Storing Onions and Potatoes

[Javamama]

I don't think I have ever used a bag of potatoes up before they went bad on me. I have found that no matter where I store potatoes they start sending out sprouts within a week. Organic potatoes are especially quick to sprout. I don't have a cool basement or cellar area. I discovered that it doesn't matter if I keep them in the dark or light too.
Would placing them in a bed of straw help? In a dark area?

I don't have a problem with onions, but garlic make me crazy!
Time to start digging a cellar, I guess

 

[staythirsty]

I just finished building a basement root cellar .

I live in a very rocky glacial till area. I have no hillside, nor did I want to spend the money for backhoe work, or trudge through 2 feet of snow. I wanted this less than $200.

I have both onions and potatoes in it and they are doing well. I also have squashes, cabbages, carrots, and beets. I wanted to use the same space for vegetables, but made a separate one for fruit. I keep the potatoes, cabbages, carrots, and beets - those vegetables that require more cold, at the bottom. The onions and squashes are higher. It is my first year with it so I'm seeing what happens and adjusting. I am able to maintain temperatures at 39 F which is where I want it. Humidity inside is lower than I would like - the winter air is so dry. The basement floor is sealed concrete so I'm keeping pans of water and splashing water on the floor to keep humidity up. Pack carrots and beets in moist sand. Wrapping the cabbages in plastic. Potatoes are on a rack lined with plastic and covered with damp burlap. Onions and squashes are just out there. I am thrilled with it. Nothing is shriveling yet. I usually look in on it once a week or whenever I get something from it. All are doing very well so far this first year - it's been 3 months and things are still looking good (the veg were out in the warm for a bit too, while I was building it). I think because the general humidity is lower than standard in the unit, but I've done things to address the lack of humidity to certain vegetables is what keeps all the produce happy in one environment. It's great to use for other things like holiday pies, greens, or homemade cheese when there's no room in the fridge.

I took the idea from the basement root cellar article at Mother Earth News and made my own modifications from there. I saw the Bubel book after I was done.

 

[Farmfresh]

Totally AWESOME!

I have read about systems like that good to see one actually in action. Thanks so much for sharing your project and your progress and finally ....

WELCOME to Sufficient Self!

 

[Up-the-Creek]

My great-grandmother used to dig a hole in the ground big enough to place a barrel in. She would put straw in the bottom of the barrel and place taters in and then cover with more straw. The barrel usually had a lid, then they would cover that with more straw or leaves. It was usually done in a hillside. Works wonderfully. I myself store ours under our house in the crawlspace,..worked out okay. Working on building a cellar though. Easier to get to stuff when you can actually stand up!

 

[murphysranch]

Way cool. I loved every pic and the description. Out west, it doesn't get cold enuf to do something like that. But its got me thinking....