OCR Text |
Show Lakeside Review South, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 1983 Successfully Store Fruits and Vegetables Your success in storing fruits pits or trenches. Some gardeners and vegetables in pits, cellars have storage cellars constructed and basements depends on your in an unheated basement room. cured in a warm, dry place lor about 10 days before storing. Store in a cool, dry place where temperatures do not fluctuate too much. The less mature fruits should be used first, in that their storage life is shorter. Crops stored too warm deteri-- " orate quickly. Without adequate humidity, stored vegetables and fruits shrivel and become unusable. The table below indicated optimum temperature and humidity for some vegetables and fruits. The relative humidity as listed in the table refers to 5 per5 cent for moist crops and percent for dry crops. The temperature is generally controlled in storage units by opening and closing vents. Cool, outside air is allowed in to cool. Protection from freezing temperatures is generally achieved by using the natural heat down in the earth or heat escaping from adjacent heated room. An effective way to reduce moisture loss in many crops is to put them in polyethylene bags or box iners. Cut a few small hole in the side to permit Gose but do not seal. In cellars, the humidity can be increased by adding moisture to the storage air; simply sprinkle the dirt, straw or sawdust floor frequently or place large pans of intake water under fresh-ai- r vents. Excessive moisture is removed by ventilation. Do not store fruits and vegetables together. Do not place disease or damaged commodities into storage. Remember that all storage units need some ventilation. Many crops can be stored in the ground in root cellars, small Mature, green to slightly pink tomatoes can be stored for one to two months. Harvest fruits before killing frost or when outside temperatures will be below 50 deegrees for several days. Select only mature fruits from strong, healthy ' vines. Mature green tomatoes have a glossy appearance. Immature tomatoes have a bitter taste. Remove the stems to prevent them from puncturing tomatoes. If dirty, carefully wash and allow to air dry. Wiping the soil from the fruit can cause scarring, which may lead to decay. Sort according to ripeness and store in small groups in ventilated plastic bags or wrap the fruits with paper to maintain mosi-turResort each week, removing ripening fruits from green. Green fruit will ripen in about two weeks at 0 degrees, and about 4 weeks at 55 degrees. Do not store below 50 degrees. If the humidity is too dry, the tomatoes shrivel. Too much dampness encourages decay. Some gardeners find it much easier to simply hang the entire tomato plant upside down in a cool basement or shed. The fruit is picked as it ripens. For additional information on .the storage of fruits and vegetables see U.S.D.A. Bulletin G119, storing vegetables and fruits in basements, cellars, outbuildings and pits, available through the extension service for 50 cents. ability to achieve optimum temperature and humidity conditions according to the Utah State extension service. Drops can be stored in sheds or garages only to the extent that you can protect them from freezing temperatures. Critical freezing temperatures are listed in the table. Potatoes are generally harvested a couple of weeks after frost kills the vines and when the ground is dry. They should be cured in the dark at 5 degrees for one to two weeks before lowering the temperature to the ideal 40 degrees. Too warm of storage encourages sprouting. Potatoes stored around 35 degrees become sweet. This condition usually can be corrected by holding the potatoes near room temperatures for a week or two before using. Potatoes must be kept in the dark to prevent greening. Many gardeners prefer to store carrorts and parsnips right in the garden. A one inch mulch will protect the crop from extreme cold. Apply it after the soil cools to near freezing temperatures. Carrots may also be dug and stored in cellars in plastic bags, or moist sawdust or sand. Winter squash and pumpkins should remain on the vines until fully mature. Maturity can be determined by pressing the thumbnail into the fruits skin; if the skin is hard and impervious to scratching, the fruit is mature. If frost kills the vines early, the fruit should be harvested in that