How to store veggies

teresac

Leafing Out
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Does anyone have suggestions how to store, potatos, carrots etc without canning. I have a finished basement with our mechanical room (water heaters etc) that is cool and dry. My problem is we occasionally get field mice. How can I store fresh veggies without rot & mice getting them. HELP! :/
 
I would use metal garbage cans and maybe wrap them in newspaper or put straw between the layers. That would keep them dark and dry and keep the mice out.
 
If you don't want to (or haven't presently got the materials to) cobble together ventilated storage bins with mouseproof screening, here is a trick you might try. I use it to keep mice from eating the seedlings I start under lights in my basement.

I put the seedlings on a card table. Keep it away from walls (and preferably under a mouseproof part of the ceiling i.e. not exposed wires etc they can run atop). To prevent them running up the table legs, I took icecream tub lids (but you could use anything similar, just make sure it is at least 10" or more in diameter, -ish) and cut a hole in the center. Push the lid up the table leg. If the leg is round, push it til it binds (should be at least 2' off the floor); if it's square, push it to that height and then slather on the duct tape so mice can't squeeze through the gap. Duct-tape these 'mouse guards' firmly into place on each leg. Now they're like squirrel baffles on a bird-feeder! It has worked for me for 2 years now, REALLY well, whereas before I was losing like all of my seedlings.

Be aware that I think some of those veggies actually need cool and *damp* -- look up the preferred storage temps and humidities for each of them.

Good luck,

Pat
 
you could try a garbage can with a snap on/secure lid. also, you could get a drum that is sold from a feed store for feed with a lid. good luck.
 
Thank you for all the good ideas! Hope to have a bountiful garden this year!:D
 
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