Conditions for storing fruit in a warehouse. storage conditions for vegetables. Temperature, terms and humidity when storing fruits

• 1. Only healthy fruits or vegetables that do not have mechanical damage should be selected.
• 2. It is advisable to store each type of fruits and vegetables separately, it is allowed to store onions and garlic together; carrots, beets and other root crops; beets and potatoes.
• 3. Storage conditions for each type of product should be close to optimal. Air temperature and relative humidity during storage should be maintained without significant fluctuations.
• 4. It is necessary to periodically inspect stored fruits and vegetables and remove rotten and dried specimens in a timely manner.

Saving "zero"

It is best to store fruits and vegetables in a cellar or basement, where the air temperature during the winter is usually around 0.C. This is the ideal temperature for storing cabbages and "restless" root vegetables, which begin to sprout when the temperature rises. It should be remembered: if for cabbage short-term drops in temperature to -1.5.C are permissible, then the root crops do not tolerate freezing and, with a subsequent increase in temperature, quickly deteriorate.

Vegetables can also be stored on the balcony or on the veranda of the cottage, creating conditions that prevent the product from freezing. For this purpose, vegetables are placed in a barrel, then in a box and insulated, for example, with sawdust or straw.

Each type of vegetable, of course, is best stored separately, but most often you have to store vegetables with different requirements for temperature and humidity in the same room. In this case, try to place the vegetables in such a way as to create at least a minimum of favorable conditions "for everyone." For example, consider that it is colder near the outer walls and on the floor than on the shelves and closer to the ceiling (the difference reaches 3-5.).

Sufficient humidity is also important. To regulate it, you can use packaging made of plastic film: line the bottom and walls of the boxes with it, while not forgetting that bags and bags cannot be tightly sealed, as vegetables can suffocate.

The blessing of isolation

Root crops can be conditionally divided into 2 groups:

• with sufficiently strong integumentary tissues (beet, swede, turnip, black radish, parsnip);
• with more delicate thin integumentary tissues (carrots, parsley, celery, turnips, horseradish, daikon).

However, all root crops, without exception, lose their stability when wilting. Therefore, during storage, the “thin-skinned” are layered with clean, moist sand (when squeezing it in the hand, water does not ooze from the sand of the desired moisture content, and the lump retains its shape). Isolating root crops from each other not only prevents the evaporation of moisture, but also prevents the spread of infection from any infected.

Storing red and savoy cabbage is not much different from storing white cabbage. For long-term storage, cabbage is harvested with the onset of a stable cold snap. Heads of red cabbage are cut before frost, and then heads of Savoy cabbage that are resistant to the first autumn frosts. When laying cabbage for storage, it is necessary to select even, dense heads of medium size, leaving 3-4 tightly fitting covering leaves on them.

The optimum temperature for storing cabbage is 1...+1.C. Savoy cabbage can be stored at a temperature of 2...-3.C. Relative humidity should be in the range of 90-95%.

Heads of cabbage are stacked in a small pile or on racks, and for more rational use of the volume of the basement or cellar, heads of cabbage can be hung by a stump so that they do not touch each other.

Leek is well stored at a temperature close to 0.C (but not higher than 5.C) and relative humidity of about 80-85%. Having a basement or cellar, you can dig it upright in clean, damp sand, trying not to damage the leaves. Leek is well stored in the refrigerator, in a package made of perforated polyethylene film at temperatures down to -2.C.

Apples should not be stored together with vegetables and potatoes. It is better to keep them in wooden boxes with a capacity of 20-25 kg or in cardboard boxes. The storage temperature depends on the characteristics of the variety. Most varieties of apples are well stored at temperatures close to 0.C. For varieties Pepin saffron, Welsey, Northern Sinap, a temperature of + 1.C is preferable. For varieties Spartan, Bogatyr +2...3.C, and for Antonovka ordinary - +3...4.C. Medium-sized fruits are better stored, evenly colored, without mechanical damage, cooled immediately after collection and sorting to storage temperature.

The optimum relative humidity for storing apples is 90-95%. At lower humidity, the fruits of varieties with a thin skin (Anise, Pepin saffron, etc.) wither and wrinkle, Anise also quickly becomes mealy.

We should also not forget that even well-preserved fruits can instantly lose their beauty if they are incorrectly “removed from storage”. So, before serving apples on the table, hold them for some time in a room with a temperature of about 10.C, and then bring them into a warm room.

Storage of vegetables and fruits

Fruits and vegetables are essential for a balanced and healthy diet. as well as cereals, meat and dairy products. They provide us with important nutrients: vitamins, minerals and fiber. Due to improper storage, fruits and vegetables quickly deteriorate. In addition, vitamins are particularly sensitive to temperature and light. So, proper storage of vegetables and fruits allows you to save vitamins for a long time. In this article, you'll discover how to store fruits and vegetables to keep them fresh and full of healthy ingredients for a long time.

Proper storage of fruits and vegetables

Different fruits and vegetables require different storage conditions. Depending on their origin, temperature and air humidity play a particularly important role in the proper storage of vegetables and fruits.
Most of the population stores fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator without thinking. On the other hand, for tropical fruits such as bananas or melons, this is not the right place at all. Due to the low temperature, the tissue cells of the fetus are damaged, and bananas become covered with brown spots. It is best to store vegetables and fruits grown in a southern climate at a temperature of 8 to 13 degrees.
If vegetables and fruits are stored in a cooler place, they lose up to 70 percent of their vitamins in just two days. In addition to heat, vitamins are very sensitive to light. Therefore, fruits and vegetables that you do not have in the refrigerator are best stored in a dark place.

Temperature is critical

The following fruits and vegetables can be stored safely in the refrigerator:
Fruits: apricots, pears, peaches, nectarines, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, gooseberries, currants, grapes, kiwis and plums

Vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, kohlrabi, mushrooms, corn, leeks, lettuce, spinach, radishes, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, Chinese cabbage, and green peas.

Fruit stored in the refrigerator should be placed in open plastic bags to prevent the fruit from drying out.

A little warmer - the ideal temperature for storing vegetables and fruits from warm countries is 8-13 degrees.

Fruits: melon, mango, lemon, papaya, pineapple and grapefruit
Vegetables: tomatoes, sweet peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, onions, potatoes, garlic and eggplant
The easiest way to ensure their storage is in the basement or pantry. This is much better because it is too warm at room temperature and too cold in the refrigerator for long-term storage. And bananas are best stored at a temperature of 12 to 15 degrees.

How to store fruits

How to store vegetables and fruits

• Apples: Apples become wrinkled over time because they lose water. Therefore, it is better to store apples in a room with high humidity, such as in the basement. Apples should never be stored with other fruits because they release a lot of ethylene.
• Bananas: Bananas are not stored in the refrigerator, because there they quickly become covered with brown spots. Bananas can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to 3-4 days.
• Strawberries: Strawberries should only be stored in the refrigerator. These berries are very delicate and spoil quickly, so they are stored for no more than two days. Strawberries must also be stored so that the berries are not subjected to any pressure, otherwise you will end up with a sweet fruit with bruises.
• Melon: Melons are best stored in a basement or cool closet. If the melon has already been cut, it is best to store it wrapped in plastic wrap.
• Plums: Plums should be stored unwashed in the refrigerator. Thanks to the white coating that covers the plums, the fruits are protected from drying out.
• Grapes: Grapes, like plums, should also be washed just before eating. Otherwise, the grapes dry out faster.

