Tough veggies for busy people

I love the idea of canning vegetables, but I just don't have the time. Let me repeat that: I don't have the time. That advice about how to budget time that you were about to dispense--you know where you can put it. And I'm going to scroll right by those memes about how we make time for what is important. Sometimes I do have free time and rush out to get stuff done, only to find the garden looking like this:

Yes, that is the setting sun. Can you relate? I'm really proud of what I've been able to accomplish by doing a very small amount of work each day. One way to minimize work while maximizing eats is to grow veggies that store well with little or no processing. Here's a group (not a list, I've sworn off lists) of plants to grow that require very little time investment to last well into winter.

Winter Squash

They require literally nothing in the way of processing. I wait until the vines die or a freeze is imminent, whichever comes first, then pick the fruits and stash them in a cool place. Winter squash need lots of space to grow and are susceptible to squash vine borers, but if you can overcome those obstacles you're golden.

Garlic

Pull it, knock the dirt off, braid it, hang it. Hard neck doesn't braid well, but I just tie the necks together with twine and hang. Bam.

Potato

The perfect food for growing and keeping. Just brush off the dirt and put in a dark, cool place. They're easy to grow too, not picky at all, and will produce tubers even when the leaves have been ravaged by flea beetles and potato bugs. No need to replant every year either: Just leave some in the ground when you harvest and they'll come up next year. Tough survivors they are, just like the Irish.

Onion

Onions are a little tricky. If you're growing them for the first time figure out if you need long-day, short- day, or intermediate. Then search for the best storage onions of that type. You'll probably have to grow them from seed since varieties available in sets are usually limited.

Carrot

Sow seeds mid-season and just leave the carrots in the ground to harvest well into cold weather. Mulch heavily in cold areas to prevent freezing and thawing. Rodents can be a problem if they discover the patch, so you might need to get creative with barriers. Also seeds may be stubborn about sprouting in hot weather, but it's worth the extra TLC for the pay-off in the fall.

Sweet Pepper

This rare vegetable can be frozen without blanching and keeps its flavor. It's a little work to remove seeds and slice them up, but well worth it for the pizza toppings and omelet fillings that last all winter in the freezer.

Tomato

Fresh tomatoes aren't usually thought of a storage vegetables, but you can really extend the period of fresh eating by picking the green ones just before first frost. Choose the ones that have reached harvest size, wrap individually in newspaper, and leave on a windowsill. I ate my last tomato in December this year. Not bad for Ohio.

Experimentation will no doubt yield the best vegetables for easy keeping at your site. They may be totally different from mine, but I hope you'll get the same satisfaction when you cook some delicious food on a cold winter day.