Question
Greetings:

We are about to have our first freeze and I have harvested many of the remaining vegetables in my garden.  I now am wondering how to store these vegetables so that they do not rot before I can use them.  I have beets, carrots, bell peppers (mostly green), gypsy peppers, banana peppers, green beans, and brussel sprouts.  Do you have any tips for storing these types of vegetables?

Thanks in advance!

Answer
Jill:
Beets and carrots can be stored in the refrigerator in plastic bags. Beets will keep for about 3 weeks, carrots much longer. You can wash them (but don't scrub)to remove excess dirt, but allow them to dry off before storing. Cut off the tops, if you have red beets leave a couple of inches of stem so they don't bleed.

If you have a lot of beets or carrots, they can also be kept in sand, sawdust or straw in a cool shed or basement. Carrots can also be frozen.

The peppers will also keep a few weeks in the refrigerator, and are easy to freeze. Just cut them up, freeze them on trays and then transfer to plastic bags or other containers. Freeze green beans. All of these vegetables can also be pickled, if you like them that way.

Brussels sprouts should be frozen. You can actually freeze them right on the stalk, and then just break off what you need. Or steam blanch them and freeze like broccoli.

Elyse