• Cucumbers: Cucumbers should not be kept in the refrigerator. They stay fresh for a long time at a temperature of about 15 degrees. Therefore, cucumbers are best stored in the basement or in the pantry.
• Carrots: Carrots can be stored in the refrigerator - preferably in a perforated plastic bag. The tops should be cut off. As it continues to grow, it uses up water, and carrots can be wrinkled.
• Asparagus: Asparagus is best eaten as fresh as possible. Store in the refrigerator for no more than a day wrapped in a towel.
• Tomatoes: Tomatoes in the refrigerator where they quickly rot. They must be stored in a dry, cool place. Tomatoes should never be stored with other vegetables as they release a lot of ethylene.
• Zucchini: Zucchini, like cucumbers, are very sensitive to cold. It is best to keep them in a cool, dark place.

For proper storage of vegetables and fruits, you should know that tomatoes and apples should not be stored together with other fruits and vegetables. They have been found to release ethylene in large quantities. This gas drives the ripening processes and thus ensures that fruits and vegetables ripen and spoil faster. Other fruits, such as bananas or apricots, also release ethylene, although to a lesser extent than apples and tomatoes.
If you bought an unripe fruit, you can take advantage of this effect: place an apple or tomato in an unripe fruit and the ripening process will be accelerated.
Remember that various types of vegetables such as cucumbers, cauliflower, lettuce and cabbage are very sensitive to ethylene, and you should always store these fruits and vegetables separately.
Despite all the advice on how to store vegetables and fruits, you should always keep in mind that fruits and vegetables are best enjoyed fresh. Storage of vegetables and fruits should not be too long, because even if vegetables and fruits are stored in optimal conditions, they lose all the time in valuable nutrients. So buy as many fruits and vegetables as you need for the next two to three days.

Storage conditions for fresh vegetables, fruits and berries

It is not enough to grow and harvest a good harvest or buy high-quality inexpensive vegetables on the market. It is very important to store or process them correctly, i.e. so that they do not lose most of the vitamins and nutrients. The fact is that even after harvesting, vegetables and fruits continue to live, breathe, and spend nutrients; and the quality of products and their safety depend on how intensively these processes take place.

The main drawback in the storage of vegetables and fruits is associated with the loss of moisture, vitamins, organic acids and carbohydrates. Therefore, it is necessary to create conditions under which these losses will be minimal. However, not all vegetables, berries or fruits, even if properly stored, remain fresh until the next harvest. As a rule, the more tender the product (raspberry, peach), the shorter the shelf life. So, for example, when storing garden strawberries at a temperature of +1 ° C for 2 weeks, not only the appearance of the berries deteriorates sharply, but also the content of vitamins decreases. At the same time, onions, under suitable conditions, can be stored without much loss for 6-7 months.

All types of berries, vegetables and fruits can be divided into 3 groups according to the shelf life.

So, among the vegetables are:

1. Vegetables with a long shelf life are represented by 2-year-olds, i.e. plants that produce seeds in the 2nd year of life. These are, for example, such root crops as carrots, beets, radishes, turnips and others; they also include everyone's favorite potatoes, cabbage, garlic,. Being at rest during winter storage, these vegetables continue biological processes aimed at laying buds, which will grow in the spring, so the main task of any housewife is to prevent, firstly, germination, and secondly, the development of diseases. Under optimal storage conditions, such vegetables are able to reach a new crop with minimal losses;
2. Vegetables with an average shelf life include fruit vegetables (, cucumbers,) and gourds (,). In vegetables of this group, keeping quality largely depends on the degree of maturity at the time of removal and on the storage mode. Moreover, for various types of vegetables of this group, the shelf life is in a fairly large range - from several weeks for pumpkins and zucchini to several months for cucumbers. Therefore, it is more reasonable to process most of these vegetables into canned vegetables;
3. Vegetables with a short shelf life are mainly green crops: lettuce, green onions, spinach, sorrel, dill, etc. Their shelf life is no more than a week, and even then, subject to proper storage.

The same gradation in terms of storage exists for fruits and berries:

1. Fruits with a long shelf life are apples and pears of winter varieties, as well as grapes of late ripening. In good storage, they can lie without loss of consumer qualities from 3 to 6 months. Cranberries, citrus fruits, pomegranates and nuts are well stored;
2. Fruits with an average shelf life are the same apples, pears and grapes, only of medium ripening or, as they are also called, autumn varieties. They can be stored for about 1 to 3 months, so you should not stock them in large quantities, or put some of them for processing by preparing juices or compotes. The same group includes quince, mountain ash, cranberries, etc.;
3. Fruits with a short shelf life are represented by stone fruits (cherries, plums, sweet cherries, apricots, etc.), summer apples, pears and grapes, as well as almost all types of berries (raspberries, blackberries, currants, gooseberries, etc.). The shelf life of these fresh fruits and berries is a maximum of 1-1.5 weeks, so it is better to process them in the first days after harvest.

The keeping quality of berries, vegetables and fruits during storage depends on several factors.

Let's consider the most important of them.

By observing the conditions and terms of storage of fruits and vegetables, you can have fresh stocks all winter.

Potato storage

Firstly, for laying fruits and vegetables for storage in storage, varieties must be optimally selected. Late varieties have the best keeping quality, therefore, preparation for storage of your grown products begins long before the fruits ripen.

First, carefully select varieties, both in terms of ripening and according to the growing conditions that your land corresponds to. When purchasing vegetables on the market, do not rush, buy at the time when the mass collection of late vegetables begins; By the way, at this time and the price of them is much reduced.

Beet storage

Secondly, observe the correct growing conditions. When cultivating vegetables, do not try to apply large doses of fertilizers. After all, not only the lack of nutrients in the soil, but also their excess has a negative impact on the safety of plant products. So, with an excess of nitrogen fertilizers, vegetables become watery and quickly rot. The main task of any summer resident is to grow healthy vegetables that will feed you all winter.

Thirdly, in order to keep vegetables and fruits fresh for as long as possible, follow the correct mechanical composition of the soil. The best vegetables are known to be grown in light, structured soils containing a high percentage of oxygen. This is especially true of root crops such as potatoes, carrots and beets. In such soil, it is easier for vegetables to develop and accumulate nutrients.

Such a factor as weather conditions, unfortunately, depends little on a person, but it must be taken into account when making supplies for the winter. Both damp cold and too hot dry summers have a negative effect on the state of vegetables and fruits. In the first case, grown products are susceptible to various diseases, in the second case, vegetables and fruits contain a low percentage of nutrients. Therefore, in the fall, think: maybe it is better to process most of the products (dry, ferment, salt or freeze) than to throw away in winter or early spring.

To store fruits, vegetables and berries in the winter, you need to create optimal conditions for them, that is, to have a storage in which you can maintain the optimal mode. There are a large number of different designs of vegetable stores.

Before storing fruits and vegetables, first of all, the storage must be ventilated. Do not do this in hot summer weather, as the strong flow of warm air will cause a lot of condensation to form on the ceiling and walls. This work should be carried out in the autumn at lower temperatures, when it will not lead to the formation of excessive dampness.

Another important point on how to properly store vegetables and fruits is the mandatory disinfection of the vegetable store. Why can you burn a few sulfur blocks (1 block per 10 m3). It is necessary to work with them very carefully, adhering to all precautions. The saber is set on fire in the storage, placed on a metal stand away (no closer than 0.5 m) from flammable objects. Before ignition, vents, slots, etc. are tightly closed, and after ignition, the entrance is closed. After 2-3 days of treatment, the room is thoroughly ventilated. Sulfur checker will help get rid of not only various microorganisms, but also kill insects and rodents.

