Easiest Home Grown Groceries for Storage

 Recent price increases at the grocery store have many people contemplating growing their own food to off set costs. Here in zone 6b, I can reliably have fresh food in the garden from June till, well, about now. However, if you want to grow food for winter, then you're looking at food preservation. Normally, this brings to mind either a large freezer or shelves of home canned food. However, there are several kinds of food you can store for months without a freezer or a canner or even a dehydrator. So if you want to start preserving your own food next year, here is the best place to start. 

Trail of Tears Black Beans

First: The Allium Family

Alliums are all kinds of onions: green onions, bunching onions, leeks, garlic, shallots etc. I've had great success with storing onions and garlic by just curing them (brushing the dirt off of them and hanging them to dry for a few weeks out of the sun) and keeping them in the basement. So easy. This year I learned that leeks can be harvested in the fall, sliced at about a quarter inch thick and then air dried. Again, so easy. Now I have lots of onions in storage. 

Second: Dried Beans

Admittedly, this is our first year growing dried beans but we are hooked. My husband grew Trail Of Tears black beans and really enjoyed the experience as well as gathering a considerable harvest. Shelling the beans takes time but you can always do it while watching tv and then they store in the basement for months. It's so simple. 

Third: Winter Squash

Pie pumpkins of all kinds, as well as any kind of winter squash (butternut, acorn, turks turban, etc...) just need to be cured out in the sun for a few weeks before placing them in storage. So yummy! Many will keep for months in the basement. 

Fourth: Herbs

So admittedly, this one isn't as impressive but many herbs such as thyme, oregano, dill and chamomile will air dry on their own and add flavor to your food all winter. 

Fifth: Potatoes

Pumpkins store well. 

So, I've not grown a lot of potatoes as an adult due to lack of space although I have plans for next year. However, growing up, we would save a large bin of potatoes in the basement for months enjoying them most of the winter. 

The most important thing with all of these vegetables is to keep them in  a dark cool place with NO WATER. Water will cause molding quickly so dryness is key. That's it really. You can absolutely do this yourself. 

Do you grow food for storage? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below!

Seed Saving for Newbies

 Starting with a bit of honesty here, I'm not the expert on seed saving. There are folks out there who've been doing this for decades with all kinds of success and variety. That's not me. Yet. However, if you're wondering about maybe trying a little yourself, I can share with you some good ways to get started. 

Why should you save seeds? I partly do it as an activity with my daughter Hannah. It's a good educational project to learn about plant biology. I partly also do it to save money. Saved seeds means I don't have to buy more next year. Finally, if you do this over time, the plants will actually start to acclimate to your specific climate and soil conditions making them perfect for you. I haven't been doing it long enough to enjoy the last benefit but we'll get there. 

Please note that all seed saving is best done with heirloom plants. It has to do with how long that variety has been around. Seeds from hybrid plants will probably germinate for you but the flower or fruit may not look like what you expect. You can tell if an plant is heirloom (or open pollinated) from the seed packet you originally bought. 

My excursions into seed saving have centered around vegetables and flowers. First, if you've grown

peas or beans this year and the plants are still out there in the garden somewhere, then you might have some great seeds outside waiting for you. Just look for any old, dried pods that you didn't get around to pick. Open the pods up and separate out the seeds inside (see picture). 

With flowers, I enjoy saving zinnia and marigold seeds the most although my daughter is saving 4 o'clock seeds this year too. Leave a few flowers on the plant until they turn brown and dry and then pluck off the heads. You'll find the seeds under where the petals used to be (see the other picture). 

When storing seeds, note that moisture is your worst enemy. I keep the seeds out on trays till they are 100 percent dry and then store them in a sealed jar in the basement. Next spring I'll be ready to go. If you're interested in more information on this subject, I"ll include some links below. Do you do seed saving? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below. 

A Garden Guide to Save Seeds

How To Save Seeds