Wednesday 7 January 2009

stored apples


My last blog was about the huge waste of food we have in our country each day.

It doesn't have to be like that. Here's some evidence that you can grow and store your own food very successfully.

2008 was a great year for apples and we stored our bumper crop in half dozens in sealed plastic bags that had been punctured to give ventilation.

The 'Red Falstaff' variety is our best and longest 'keeper' and here's the latest group ready to eat.

They've lost a small amount of weight in the past four months but remain sweet and juicy. Great to eat as they are, included in porridge or chopped with other fruit for a healthy breakfast.

Remember that they are organic, so no chemicals used in production or to extend storage.

4 comments:

Alan said...

Food storage is a lost art. Thanks for sharing your success. We have had some luck with root cellaring potatoes and the like. I've got to get some divisions up before the apples will do well down there.

Rob said...

Hi Alan,
I'd like to think that there is a bit of a fight back and that the 'lost art' of food storage is making a comeback.
A problem is that modern British gardens and homes were not designed for food production and storage and so it is very difficult.
Root cellars really interest me - they are part of a north American tradition that seems to have no counterpart over here.
Cheers
Rob

Lisa said...

Hi, Rob,
Your apples look fabulous.

I agree that we need to think more about food storage in traditional ways -- I didn't know that root cellars were North American, but it's fascinating to learn about storage of root vegetables, certainly.

It's interesting to learn about some of the heirloom root crops that were stored -- and their characteristics (there's a great book about heirloom vegetables in NA by William Woys Weaver).

We actually have a largish basement area (unusual here) that could probably could accommodate a root cellar -- geez, I'd better get cracking!

Sinfonian said...

I love reading your blog. You show me just how much I have to learn.

Thank you!