Also, the technology for storing vegetables, fruits and berries provides for whitewashing the ceiling and walls of the storage with lime mortar with the addition of a small amount of copper sulphate. Wooden shelves and drawers are best removed and dried in the sun, and then sprayed with a 5% solution of copper sulfate. If the vault has been frozen over in past winters, insulate it with Styrofoam sheets. This simple and inexpensive operation will have a positive effect on the keeping quality of the products put into storage, and first of all, potatoes, which, as you know, have an unpleasant taste and texture when frozen.

Temperature regime for proper storage of fruits and vegetables

Different types of vegetables and fruits require individually selected storage regimes, i.e., the creation of conditions under which biochemical processes slow down in them, the activity of harmful microorganisms and bacteria decreases, which ultimately has a beneficial effect on the safety of products.

What does storage mode include? These are factors such as room temperature, air humidity, air exchange, air composition, light and product placement.

Under the conditions and terms, most vegetables and fruits are stored at low temperatures. Such a temperature regime provides slower breathing energy and, as a result, a lower consumption of nutrients and a decrease in moisture loss. However, in practice, this means constant temperature control, because lowering it even by a few degrees can lead to spoilage of vegetables and fruits. The best storage conditions are provided only at a constant temperature. Its sharp drops increase the intensity of respiration of plant products and cause various diseases.

In general, according to the temperature regime of storage, all vegetables and fruits can be divided into 3 groups:

• well preserved at a temperature of 0 ° C and a little lower: onion, garlic, white cabbage;
• well preserved at temperatures close to 0 ° C or slightly higher. This is the largest group of vegetables and fruits, which includes root crops, melons, apples, pears, etc.;
• well preserved at temperatures from +2 to +10 ° C: potatoes, citrus fruits, tomatoes, etc.

Since the temperature regime for storing vegetables and fruits is one of the most important factors in the preservation of plant products, it is very important to choose the right temperature for each crop.

No less than the temperature, the humidity of the storage of fruits and vegetables is also important. This factor significantly affects the safety of plant products. On the one hand, in order to prevent the evaporation of moisture from vegetables and fruits, it would be good to keep them at 100% humidity, and on the other hand, such humidity is a favorable environment for the development of various microorganisms, including mold.

Thus, air humidity in the range of 70 to 95% is considered optimal for storing fruits and vegetables. Such a wide range of humidity levels is due to the fact that higher air humidity (90-95%) is required for storage of root crops and potatoes, but for onions and garlic it is much lower (75-77%).

The sources of moisture in the room are both the vegetables and fruits themselves, and artificial sources that you can use if necessary, such as a bucket of water. On the other hand, when the humidity in the storage is very high, it is not difficult to lower it with the help of ordinary table salt, which is an excellent desiccant. You can pour about 10-15 kg of salt into any wide container or bring in a few red bricks, which will also absorb excess dampness.

It must also be remembered that at low air temperature and high humidity, sweating of stored products can occur, which will inevitably lead to the germination of spores of microorganisms and spoilage of products. There is only one way to deal with this trouble - the temperature and humidity in the storage must be stable.

For the correct mode of storage of vegetables and fruits, proper air exchange is important. Ventilation of the storage is necessary to remove excess heat and moisture, which inevitably accumulate when storing a large amount of plant products. Air exchange contributes to maintaining the stability of the temperature and humidity regime and maintains the optimal composition of the air environment.

Ventilated storage room for vegetables

The ventilation used in vegetable stores can be either natural or forced - it all depends on your choice and conditions.

Storage of vegetables and fruits under normal conditions occurs at a normal content of oxygen in the atmosphere (21%), as well as carbon dioxide and other gases. However, it must be remembered that vegetables and fruits during respiration, like all living organisms, absorb oxygen and release carbon dioxide.

With the accumulation of a large amount of CO2 in the storage (more than 10%), the quality of the stored products deteriorates, therefore, fresh air supply or regular ventilation is necessary.

There are several ways to store fruits in a controlled atmosphere, and one of the simplest is the use of synthetic polymer films (polyethylene, etc.). In bags made of such materials, in which the fruits are placed, a certain gaseous environment is naturally created, the concentration of CO2 increases and the oxygen content decreases due to the breathing of the fruits themselves.

To keep vegetables and fruits as long as possible, it is important to provide the right lighting. Storage of fruits, berries and vegetables should take place in a dark room, since biologically active substances, such as vitamins, are destroyed in the light. In addition, in the light, vegetables such as potatoes or carrots, when greening, accumulate a toxic substance - solanine.

How to properly store vegetables and fruits: preparation for storage

In the process of how to properly store vegetables and fruits, it is necessary to protect them from infection. Since various diseases can occur during storage of fruits, some preventive measures should be taken before laying them for the winter. First of all, you need to harvest in dry weather, then dry the harvested products in the sun and carefully sort out, setting aside damaged specimens that should be consumed in the near future.

Preparing for storage
Vegetable storage

It is impossible to lay products in cold storage immediately after these procedures. For proper storage of fruits and vegetables, the temperature should be reduced gradually to avoid temperature shock. Only around mid-October, when hidden diseases of the product will be revealed, and its temperature will be approximately equal to 8-9 ° C, it needs to be sorted out again and put into storage. Of course, these are average periods that depend on the weather and the climate in your region, but vegetables and fruits should be cooled for about 1-2 months.

When preparing vegetables and fruits for storage, the harvested crop must be properly dried and treated with protective fungicides to prevent fungal diseases. You can do this with an infusion of ordinary nettle. Why its stems are poured with cold water and insisted for a day.

Carrots are a rare exception among vegetables, as they contain more nutrients when cooked than when raw. According to Western experts, immediately after cooking, the level of antioxidants in root crops increases by 34%.

For high preservation of vegetables, it is also necessary to remove them in time, i.e., firstly, let them ripen completely, and secondly, prevent frost damage. In immature vegetables, a sufficiently strong shell has not yet formed, which is easily damaged during cleaning and transportation. As a result, they are poorly stored. Overripe products lose a lot of nutrients, often crack, especially white cabbage, which also negatively affects the shelf life. When harvesting, try to handle vegetables and fruits that you will store for long-term storage as carefully as possible. Be sure to sort them by selecting broken, cut, diseased, non-standard, etc. for processing or eating first. Subject to all storage conditions, you can get good results, in which the safety of the main vegetables (potatoes, cabbage, carrots and beets) will be approximately 90-95%.

According to the rules for the storage of fruits and vegetables, the placement of plant products in the storage should be carried out taking into account the specifics of storage of each type.

In addition, many types of products affect each other, which sometimes leads to a deterioration in their consumer properties. So, it is well known that keeping apples and potatoes side by side leads to the fact that the taste and aroma of apples become earthy, and therefore it is unpleasant to eat them.

Also, onions and carrots should not be stored side by side, as they have different requirements for air humidity. Potatoes and cabbage “do not get along” nearby, as they need a different temperature regime.

How to store fresh fruits and berries

Mostly only winter varieties of apples and pears are stored for storage. In this case, the fruits must be ripe, and this can be determined by the following signs:

• fruits have a characteristic color for the variety;
• fruits acquire aroma;
• the stones in the fruits are brown;
• the fruits on the tree do not hold firmly.

How to keep fruits and berries fresh for as long as possible? Remove fruits from a tree or bush in dry weather. They do this very carefully, removing the fruits along with the stalks and injuring them as little as possible. Usually on winter varieties there is a wax coating, which is a natural protection against moisture and pests, therefore, in order not to disturb it, it is best to pick the fruits with gloves.

