How to store your squash throughout the winter?
You have decided to plant squash and now the harvest has arrived, are you now wondering about the best method to preserve your succulent vegetables? Follow our advice and techniques to benefit from optimal conservation of squash, pumpkins and pumpkins from your permaculture garden.
Choose conservation cucurbits?
Not all cucurbits are created equal! They are not all equally easy to keep for a long time. Some can spoil quickly while others will maintain a nice appearance and consistency for months and months. Squashes, pumpkins and pumpkins are some of the cucurbits that you can keep provided you respect certain conditions. It is therefore advisable to plant these three varieties in your permaculture vegetable garden. And if your squash ever rots in your garden, we invite you to go to our article which deals with ! You will find tips for treating cucurbit diseases when you have a permaculture vegetable garden.
How to store your squash effectively?
To properly preserve your vegetables, it is necessary to take into account the choice of your squash. Vegetables that you are going to plant in your garden and that you are going to harvest specifically for conservation should be picked up as late as possible. You need to make sure that they are fully ripe and have developed a thick skin to protect the flesh. Above all, they must be harvested before the start of frost because this is a period which would have a catastrophic impact on the longevity and resistance of your vegetables.
Next, you must properly condition your cucurbits. To prepare them, you must detach the stem by cutting it cleanly but be careful not to cut it too short. You must leave a certain length so that the flesh does not start a rotting process in this part. Obviously, do not neglect washing your vegetables with plenty of water before cutting the peduncle. You can then arrange them in a way that you can keep them.
What conditions must be respected for optimal storage?
To preserve your vegetables, you must store them in a room that is preferably ventilated and not humid. The temperature must not exceed 16°C. It is important to place them on suitable supports such as crates filled with straw to make them ideal storage boxes. Vegetables should not touch each other to avoid spoiling and rotting prematurely. They must be monitored regularly to stop any spread of a vegetable which would begin to deteriorate and risk contaminating others. There are other preservation techniques such as jarring, freezing, freezing or even the drying technique.
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