Growing an excellent harvest is half the battle; another equally significant part of it is preserving the harvest throughout the long winter months. All the effort spent on caring for vegetables will be in vain if the storage conditions are not correct.
Air temperature, lighting and a certain level of humidity are very important for the preservation of the crop in its original form. Leeks and Brussels sprouts can tolerate small freezing temperatures. The zero mark on the thermometer is ideal for storing blueberries, kohlrabi, celery, radishes, cabbage, gooseberries. The air temperature up to + 5 ° C is the most optimal for pears, apples, strawberries, blackberries, currants, raspberries, cauliflower, potatoes, lettuce, plums and spinach. A temperature of at least +6 is suitable for beets, and for sweet peppers and green beans - from +5 to + 10 ° C. Cucumbers, tomatoes, as well as all southern fruits should be stored at temperatures from +10 to + 15 ° C.
First of all, you should know that only late varieties of potatoes can be stored for a long time. To do this, the tubers are cleaned from the ground, dried and placed in boxes. Store potatoes in a dark, cool, well-ventilated place.
Cabbage is easy to store if each head of cabbage is wrapped in paper and placed in a box with openings for free air circulation. Forks will also work well if you hang them on the ropes by the roots. You can store cabbage on the balcony. With the onset of frost, frozen heads of cabbage can be used for cooking without defrosting.
Garlic and onions should be stored in a cool dry place in wooden boxes, in nylon stockings or braided in wreaths. In addition, garlic is perfectly preserved throughout the winter, if you divide it into cloves, peel it from the scales and put it in dry glass jars, pouring it with vegetable oil. The flavored oil from garlic storage can be used in a variety of dishes.
In order to preserve the tomatoes as long as possible, they are removed unripe, right with the stalks, put in a box and covered with dry sawdust or sand. You can wrap each fruit in paper, put it in boxes and put it in a cool place. Periodically, vegetables need to be inspected, throwing out decaying ones.
Beets, carrots and other root crops must be stored in a box, sprinkled with dry river sand, out of the reach of sunlight. Carrots will stay fresh longer if, before storing them, they are sprayed with an aqueous extract of dry onion husks.
You can store celery and parsley roots in the sand box.
Cucumbers will be fresh for several weeks if they are kept submerged ¾ in water with their tails down. In this case, the water must be changed daily. You can also place them in a large enamel container and place it in the refrigerator, on the bottom shelf, uncovered, or wrap it in a wet towel.
Keep in mind that cucumbers cannot tolerate prolonged exposure to apples.
To preserve the pepper for a long time, it is wrapped in paper, folded in boxes and covered with sawdust. The pumpkin can lie in a dry, well-ventilated area for about 6 months. The radish will last all winter if the roots are placed in wet sand.
Various greens can be kept in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for several days. Dill and parsley sit well in a dry, tightly closed saucepan, but the greens themselves should also be completely dry. For longer storage, herbs can be wrapped in paper and frozen in the freezer. Celery leaves can be prepared for the winter, finely chopped and mixed with salt, in an earthenware pot. 1 kg of greens requires 200 g of salt.