There is an opinion, however, not confirmed by any research, that an apple eaten in the morning helps to wake up. Maybe this is not so, but the benefits of an apple for the body will be undeniable.

During winter storage of apples and pears, the transformation of pectin, the adhesive substance contained in these fruits, is of great importance. For our body, it is an orderly, because it has the ability to bind and remove various harmful and toxic substances, such as pesticides or radioactive elements. So, during the storage of fruits, the secondary structure of pectin is destroyed, the fruits become softer and tastier. Unfortunately, in the process of lying down, vitamins also begin to break down; the least stable of them is vitamin C, so that by the beginning of summer in apples and pears it is contained in 100 g of the product less than 1 mg%, while immediately after harvest it reaches (depending on the variety) up to 16 mg%.

What else must be remembered is that it is strictly forbidden to store apples and pears in 1 room with garlic, onions and potatoes. The specific smell distributed by these plant products is very easily absorbed, which means that the taste of fruits will be hopelessly spoiled.

apple storage

Apples. Before storage, apples must be sorted by size and damaged by diseases and pests, as well as those that have mechanical damage, should be selected. Medium-sized fruits are stored longer, it is preferable to process small ones, as they fade quickly enough; but large apples, since they are more often affected by diseases, it is advisable to eat them in the 1st turn.

Fruits selected for storage are best stored in wooden or cardboard boxes. This will not only protect them from mechanical damage, but also create the most stable temperature regime. It is advisable to isolate the apples from each other by wrapping them in paper or by sprinkling them with any suitable material, such as husks, buckwheat husks, moss, washed and thoroughly dried sand, soft hardwood shavings, etc.

Sometimes apples are stored in straw, but this is somewhat worse, since when moisture condenses, it can begin to rot, which will inevitably lead to damage to the fruit. Small volumes of fruit can be stored in plastic bags, which are tied with twine and hung from the ceiling.

Before laying in storage, each fruit can be pre-treated with a 2% solution of calcium chloride or an alcohol solution of propolis.

Packed boxes with fruits are transferred overnight to a cool room so that the fruits are pre-cooled, and then placed in a permanent place in storage. The optimum temperature for storing apples is 0- +1 ° C, air humidity should be 85-95%. Stored products should be inspected from time to time.

storage of pears

Pears. Pears are stored in almost the same way as apples, taking into account only the fact that these are more tender fruits and they should be injured as little as possible. Therefore, pears are harvested only with gloves, immediately sorting them, wrapping them in thin soft paper and putting them in boxes. The layout is carried out diagonally, placing the fruits in such a way that the peduncle is in the gap between the fruits of the next row.

Pears are stored at a temperature of -1-0 ° C and relative humidity in a storehouse of 85-90% with good ventilation.

You can store pears in sealed plastic bags measuring 65x18 cm, just pay attention to the fact that you can fill them with fruits only after they have cooled to storage temperature. Otherwise, condensation will appear in the bags and the pears will simply rot.

Grape storage

Grape. Under all conditions, even such a delicate culture as grapes can be kept fresh. Particularly great damage to stored products is caused by mold, which affects both the berries and the comb.

How to store fresh berries, what to do to solve this problem? Let's describe it from the beginning. First of all, the grapes must ripen. They clean it in dry sunny weather, cutting off a brush with a piece of vine.

When laying the crop for storage, carefully inspect each brush, remove damaged berries. On the rest of the berries, try to keep the wax coating, as it performs a protective function. The grapes should be completely dry, so blot them gently with a soft cloth if necessary.

Before harvesting fresh berries, ensure the temperature is at 0 - +2 ° C at an air humidity of 90-95%. In this case, the storage should be well ventilated.

You can store grapes in several ways:

1. The brushes are put in clean (you need to fumigate them with sulfur) boxes or barrels, sprinkle with wood (preferably lime or poplar) sawdust and cover with lids. The sawdust must also be clean. It is advisable not to store more than 8-12 kg of grapes in 1 container. Instead of sawdust, it is permissible to take straw ash, just make sure that there is no admixture of earth or peat in it;
2. The brushes are tied in pairs by the legs and hung on poles so that they do not touch each other;
3. The brushes are laid out on the shelves, laying a 2-3 cm layer of straw under them. Clusters are laid out in rows one to one;
4. If you need to save small amounts of products, the grapes are stored in jars of water, lowering the brushes with their legs down like bouquets. A pinch of salt is added to the water or pieces of charcoal are placed.

watermelon storage

Melons and watermelons. This problem is relevant in the southern regions, where large crops of gourds are harvested. For storage, freshly picked ripe watermelons are selected and coated with clay mash with the addition of finely chopped hay. Then the fruits are dried in the sun and inspected. In the presence of cracks, the coating is repeated until the crust becomes whole.

Watermelons processed in this way are stored in a cool, dry place, shifting them with hay. Experiments have shown that in this case the fruits are well preserved until March. You can also treat watermelons with paraffin or alabaster and then hang them in nets from the ceiling.

Watermelons are stored well, laid out on the shelves with tails up, it is only necessary to leave a distance between them so that they do not in any case touch their sides. The duration of storage in this case will be approximately 2-3 months at a temperature of + 3-4 ° C and an air humidity of 80%.

Note: watermelons do not ripen during maturation, so only ripe fruits should be stored for storage. Melons, on the other hand, are just the opposite: they are harvested in a state of milky-wax maturity, put into barrels and sprinkled with dry wood ash. The main condition is that they should not touch each other and the walls of the barrel. A thick layer of ash is poured on top and hermetically sealed. The barrel is left in a cool, dry place. Thus, melons remain fresh for 3-4 months.

Melons of winter varieties are well stored in nets. suspended from the ceiling, at a room temperature of + 2-4 ° C and an air humidity of 70-80%. However, you will need to constantly inspect the fruit, since even the smallest speck that appears on the peel can lead to rotting of the entire melon or make it taste unbearably bitter. The main condition: when storing melons, make sure that they do not have even minimal mechanical damage.

Poorly thought out, and in some regions completely absent, competently organized storage of fruits and vegetables in a warehouse forces the country to depend on root crops, stone and pome fruits, berries and everything else imported by other states. More than a third of the vegetables grown due to non-compliance with storage regimes are sent to landfill without bringing even a penny of profit.

This state of affairs may continue, unless urgent measures are taken by building capital or prefabricated warehouses with modern automatic ventilation systems.

More than 40 million tons of fruits and vegetables are harvested annually in the Russian Federation. We are ranked 2nd in the global potato industry and 11th in the fruit and vegetable industry. In the same time, losses during storage of products are more than 30%. Result - more than 50% fruits and vegetables shipped from overseas.

The main reason for such incredible losses is the morally and technologically obsolete cold storage system, which does not provide long-term storage. And the surviving part of the products is much inferior in the presentation of products from abroad.

Organization of storage of vegetables - what needs to be considered?

After the end of the harvest season, affordable prices for fruits and vegetables are replaced by higher ones. This is due not only to the high cost of building or renting warehouses, but also sometimes to the wrong choice of storage method. Extra costs, where you can get by with cheap methods, increase the cost.

Requirements for ventilation systems

The modern technology for storing fruits and vegetables in warehouses involves a fully automated storage ventilation system controlled by the operator from the remote control, which itself takes in air from outside or inside the room, cools or heats the mixture, and determines the speed of the air flow.

