dented by a fingernail. This can be as simple as leaving gourds on the vine until the stems get “corky” (dry cracks and brown lines) or the vine dries out. If there’s any concern, sun-cure it in the garden for five to seven days.

When harvesting, it is critical to leave three to four inches of stem to help keep out the bacteria and fungi that lead to rot. The exception is Hubbard squash, which last longest with the stems completely removed. Harvest before the last frost, as produce harvested after frost may be sweeter, but will not last as long.

You can expect them to last for up to a year if stored in a cool, well-ventilated area with temperatures around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure the temperature does not drop below 50 degrees F, however, or chill injury may occur.

Taters and Not-Exactly-Taters

White potatoes and sweet potatoes (which are technically not in the potato family but are actually a cousin of the morning glory) will feed the family through winter and into spring, when they will naturally begin sprouting again and provide more plants. Plan the volume of the harvest accordingly. For most of the country, white potatoes should be planted between April and May, with the exception of zones seven to 10, where they should be planted in January and February.

Sweet potatoes are a more southern crop and can be planted at any time after the last frost, as long as there are 90 to 120 days for them to mature before fall’s first frost. Make sure the soil is loose and rock-free for both types.

Some researchers believe that storing potatoes toward the lower end of the recommended 45 to 55 degrees F helps delay sprouting. But never store them under 42 degrees, or the starches will turn to sugar, which will affect taste and cooking performance.

Sweet potatoes are ready for harvest when their leaves start yellowing, generally about three to four months after planting. Sergiy Akhundov/Shutterstock

Carrots, parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, and beets are cold-hardy crops that can overwinter in the ground in temperate climates. They’re easily grown from seed and are excellent choices for those with limited storage space.

The soil simply needs to stay in the 32- to 40-degree F range. To achieve this, it may be necessary to insulate the plants with 12 to 24 inches of straw or one’s preferred mulch. Harvest in the spring before they flower and become inedible.

To keep indoors, remove the greens and store them at 32 to 35 degrees F in a high-humidity environment; higher than 40 degrees and they’ll start to sprout and rot. Beets will last one to three months; rutabagas, two to four months; turnips/parsnips, four to five months; and carrots, four to more than six months.

Bon appetit!

Resilient and Tasty

Some produce, such as fresh cabbage, must be stored in the refrigerator. (Store the heads whole in a crisper, peeling off outer leaves if they wilt, for up to six months.) For options that don’t require electricity, try one of these:

An Apple a Day

It’s true that “one bad apple can spoil the bunch.” Pick only just ripe or almost ripe apples. Avoid bruised fruit or any that have fallen to the ground. Wrap each individually in newspaper and store in a cardboard box in a cool (30- to 40-degree F) dark place for up to a year.

Pear-fect Pantry

Pick pears before they are fully ripe. Anjou, Bosc, Comice, and Winter Nelis will last up to five months, while Bartletts top out around three months when stored at 30 degrees F. The sugar in them acts as an organic antifreeze. The longer they’re stored, the faster they’ll ripen at room temperature.

Chef’s Essentials

Garlic and onions add flavor to dishes made with stored potatoes, beans, and much more. Both need to be cured for several weeks so that the outer layers dry out, creating a protective shell. Then, they should be stored in a cool, dark, dry location in a mesh bag for six to eight months or more­, and checked periodically.