# Please help me store onions and taters



## partndn (Jun 18, 2009)

I have always had a problem with this. I would love pics if you have any. I have FINALLY found a Joel Salatin type minded local farm (well, it's about an hour away) to source some good stuff. Right now, sweet potatoes are plenty. I also found russet potatoes for a great deal this week, and small onions.
I have a basement, partial crawlspace, partial tall enough to walk in, with dirt floor. My chest feezer is down there, and lots of stored stuff, but not exposed food. Keeping potatoes and onions in my pantry has never proven to last but a couple weeks to maybe a month.
How do y'all get these things to last months?
I am terrified of varmints getting into my stuff if I put it in the basement. How do you deal with that? Do you use cardboard, plastic bins, bags, hanging, or shelving? I have a mental picture of maybe a slatted box with window screening all around and a screened hinged lid or something to keep critters out.
I do know the pantyhose/stocking method of onions with knots between. I might be willing to hang that in the basement without being too scared of critters getting involved.

Now that I've posed way too many questions.. please help.
If Forerunner is here, I remember a pic of you reaching into a giant pile of taters that looked like a root cellar maybe. Help me store my stuff so it's not compost before it's intended to be.


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## Vickie44 (Jul 27, 2010)

I have done web searches and there is an interesting idea about burying a metal garbage can strapped closed as a temporary root cellar. I think I will try this as I have alot of potatoes.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I have heard of "hanging" root crops in netting from the ceiling with a rounded piece of flashing at the top for any would-be predator to slide off of before it reaches your produce.


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

Adequate air circulation and humidity control are so vital to storing these two that often "pest protection" has to be compromised. The needs for the air circulation pretty much eliminates the use of enclosed plastic containers.

What sort of pests do you see as being a problem? Mice, while they may do some small amount of damage, pose no real threat, and using traps can eliminate much of that threat. With the dirt floor something would be needed to keep them off the floor, even something as simple as slatted boards so air can circulate under them.

I assume you aren't interested in either canning or freezing either? Both of those methods provide the longest storage.


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## partndn (Jun 18, 2009)

Alright, some good ideas. That one deal sounds like the dome over the bird feeder concept that deters squirrels.
First, I would say, yes, mice. I even had a cat in there the other day. That's the first time that's happened. Squirrels and raccoons could also access. Man, I don't hate anything worse than raccoons. They've been bout impossible for me to trap cause they are extremely smart and devious. I believe they would be interested in my sweet potatoes and regular ones too.
My house is very old and has some small holes in the foundation here and there, and also holes for cables, wires, etc, that are not what you call "sealed" at all.

I did can my surplus of sweet potatoes last season. I love those, but I also love the idea of having a backup storage method that does not require any processing. I also love a good baked sweet potato. mmm.

So, you think a "screened" box type something would hinder the airflow too much? What temps are vital? There is some moisture and a moldy element that would come with any dirt type ground area.


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

You might want to consider using hardware cloth rather than screening. Raccoons can easily rip open screens and the hardware cloth will also allow more air circulation. You can create "boxes" out of hardware cloth that can be suspended from the rafters.

If you read about what makes a root cellar work you often find instructions for vents of various kinds to allow for an active flow of air through the area. Active venting will control both the air temperatures and help keep the humidity in check. I have read that some will also use a dehumidifier in the area. You don't want it too dry though.


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## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

I was about to vote hardware cloth, too. Get the kind with the quarter inch openings and open the roll. Cut it to the size you want, and 'sew' it with fence wire twisted at intervals. Make a bottom and a lid, too. You can make lid 'hinges' with hog rings.

Oh, and when you put apples in, put them on the other side of the room or in a different room. Apples give off ethylene gas, which hastens ripening in other produce.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

You can also use zip strips, to hinge the hardware cloth boxes.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Excellent reminder about apples Horseyrider.


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

We had the best luck with keeping sweet potatoes by wrapping them individually in newspaper, then putting them in a basket in the basement. They were given to us in Aug or Sept and they kept nice and fresh until Thanksgiving that way. But our basement is poured concrete, we didn't have to worry about keeping out varmints, just spoilage.


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## mare (Aug 31, 2006)

would a small fan work to keep the air circulating and maybe keep the moisture down? just wondering


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

No doubt that a fan would help somewhat but not if it is only re-circulating the same air. There also needs to be a vent flow system of some type to insure that stale air is replaced with fresh on a regular cycle. Fans won't affect humidity, they just move it.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

I cellar my regular potatoes after a week of curing in the cool, dry and shady.
Taters like a little humidity and cold, but definitely not freezing.
You can leave them in the ground if you are south enough or have access to deep, fluffy mulching material for insulation over winter.