Setting automatic ventilation system in the vegetable store performs the function of maintaining air exchange, removing CO 2 , ethylene, providing modes of drying, heating, "treatment" of root crops.

• System active ventilation provides the supply of both outdoor and indoor air or a mixture of both at the required temperature
• It is possible to change the intensity of ventilation in individual zones (rooms) of the storage using control devices
• The humidity control system ensures the necessary level of relative humidity in the premises.

You can read more about the principles of operation of automatic ventilation systems at the links:

Storage methods

fruit storage- the primary task of the agro-industrial complex, which annually loses almost half of the grown crop. Harvested, sorted and sorted solid vegetables are stored in three ways:

• in bulk (in bulk on the floor),
• in containers or boxes,
• on the shelves.

Bulk storage

It is considered the cheapest and has little effect on the final cost of the product. It is chosen for inexpensive, dense fruits that have a thick protective skin that resists mechanical stress or tolerates them well (it is used, onions, immature tomatoes, etc.).

Maintaining the optimum temperature in such a warehouse is carried out with the help of air ducts, coolers and heaters. The last two are used depending on the temperature outside the room. In winter, the air sucked in from the street is heated, mixing in the required proportion with the storage atmosphere. In summer it cools down.

As a result, all year round, with the exception of months of non-use, the warehouse is in the same temperature and humid environment - the most suitable for the fruits laid in it.

Air ducts in storage bulk type are located between the floor and the ground on which the room is located. They are made of flexible or rigid aluminum pipes laid according to the scheme chosen in a particular warehouse. Moistened cooled, heated or mixed with gas air flow is supplied through them, penetrating through the entire thickness of the backfill.

It weathers every root crop, vegetable or fruit, preventing bacteria and microbes from developing, causing damage or loss of their presentation, nutritional value.

Fruit storage conditions are listed in the table:

Container storage

For warehouses equipped for storage of crops or purchased products in containers or boxes, the most commonly used cooling scheme is through a pressure wall. Containers (large, small), plastic, cardboard or paper boxes are stacked, keeping a gap for the passage of a jet of air mixture injected from the back wall.

Advantages of storage in containers:

• good ventilation of products;
• control and the possibility of localization of damaged products;
• containers are quite easy to move with forklifts around the warehouse.

Disadvantages of storage in containers:

• expenses for the purchase of containers;
• the need to handle containers to prevent infections;
• the need for additional storage space for empty containers.

The type of vegetables or fruits, degree of maturity, storage time are factors that influence the choice of air exchange scheme. It can be the so-called serpentine, tunnel, with horizontal and vertical flows, etc.

Serpentine and tunnel ventilation scheme during container storage

Choosing a container for storing vegetables

All varieties of cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes and much more are best placed in containers. Thus, the mechanical impact on the batch is reduced, but the high efficiency of the use of storage areas is maintained.

Vegetable storage containers placed one on top of the other, occupying a usable area. There are small passages for the supervising inspector who monitors the health of the products in the warehouse.

The entire range of containers is divided into

• large, with a capacity of 400-500 kilos,
• and semi-container - for 200-300 kg.

The final choice of size is determined by the recommendations given by experts in matters of storage of a particular type of fruit and vegetables. Carrots, for example, are not placed in a layer of more than 1.5 m. The obvious follows from this - they are poured into a semi-container.

It is noteworthy that ripe and green fruits require different numbers on the scoreboard of machines that maintain the set parameters. This, with the right selection of specimens for long-term storage, is a sure way to establish a progressive ripening of stored products, providing the consumer with exceptionally high-quality fruits, regardless of the time of year.

1- automatic gas analysis and control system; 2- Membrane nitrogen plant; 3 - Carbon dioxide adsorber; 4- Atmosphere converter; 5 - Refrigeration unit with heat recovery.

Storage Technology fruits implies the participation in the process of ethylene and carbon dioxide, which affect the biochemical processes that take place inside the fruit. The low oxygen content of the forced air streams ensures the longest possible shelf life, sometimes up to half a year.

Hard-skinned or winter varieties with a firmer texture are stored in small containers or crates. Quickly perishable fruits are laid out on special pallets in a small layer to prevent damage from squeezing the lower ball with the upper one.

In combination with the above methods of storage, additional ones are used - surface treatment of the fruit with compounds that prevent decay, germination, evaporation of moisture, leading to loss of presentation and nutritional value of the fruit. These can be: treatment with formaldehyde, chlorine water, sulfur dioxide, ozonation, paraffinization, wax irrigation, exposure of vegetables and fruits to ultraviolet light. The height of the layer of root crops can reach 4.5-5 meters, which provides sufficient storage capacity.

When containerized the ideal solution would be lightweight pre-fabricated. This solution allows you to place storage containers almost throughout the entire volume of the room ( with a ceiling height of 6 meters and above).

In addition, there is the possibility of organizing zones with different temperatures and humidity, which is especially important when storing fruits. At the same time, the installation of ventilation systems is quite simple and does not require significant investments.

You can get acquainted with the projects of frame structures at the links:

The duration of storage of vegetables and fruits, of course, depends on the proper preparation of the storage and the crop itself, but you will also have to take into account the requirements of each specific crop.

Only in this case, the harvest will retain not only an attractive appearance, but also excellent taste for a long time.

In this issue, we will look at the best ways to winterize the most popular and common vegetable and fruit crops so that the fruits of your labor are never wasted.

Before you start planning the storage of vegetables and fruits, you should pay attention to the fact that the shelf life of products, the safety of their taste and useful properties directly depend on:

• from the variety of culture;
• from growing conditions;
• from properly performed preparation of the crop;
• from the room selected as storage.

Products selected for long-term storage in the cold season:

• must be healthy (no signs of disease, mold or rot);
• must not have mechanical damage;
• reached maturity (but not overripe!);
• not exposed to negative temperatures (not frozen).

On a note

In order for vegetables and fruits to endure long-term storage well, they must be carefully selected. Harvest must be protected from exposure to cold and high temperatures even before storage.

As for vegetables, crops with a drier texture that are resistant to external factors are best stored. This category includes potatoes, radishes, carrots, parsley root and celery, cabbage, onions, garlic and others. Of fruits, only intact, uniformly colored fruits of medium size will be well stored.

The place where the crop will be stored must have an optimal level of humidity, as well as be protected from the penetration of insects and pests. The air temperature should be low enough, but not negative. The best option is from 0 to 4 degrees. Another condition is complete darkness, as some vegetables can germinate even in dim light.

STORING VEGETABLES AND FRUITS IN THE BASEMENT OR CELLER

It is believed that a basement or cellar is best suited for storing crops.

During the summer, the room must be properly dried. If the vault needs to be repaired, don't put it off. It is also necessary to check the operation of the ventilation pipes and plugs. It is imperative to remove all containers and removable shelves from the storage, collect and discard all garbage.

Removable wooden shelves are thoroughly cleaned and dried in the fresh air. Damaged and broken ones are repaired or replaced with new ones.

Removable wooden shelves should be dried under a canopy in a well-ventilated place - so that direct sunlight does not damage or deform the wood.

All metal structures in the vault are cleaned of rust (if any) and painted.

If during the inspection of the premises, rodent burrows are found, they must be closed up, for example, with glass fragments and covered with cement.

If possible, the top layer about 3 cm thick is removed from the earthen floor, and then covered with new sand.

About a month before laying the crop for storage, the storage facility is freed from all products without exception, since the mandatory disinfection of the premises is next in line. If the storage is located separately from the dwelling, disinfection can be carried out with a FAS sulfuric checker. This drug will destroy not only mold and fungus, but also rodents. Please note: when working with the drug (which is very toxic!) You must follow the precautions and strictly follow the instructions. After 2-3 days after disinfection, the room is well ventilated.

