Homesteader Depot

Tag: storage

  • Storing and Protecting Summer Clothes

    Storing and Protecting Summer Clothes

    Getting ready for the winter doesn’t just require getting out your warm clothes, but also packing up your summer ones.  Depending on where you live, this might mean that your clothes will be packed up for 4 to 5 months.  Improperly storing clothing for that period of time could result in damaged or ruined summer wear by the time it gets warm again.  The biggest threats are typically mold and moths.  Here are a few tips on how to fight these threats and keep your summer clothes safe all winter long.

     

    Combating Mold

    Nobody wants to wear moldy clothes.  Aside from the way they smell, mold can cause health problems.  The main way to combat mold is to eliminate moisture.  The first and most important thing to do is to get your clothes as dry as possible before storing them away.  Line drying is probably not going to be good enough if you live in a humid area.  If you do not have access to a dryer, bring your clothes in off the line and hang them near your wood stove.  When they are completely dry, let them cool, fold them up, and pack them away in a container that will not allow moisture in.  If you don’t have a sturdy airtight container you can use trash bags.  To help keep the clothing from absorbing moisture, put some dry rice or baking soda in a sachet or an old sock without a mate and store that with your clothes.

     

    Repelling Moths

    You could use traditional moth balls, but they smell horrible, are toxic, and cost money.  Hopefully, you have some lavender in your herb garden or some cedar chips, if not you can buy some and at least avoid the toxins and the smell of conventional moth balls. As with the rice, put the lavender or cedar chips in a sachet or an old sock and store this with your clothes.  Not only will this keep bugs out, but your clothes will smell fresh instead of toxic when you get them out next year.

     

    It might seem like a needless time-consuming step right now, when you have plenty of other winter preparations to see too, but taking these steps to properly store your clothing could save you from spending plenty of money next year replacing moth-eaten or moldy clothes that were stored improperly.

     

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  • Keep Your Produce Fresh Longer

    Keep Your Produce Fresh Longer

    One of the many benefits of having your own vegetable garden is the constant availability of fresh food in the summer and fall. But there’s nothing worse than feeling like you’ve wasted your hard work when you find produce you just picked wilted and not ready for anything except the compost bin. Here are some tricks that farmer’s market sellers use to keep their produce fresh during market time.produce

    Don’t pick your produce until the absolute last second. It’s tempting to go ahead and harvest what you’ll need for dinner when you’re watering your garden in the morning, but that’s one of the main culprits for wilted produce. Allow the vegetables to stay on the vine all day, and make a pre-dinner harvest part of your nightly routine.

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    Properly storing produce is important, even if you’re only going to store them for a few moments till you cook them. Herbs and green vegetables should be kept in a small amount of water so that the roots are covered. Delicate fruits and produce, like tomatoes, should be kept away from anything that could bruise them. Refrigeration is a good way to keep lettuce crisp.

    Moisture encourages mold on the surface of edibles, so it’s important to dry any vegetables after washing, especially if you plan to store them in the fridge for a few days. Additionally, long-term storage in the fridge is most effective when you understand the cold zones in your fridge, and which vegetables go where. In general, corn and peas should be stored in the front, while most other vegetables should be stored in the humid crisper drawer.

    Finally, be sure that root vegetables, such as squash and potatoes, as well as onions and garlic, are kept in a cool, dark pantry. These tips will keep your produce fresher, longer so that you can enjoy all the fruits of your labor.

    Food Storage Infographic