Seed Varieties for Food Preservation and Shelf Life

Think canning belongs in the 1950s? Think again! So much of what I grow is selected and planned around preservation. I want food security and freedom from grocery stores. About 75% of what I grow has been researched for the ability to store. The rest is for fresh eating. When COVID started, we didn’t set foot in a grocery store for 3 months. That was for dry goods like flour—and toilet paper ;).

For anyone interested, here’s my list of crops I’ve put together over time for shelf longevity, freezer quality and canning... I hope it’s helpful!

Yellow Onions
Bridger, Copra, Cortland, Patterson, Pontiac, Talon, Yellow Globe (includes heirloom and hybrids), Yellow Sweet Spanish

White Onions
Southport White Globe, Stuttgarter, White Sweet Spanish

Red Onions
Brunswick (heirloom), Red Bull, Red Creole (heirloom), Red Wind

Potatoes
Elba, Katahdin, Red Chieftain, Yukon Gold, Burbank Russet, German Butterball, Yukon Gem, Rose Finn Apple Fingerling, Russian Banana Fingerling, Red Pontiac, All Blue, Kennebec

Garlic (Softneck best for storage)
Inchelium Red, California Softneck, California Early, Italian Loiacono, Silver White

Sweet Potato
Beauregard

Carrots
Nantes, Chantenay, Imperator, Danvers

Beets
Cylindra, Flat of Egypt, Pacemaker III, Pablo, Boro

Shallots
Dutch varieties (chicken leg and Dutch yellow)

Paste Tomatoes
San Marazano, Amish Paste, Roma, Big Mama, Golden Mama

Cherry (Paste and Preservation)
Sungold, Super sweet 100, Yellow pear

Slicing (Paste and Preservation)
Black Krim, Rutgers, Mar globe, Ace 55

Peaches
Free stone varieties

Apples (whole storage)
Granny Smith, Red delicious, Golden delicious, Gala, Empire, Winesap, Fuji

Apples (canning)
McIntosh, Cortland, Fuji, Braeburn, Jonagold, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, Jazz, Honeycrisp

Canning Beans
Bush varieties: Black Turtle, Goldmine, Blue lake 274, Topcrop, Tendercrop, Contender, Provider, Strike, Improved Tendergreen, Refugee and Stringless Green Pod.

Pole beans: Blue Lake FM-1, Kentucky Wonder

Squash (whole storage)
Spaghetti, Waltham Butternut, Anna Swartz Hubbard, Golden Hubbard, Sibley, Musquee de Provence, Chioggia, Queensland Blue, Dutch Crookneck, Australian Butter