If for some reason the use of FAS checkers is not possible, the basement or cellar can be disinfected with lime. To prepare the solution, you need 2.5 kg of lime and 100 g of copper sulfate per 10 liters of water. All components must be mixed well and left for a day to infuse. The resulting lime mortar whitens the ceiling, walls, shelves and all wooden surfaces. After a while (when the whitewash is completely dry), the room is also ventilated.

Now the cellar or cellar is ready to store the new crop.

Advice

If the groundwater level is low on the site, the cellar can be arranged in the underground of the house.

The air temperature in such a storage should not exceed 6 degrees (best of all, if it is constant and within 4-5 degrees) throughout the calendar year - even in summer. That is why the installation of a thermometer is not only desirable, but even a necessary measure. If an increase in temperature is noticed, urgent measures must be taken to stabilize it - for example, ventilate the room. If possible, be sure to install a fan or hood with ventilation in your storage.

channel. If this is not possible for any reason, an air conditioning system is a good solution. However, it must correspond to the specifics of the basement, which means that consultation with a specialist will be very useful.

By the way

Some vegetables, such as onions and garlic, can be stored in attics. To do this, they are wrapped in hay or braided and hung from beams.

IN BUNKERS

The bunkers can be built on the surface of the earth or built in specially dug holes 25 cm deep on a slightly elevated place. This way you can store potatoes, carrots, radishes, celery. As a rule, the surface of the bunker has a width of 100 to 150 cm, and a length of no more than 20 m (depending on the number of vegetables). At the base of the bunker, you need to dig a ditch 25 × 30 cm and cover it with a wooden mesh - to remove wastewater and ventilation.

Experienced gardeners are advised not to limit themselves to one ditch and dig another trench - on both sides of the structure - to collect rainwater and snow. Vegetables inside the hopper can be laid on the ground (without stratification) or on a layer of sand. After laying vegetables, the bunker can be covered with earth or alternate layers of earth with layers of straw. In this case, the total thickness of the coating should be about 50 cm.

IN THE GROUND

If it is not possible to store vegetables in the cellar or basement, you can leave them for the winter in the garden or in the garden, on a hill. Since the keeping quality of carrots, parsley and celery is not very good, they dig narrow (about 50 cm wide) and deep (up to 70 cm) trenches for their storage. But beets and cabbage can be stored in smaller grooves - about 30 cm. When storing vegetables in such trenches, they need

but sprinkle with a thin layer of sand or sandy earth. From above, the storage is also covered with earth (a layer of about 5 cm) and compacted well with a shovel. With the onset of cold weather, the covering layer is increased by a few more centimeters, and when frost sets in (when the earth on the surface of the trench freezes), winter shelter is performed. To do this, the storage with vegetables is covered with a layer of straw 20-30 cm thick, and then again with a layer of earth (about 5 cm).

Note!

Trenches for storing vegetables every year need to be done in different areas. This will prevent the development of diseases and preserve the crop as much as possible. Vegetables left in the trench from last year are completely removed.

I do so

Leek and the most frost-resistant varieties of parsley can be left for the winter in the ground - in the same place where they grew. I cover the parsley on top with straw. And also leeks, and parsley for the winter can be dug. To do this, I dig grooves and put vegetables in them. I cover the parsley roots with earth with a layer of 5 cm. Before the onset of frost, I additionally cover the buried vegetables with straw or tops - with a layer of at least 15 cm.

Tatyana Olegovna VRUBLEVSKAYA

ON THE BALCONY

If all the above methods of storing crops do not suit you, as a city dweller, take a closer look at your balcony. To decide if vegetables (and even some fruits) can be stored there in the winter, set up a thermometer and monitor the temperature, then check our table.

culture	Permissible storage temperature, °С
Potato	2…3
Carrot	0…2
Beet	0…2
Turnip	0…2
Garlic	-1…+3
Onion	0…1
Cabbage	-1…+2
Pears	-1…+5
Apples	1…2

If the thermometer mark on the balcony often drops below 0 ° C, you should think about arranging a special container for storing food in winter. It can be purchased at a specialized store or made independently, without tangible expenses.

Thermal cabinet. This device will perfectly preserve the crop in the winter. The cost is, of course, high, but quite justified. The heating cabinet has a multilayer structure, a built-in temperature controller constantly maintains the set temperature, and is also equipped with a ventilation system that eliminates the need to regularly ventilate vegetables. Another advantage of heating cabinets is that they are available in different sizes, and can also be made individually for a particular balcony or loggia. Such a miracle of technology works from the network, so if you decide to purchase it, you should take care of the electrical wiring in advance.

As for the temperature inside the container, it usually ranges from 2 to 7 degrees with a plus sign, which prevents the fruit from rotting.

The use of ready-made heating cabinets is an excellent solution for a resident of an apartment building, the only drawback of the device is its high cost.

Flexible (soft) cellar. Such a device is called by many the budget version of the heating cabinet. Externally, the flexible cellar looks like a large backpack, and when folded it is light and compact. The purchase of a ready-made soft product for storing crops will be an excellent solution for city apartments.

The containers are made of a three-layer moisture-proof fabric and padding polyester and have a multi-layer structure with a heating system in the middle. Thanks to this, the products will not freeze even at sub-zero temperatures. The soft cover of a cellar is closed by the lock. The device also works from the mains and at the same time consumes about the same amount of electricity as a conventional light bulb. Before use, the soft container is attached to the wall with dowels. With the onset of spring, the soft cellar can be folded and removed until the next season.

If you have made a choice in favor of a soft cellar, make sure that there is glazing on the balcony or loggia where it will be installed, as this product is afraid of precipitation.

Plastic containers. This storage option is one of the simplest and most budgetary. It is suitable for those who cannot or do not want to deal with the construction of more serious structures. However, it is advisable to use such containers only if the climate in your area is not too harsh.

Plastic containers are placed on a balcony or loggia, but not on the floor, but on pre-prepared racks about 15-20 cm high, so that the vegetables are well ventilated. It is important that there is also a gap between the box and the walls. Potatoes and other vegetables are placed in bags (best if they are made from natural materials), and then placed in a container, sprinkled with sawdust or dry sand. From above, the structure is covered with a lid with holes and insulated. Styrofoam, old blankets or unnecessary warm clothes are suitable for this.

Wooden boxes. To make such a container for storing the gifts of the garden and garden, special skills are not required. All that is needed for this is two boxes of different sizes (one is larger, the other is smaller) and a bag of sawdust. You can put them together from boards or plywood. As for the specific dimensions, they will depend on the size of the room where the box will be located, and the amount of food stored for winter storage. At the bottom of a larger wooden box, you need to lay a sheet of thick cardboard (or fabric in several layers) and cover it with a layer of sawdust or wood shavings (about 10 cm) - to create thermal insulation. A smaller box is placed on top of the sawdust. Please note: the gap between the walls of the box must be at least 10 cm and also filled with sawdust. You can also use artificial heaters. Cover vegetables during storage. If the balcony or loggia is not insulated, you can put unnecessary warm clothes, old blankets or special warming materials upstairs. According to experts, vegetables can be stored in this design up to -15 ° C.

Wooden boxes with insulation. The device of such chests resembles the principle of a thermos. For the design to be effective, the boards of the box must be carefully fitted so that there are no gaps.