growth is stopped. Harvest squash and pumpkins before hard frosts with a sharp knife, leaving at least one inch of stem attached, it should be 60-7- 85-9- 65-7- venti-latio- h. SB e. 65-7- 3-- Winter Squash Avoid Mold Not All Can Go 'plant pathologist, Utah State' He suggests the same for aspen leaf spot that has been defoliating a lot of aspen trees this year. As the leaves fall, get them out from under the trees and destroy them. Use a recommended Compost chemical spray on the trees if the infection appears next spring. Thomson observed that white mold has been surprisingly common this year in the zinnias, marigolds, snapdragons and petunias, and in vegetables such as beans, squash and pumpkins. Some people may not have recognized the disease. Usually gardeners notice it when the plants suddenly wilt and die. Squash that gets the white mold on it rots quickly, Thomson poinfed out. Not all organic material should go into your compost pile. Sherm Thomson, extension University, advises that you destroy plant material infected with rose black spot, aspen leaf spot, or white mold and not put it in the compost. Generally, rose black spot has not been a problem in Utah. Floribunda type roses have not been infected this year, but Thomson said the problem has been fairly extensive in the wild rose types. He advises raking up the leaves and getting rid of them. in had white mold, thats justification for not putting the plant material in the compost, he said. However, Thomson noted that the organisms causing most other plant diseases affecting the garden and home landscape will be destroyed by the high temperatures, near 160 degrees F, generated in compost pile that is managed properly, he said this doesnt mean just a pile of organic debris left unattended. To get good composting, he says it helps to add an inch or so of soil for each layer of compost. Keep the material moist and turn the material each month when weather permits. Fast composting that decomposes the organic material within six weeks can be accomplished by turning the compost every few . Wand for the Hills! & Car LuxuryFashion Show Winter Oct 18-22- nd He warns not to leave the white mold plant material in the garden nor to put it in the compost. The sclerotia, tiny black, hard bodies of fungus, will winter freezing in the garden and the heat of the compost ' pile. If you think you might have days. sur-viv- ie IKaysville Pie Baker Wins IPrize were held with Daily bake-ofthe winners from each day combake-ofThe FRUIT HEIGHTS Judy peting in the final were given two Hammett of Fruit Heights took contestants hours to bake the pies, this insecond place in the 1983 Govercluded the baking time and the Contest Pie Fruit nors Baking cool off period, said Mrs. Hamheld at the Utah State Fair. mett. Mrs. Hammetts apple pie had Mrs. Hammett has offered to taken the sweepstakes award in share her award winning pie recthe baking division at the Davis ipe. Granny Smith or golden deCounty Fair. Her husband then licious apples that are still green entered Mrs. Hammetts pie in are used by Mrs. Hammett. Her the pie baking contest at the recipe for a pie follows: state fair. Crust: cup of Fluffo shortening We have always been fair go- 2 cups sifted flour 1 ers, but I had never entered anyteaspoon salt fair until this in a 5 tablespoons cold water year, thing ' Mix Fluffo into dry ingredients stated Mrs. Hammett. (RUTH MALAN with a pastry blender until it is the size of small peas. Sprinkle water one tablespoon at a time into the flour shortening mixture and toss with a fork until it forms a firm ball and can be handled easily. fs Review Correspondent f. 4-- 6-- 7 Prepare cups apples grated into large pieces or sliced very thin. Mix in V cup sugar, IV2 flour, 3 teaspoon cinnamon, and Vi teaspoon nutmeg. Pour pie filling into pastry lined pan and dot with margarine before putting top crust in place. Put foil around edges to keep from over browning. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 50 to - 60 minutes. not i8-22- Luxury Cars from 5 car dealers. Winter Fashion Show See the new nd Oct. 22 line-o- f 1:00 & 3:00 pm (Center Court) , MILLS WALL go away. The tiu mot J.inyenubui'ivL IPS TRAVEL, INC. (Independent Flight Service) 1 UT Lake Salt (801) 1075 East 2100 South, City, 487-086- V ? t w Ui- vv ,11)1 Inairi'iillkl't m the hnylish Itl Vi'tlf llli-tlt- American Cancer Society 3S l.inuwc |