A Seasonal Shift

It’s the end of the growing season here in the Midwest. I had plans to extend my garden season growing under hoops + in the greenhouse, but to be honest, I became tired + overwhelmed. With all that is happening in the world, pandemic, the political climate and the upcoming elections, some days I feel like I can’t keep up. How do you hold all the grief + anxiety and the moments of peace and gratitude? I’m still figuring out that balance. And while the garden is my oasis, I’m ready for the slow down that takes place in fall + winter. My projects and focus shifts this time of year and i’m ready for it. Reading by the fire, knitting, making sourdough + planning winter decor.

I know people spring clean, but I find an autumn clean equally as important. In our small 1200 sq ft cottage, the winter months are cozy, but its a fine line between cozy + clutter and it can easily turn to overwhelm. So these next few weeks are important for me to clear out what no longer serves me, our family and find places for the things we want to keep and those intentional items that will carry us through the winter months.

Autumn is a time for the harvest, gathering up all the literal fruits of your labor, and storage is a big part. This week, a goal of mine is to finally clear out the drying rack, garble herbs into glass jars. Harvest whatever herbs + vegetables are still alive in the garden.

How do you ensure what you’ve grown lasts? I hang my herbs to dry until they are crisp, a garble them into jar for winter teas. But what about the produce you don’t can or preserve in jars? This year we are putting our roots vegetables, onions, squash from the garden, + apples collected from the land into This Orchard Rack for storage.

Proper storage of these root vegetables is important. Last year, a lot of our potatoes didn’t quite make it in the crates we stored them in, and it was huge disappointment. Who wants all their garden harvest to go bad before you get to enjoy them in mashed potatoes, or winter soups + pies?

this year, i’ve loved the addition of the Orchard Rack from Gardeners for drying herbs throughout the season and storing other produce. Once i’ve put all the dried herbs in their jars, I’ll be moving this rack down into the basement cellar for storage our produce in cooler temps.

Made from untreated fir, this storage keeps your garden harvest fresh for months longer. This year I stored the squash, apples, cured onions, potatoes at the bottom and dried my herbs at the top. The drawers allow for good air circulation and they slide out smoothly to access produce in the back.

If you think about how folks in the past stored their winter crops, it is in the cool, dark cellar. I’ve always been enchanted by a cellar dug into the ground. We actually have a cellar room with shelving that I store jars + herbs + canning supplies on and i’ll be moving this Orchard Rack into that room. The ideal temperatures for longevity of potatoes is 45-50 degrees + squash up to 60 degrees.

But for now, i’m soaking in this scene of garden grown herbs hung to dry and full racks of garden produce. Its a reminder of all the hard work, the amazing connection, and relationship I had with my garden this year. While i’m ready for what the next season brings, check back in, in January and i’ll be pining hard for this very scene.

How are you handling this transition into fall? How do you store your garden produce? I’d love to trade tips and tricks if you’d like to comment below.

be well,

alyson

ps. this is not a sponsored but my honest opinions and experience with this product from Gardeners.