The inside of the container is sheathed with thermoplastic (the thickness of the material must be at least 20 mm), and a layer of wood is again mounted on top of the insulation. The cover is insulated in the same way. Do not forget to drill small holes in it - for ventilation.

Potatoes and other vegetables stored in such a box will need to be inspected for spoilage at least 2 times a month.

DISCUSSION QUESTION…

The occurrence of foci of decay on vegetables and fruits is a natural, albeit unpleasant process. Caring housewives, in order to prevent the spread of infection, can sort out the crop several times during the winter, removing not only damaged specimens, but also with the slightest hint of depravity. It is these recommendations that can most often be found in specialized literature and heard from fellow gardeners.

But as my experience shows, it is not worth it once again, without extreme necessity, to disturb the crop laid in storage. The fact is that, touching infected and healthy fruits many times, we spread the spores of pathogenic microorganisms with our own hands and, thereby, provoke the processes of decay.

Svetlana EVSEEVA, Moscow region, Kashira

Container with electric heating. This method of storage will be especially appreciated by people with uninsulated balconies or loggias. The manufacture of such a design, of course, will require some effort and ingenuity, but they will justify themselves. Heating can be arranged in two ways: with a hair dryer with low power or 40 W lamps.

From wooden bars you need to make a frame of the required size. Sheets of plywood are attached to the walls of the box, and the inside is sheathed with insulating foil material. When manufacturing, it is important not to forget to leave a hole for the pipe through which warm air from the hair dryer will flow. In the pipe itself, experts advise making small holes so that the air in the box spreads evenly. The hair dryer is attached to the container with a flexible tube. To adjust the operating modes of the heaters, they must be connected using a thermal relay, which will regulate the temperature inside and turn on electrical appliances automatically at the right time - without human intervention.

The second option is to attach a tin pipe inside the box and place an incandescent lamp in it. The heat of one such lamp is enough to maintain the required temperature inside the container, even in frost.

STORAGE RULES FOR VEGETABLES AND FRUITS

old refrigerator. If there is no money to buy special cellars, and for some reason it is not possible to make a storage with your own hands, you can adapt an old refrigerator to store the crop (even if this device is not working). The main thing is that the size of the balcony allows. On the eve of the season, the refrigerator should be washed and dried, and then placed on the floor with the door up, turning it into a “chest”.

The crop is laid inside and covered with a cloth that will absorb excess moisture. However, vegetables will also have to be periodically ventilated, as condensation will collect inside the refrigerator.

Each vegetable crop has its own textural characteristics and requires certain storage conditions.

Potato. This product can safely be called one of the most popular in our country. It should be stored in a dark, well-protected place from frost, and storage containers should not interfere with air circulation. If the tubers are removed from the ground or purchased on the market slightly damp, they must be kept in the fresh air for several days until completely dry. If you neglect this rule, the potatoes will quickly deteriorate or sprout.

Roots. Carrots, parsley, celery, beets, turnips, rutabaga should be stored in cool places, also well protected from frost. Cellars are suitable as storage facilities (root crops are placed in boxes with sand) or trenches (vegetables are stored with leaves stuck in the sand outwards). It is important that the roots do not touch each other during storage.

Onion and garlic. Many of us store these vegetables in the "old-fashioned" way - that is, in the attic, woven into braids.

However, not everyone knows that both onions and garlic must be well dried before plexus. The scythes themselves should be stored in a dry, cool attic away from moisture, and the crop should also be protected from frost or heat.

White cabbage. Heads of cabbage can be buried in the ground at some distance from each other, or you can store them in the basement (on shelves, at some distance from each other).

Other vegetables and fruits. The general rules for storing vegetables and fruits do not differ much. However, there are still some nuances. So, sweet peppers, for example, are best stored in boxes with dry sawdust. In the same conditions, apples and pears will feel good. And cauliflower can be wrapped in a thick sheet of paper during storage.

On a note

One of the most popular and popular ways to store vegetables and fruits is their preservation. However, this is a completely different and very extensive topic. There are a lot of ways to preserve vegetables, and in this issue we will not dwell on them in detail, but consider the basic rules for storing homemade preparations:

• Banks with canned garden and garden gifts are placed in the basement only after complete cooling. This rule is especially relevant if thermal preservation was used.
• For homemade preparations, lack of sunlight, low temperature and ventilation are important.
• Try to make sure that glass jars with vegetables and fruits do not touch each other - leave a small gap between them.

By the way

It is important to harvest in a timely manner, since overripe vegetables and fruits are stored much worse, and as for unripe ones, they are not stored at all.

And now let's dwell in more detail on the storage of the most common and sought-after vegetable and fruit crops.

POTATO STORAGE

This popular vegetable is almost always present in the daily diet of a person. It is potato tubers that occupy most of any cellar, basement or other storage. But in order to preserve the crop throughout the winter with minimal losses, we advise you to arm yourself with knowledge about this crop.

Since potatoes grow in the ground, they prefer to be stored in the dark. The best option is dark, cool rooms. If these conditions are not observed, the potato begins to germinate quickly and lose moisture. And when sunlight hits the surface of the tuber, it begins to turn green, because poisonous solanine is formed in it. Do not, under any circumstances, eat these potatoes.

Best of all, this culture is stored at a temperature of 2-3 ° C and an air humidity of 85-90%. To create such conditions, choose a dry, cool, dark room, for example, a cellar or basement that does not freeze in winter. Before the onset of frost, potatoes can also be stored on a balcony or loggia, however, provided that they are not heated.

There is an opinion among gardeners that if you leave potatoes in the ground until late autumn, they will not only gain weight, but will also be better stored. Experts say that this opinion is erroneous. Firstly, ripe potatoes stop growing, so you can not expect an increase in yield, and secondly, potatoes left in the garden for a long time will be susceptible to various putrefactive diseases, as a result, their keeping quality, on the contrary, will decrease.

Successful storage of potatoes begins with protecting plants from late blight. Before harvesting, it is recommended to mow the tops (because of which the infection mainly occurs), and this must be done in a timely manner. As soon as the potato bushes begin to turn yellow, you can dig up the tubers to check the condition of the skin on them. If the peel on the potato has already coarsened and cannot be torn off with a fingernail, then it's time to mow the tops.

Mowed potato tops must be immediately removed from the site. Some summer residents believe that potato heaps can then be covered with the same tops, but by listening to such advice, you risk infecting the crop grown with such difficulty with various diseases.

Natalia Pavlovna VOLOSHINA, Gomel district, Novaya Guta village

Many villagers store potatoes in the cellar, spilling them on the floor. However, experts advise placing the tubers in mesh boxes or containers with perforations in the walls - so that the tubers have access to air. The height of such containers should be no more than 1 m. It is recommended to install them not on an earthen floor, but on stands about 15 cm high, and the distance from the box to the nearest wall or to another box should be at least 20 cm. come to the tubers in sufficient volume - and the potatoes will not rot.

Some time after mowing the tops, you can start mass harvesting potatoes. The tubers are dried for several days under a canopy with good ventilation. Then the potatoes are sorted, rejecting rotten, spoiled and damaged tubers, and only after that they are transferred to the barn. Potatoes are lowered into the cellar or basement when the air temperature outside drops to 3-5 ° C. If you do this earlier, the potatoes will begin to sprout prematurely.

Potatoes that will go to seeds are dried for some time in the sun, and those that will be eaten are in the shade.

Try to sprinkle tubers in boxes with dry sawdust or crushed rowan leaves: sawdust will absorb unnecessary moisture, and phytoncides secreted by rowan leaves kill harmful microbes.

