Grow your own
How to harvest and store your food
At this time of year your vegetable patch will be bursting with delicious produce, so discovering ways to store your crops for use later in the year is a key part of the process.
Some vegetables, like leeks, are easy and can be left in the ground until required. Others, like potatoes and onions, benefit from being harvested and stored in cool but frost-free conditions. For most people, the only option will be to use sheds and garages, which can be adequate at least until temperatures warm up in the spring. Low humidity is ideal for most stored produce, but fruits such as apples and pears prefer a more humid environment; if you have a slightly damp outbuilding, this will be a better home for them. Some roots, such as carrots, parsnips and beetroots, can be stored in boxes of slightly damp sand (or a peat substitute), making sure the roots don’t touch each other. Make sure to keep these containers in a dry, frost-free place.