Sweet taters need warm and dry to cure for a week or so, then, as mentioned, individually wrapped (to keep the light off) and stored cool and dry.

Onions need to cure for a long time..... Augustish to freeze, but don't let them freeze.
Then store cool, dry and dark. Don't cellar onions. Think more of a back, cool room in burlap or cardboard--never plastic or closed container. Onions need to breathe all winter.


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

My grandmother used to dig a deepish hole in the ground. Line it with burlap, place the potatoes in with newspaper between each layer, and then more burlap and soil on top. These potatoes kept ALL winter long without spoil. It does depend on the kind of potatoes you have though, and I do not know about sweet potatoes, figure they would also do well like this.

Onions can also be dehydrated.

As Forerunner says, you need to CURE the potatoes before you store them. I lay mine out on our covered back porch.

Do not store apples near potatoes.


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## Cindy in NY (May 10, 2002)

Also, do not store your onions near your potatoes.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Forerunner is right, A damp basement is no place for onions. I tie my onions together by the dried tops with a string, 6 to a bunch and hang them in my shop, nice and dry. Potatoes go in the root cellar, humid not damp, (damp causes rot) cool and dark so they don't turn green. Mine are in wood prune lugs, old prune lugs (what prunes were picked in) are 18" long, 12" wide and 8" deep, with a 3/4" gap between side and bottom and a 1/2" gap in the 2 bottom boards. Potatoes are 2 layers deep with newspaper between layers and on top. One lug stacked on the next. How to keep critters out. Best to do as a whole room project, but you could make a potato bin with wire and your box or bin inside that, sounds like a lot of work in your situation. I also have vent pipes (pvc) running from the bottom of the cellar (near floor) to the ceiling and outside, these keep the moisture down and keep a good flow of air moving through the cellar, these are screened. Actually dirt floor and walls are better than concrete if you have no moisture problems, need to make sure it does not freeze down there, if you have large open spaces a racoon can come in it may be to cold down there....James


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## mosepijo (Oct 21, 2008)

This is how I store my potatoes. I have one bin on the other side of my root cellar. About 1000# this year.


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## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

Holy smokes! A thousand pounds?!?! You must have a large family!

Really great idea, BTW.


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## mosepijo (Oct 21, 2008)

Horseyrider said:


> Holy smokes! A thousand pounds?!?! You must have a large family!
> 
> Really great idea, BTW.


Actually just the two of us. But have family members close by and I trade with my milk lady. We just kind of got carried away when planting because the year before we didn't get sqat for potatoes. Better to have too many I guess.


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## gibbsgirl (May 1, 2013)

I'm trying to figure this out too, just saving the thread. Like to get it all squared away so it's setup ready for harvesting.

I'm considering the metal trash cans with holes they sell in town with hardware cloth lined inside to keep the critters out. Then using sand and keeping them in the basement. Might cost a bit, but we got limited free time. So if I could get them bought a few at a time it might do.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

I wouldn't use metal.

A wooden bin, preferably white oak, with a half inch spacing between boards, keeps taters high and dry.
Air is good. Wood will breathe with the potatoes, at a broad humidity range.


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## gibbsgirl (May 1, 2013)

I would like to use wood. But I had a serious rat issue here last year. They tore through all kinds of stuff, so I'm not sure I can keep them out if I don't have metal.

I'd be using metal burn barrels lined with hardware cloth. Filled with Sand probably, do you not think that will give it enough air?


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

I would still use the wood, and build a hardware cloth cage around the wooden structure.

Potatoes against any metal will likely cause premature spoilage.


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## gibbsgirl (May 1, 2013)

Thanks for the tip.

Ideally I'd like to have something stackable, or perhaps big trough or chest type containers off the ground. I'm just really not sure my hubby can get the time to do much constructing.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Wooden apple crates would work, and some versions stack well, if you can find them.

Might be time to take up light woodworking.


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## Werforpsu (Aug 8, 2013)

gibbsgirl said:


> I would like to use wood. But I had a serious rat issue here last year. They tore through all kinds of stuff, so I'm not sure I can keep them out if I don't have metal.


Obviously this method doesn't account for rats but it's what I do with a bit of success. 

I use flat cardboard boxes that stack. In the photo, the boxes on the table are cucumber boxes from sams club. They have all sorts of produce boxes like those and I grab them for free when I am there. 
I put a single layer of potatoes in each box and let them sit on my covered deck for a few days to help the dirt dry. 
Then I stack the boxes in my basement and cover with a sheet. Last year the potatoes lasted until early march when we ate the last of them. They were just starting to sprout at the eyes.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Yup, cardboard is good.

Just keep those taters out of the light......


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