From above, boxes with potatoes are covered with burlap. Please note: as moisture accumulates, the burlap is changed to dry. You can also put horseradish and beets in layers under the burlap - such a neighborhood will benefit all cultures.

If it is decided to store the potatoes "in the old fashioned way" - in the bins - they are covered with a layer of no more than 1 m. As a rule, the top layer of tubers will fog up, thereby creating foci of diseases. To prevent this from happening, immediately after planting, the potatoes are covered with empty boxes or bags and baskets stuffed with sawdust or wood shavings. These materials are hygroscopic and absorb excess moisture well. You can put a layer of beets on top of the potatoes.

Since potato tubers “breathe” during storage, releasing a certain amount of heat, after a while the temperature in the storage may rise. In order to regularly monitor the temperature regime, it is imperative to hang a thermometer in the basement or cellar - at a height of about 1.5 m from the floor. If the temperature in the storage rises to 6 degrees, it must be properly ventilated. During the winter, such an event is held, as a rule, several times.

If the potatoes will be stored in a warm basement, the tubers can be placed in polypropylene bags, where they will germinate less. The main thing is not to forget to make ventilation holes in the bags.

Potatoes intended for winter storage should be harvested in dry, warm weather. The tubers are thoroughly dried in the open air to protect them from rotting and disease, but you should not do this on iron or concrete.

The tubers are sorted and sorted by size and quality. Damaged potatoes are stored separately from healthy ones.

• If boxes for storing vegetables have already been in use, they must be disinfected. To do this, you can use a simple mixture of hot water, baking soda and soap. When the tree dries, treat it with lime and copper sulfate (at the rate of 100 g per 10 liters of water).
• Layers of straw prevent sweating and sprouting of potatoes when stored on a balcony or loggia.

Some vegetable growers are sure that it is possible to prevent potato rotting by sprinkling the tubers with chopped garlic or shifting them with rowan leaves.

For residents of high-rise buildings, the topic of storing potatoes is no less relevant, and the balcony has become a real lifeline for them. There are several proven ways to store crops.

In a city apartment with a balcony, you can use:

• sawdust box;
• plastic container;
• insulated box made of boards;
• heating cabinet;
• flexible cellar;
• old refrigerator;
• heated container, etc.

It is important!

Potatoes should be stored at a temperature of 2 to 6 degrees above zero. If the vegetable freezes, then the process of decay will quickly begin. If the room is too warm, the tubers will begin to shrink, both appearance and taste will suffer.

When storing potatoes on a balcony or loggia, it is necessary to protect the tubers not only from direct sunlight, but also from electric light. Potato crates are often heated using electric light bulbs to maintain the optimum temperature. In this case, the lamps must be covered with a metal sheet or a ceiling, and if this fails, the potatoes are wrapped in a dark cloth. If this is not done, the vegetable turns green and becomes unsuitable for eating.

Another important rule for the successful storage of potatoes is regular ventilation. Lack of air circulation in the container with potatoes will cause the vegetables to rot very quickly.

Storing potatoes in a pile: an interesting video

CARROT STORAGE

The keeping quality of carrot roots largely depends on the crop varieties, growing conditions and properly organized harvesting.

The onset of technical ripeness of root crops is not clearly manifested, but sometimes (if the year is not dry) it can be determined by the yellowing of the lower leaves. It is necessary to start harvesting carrots before frosts appear, since even slight freezing at short-term, but repeated low temperatures (1-2 ° C) can lead to damage to root crops. However, too early harvesting is also highly undesirable, because in warm, dry and especially windy weather, carrot roots not only wither, but also become susceptible to disease.

Experienced gardeners advise digging up carrots with garden pitchforks. After that, the plants are cleaned from the ground and the tops are cut at a distance of 1 cm from the root crop. In this case, it is important in no case to damage the head of the root crop.

Well-ripened, undamaged and disease-free root crops are selected for storage. You can not put the harvested carrots in heaps in the open air, and even more so cover them with cut tops - post-harvest residues are removed from the ridges immediately.

After harvesting, the carrots should be slowly cooled (especially if the harvest was carried out in very warm weather) and dried, spread out in a thin layer under a canopy with good ventilation, and only after that the root crops can be placed for long-term storage.

Laying at a permanent storage place is carried out after the storage has cooled down to 4-5 °C. At the same time, it is advisable to harvest and store carrots of different ripening periods separately - by variety.

The skin of carrots is quite thin, so it is extremely difficult to keep root crops for a long time, preventing them from sprouting, rotting or freezing. The most favorable conditions for storing carrots are a constant temperature of +1 ° C, humidity 90-95%, limited air access and moderate ventilation.

This root crop is well kept in pits and piles, cellars and cellars. An effective and repeatedly proven assistant is sand. It allows you to maintain the optimal level of moisture in vegetables.

Before storing, some vegetable growers dip the roots in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes, and then let them dry.

Storage options for carrots in a private house and in a city apartment:

• in boxes. Preference is given to boxes with dense walls and lids, the capacity of which does not exceed 20 kg. Before the onset of cold weather, boxes of carrots can be stored on the balcony, and if the temperature drops significantly, they are additionally covered with old blankets or unnecessary warm clothes. In severe frosts, it is better to bring the boxes with the harvest into the apartment and put it next to the balcony door;
• in polyethylene bags of any capacity. The bag of root crops is placed in storage and kept open;
• in sand. Carrots are placed in pyramids or piles up to 1 m high with their heads outward. Rows of root crops are recommended to be interbedded with slightly moistened sand. As the top layer of sand dries, it is moistened by sprinkling water on the sides and top. The bottom layer of sand is poured 2 cm high, the rest - at least 1 cm so that the root crops do not touch each other.
• in a 3 liter jar. If there are few carrots, put the root crops in 3-liter jars and store in the refrigerator, on the balcony or in the apartment near the balcony door - depending on weather conditions;
• in sawdust. Sawdust with a moisture content of 18-20% is best suited for this;
• in chalk solution. A chalk solution, which can be purchased at almost any hardware store, will help save carrots. After processing with chalk, carrots must be thoroughly dried on paper and put on the balcony or in the refrigerator.

Many vegetable growers are sure that carrots (like potatoes) are best stored in special wooden boxes. Root crops need to be sprinkled with sand, sawdust or rowan leaves. As for the size of the container, it should be small - ideally, each box should hold 15-18 kg of root crops.

There is a great way to store carrots for a long time. To many, it will seem quite burdensome, but personally I find it the most effective. We are talking about ordinary clay. After harvesting and drying the carrots, I take a 10-liter bucket half-filled with clay, pour 4.5 liters of water into it and mix everything well. I leave it for a day or night, or better - for 12 hours. After that, I add water to the bucket (so that it is full) and again mix the contents well. And I leave it again, but for a day. After all these manipulations, the clay in the bucket should acquire the consistency of sour cream.

When the clay talker is ready, I take a small wooden box and cover its bottom with plastic wrap. I put carrots in it in several rows and fill it with clay. Clay, as it were, "preserves" root crops - and they are perfectly stored until the next harvest, without losing their attractive appearance and taste.

Veronika Salkevich

Storage of carrots in the cellar.

Wooden boxes with carrots sprinkled with sand are lowered into the cellar. The air temperature in the storage should be in the range from 0 to 4 degrees with a plus sign, air humidity - about 90%.

Sometimes root crops are stored in tight polyethylene bags. The main thing is not to tie them to avoid condensation.

At elevated temperatures and low humidity in the basement or cellar, it is best to use dense wooden or plastic boxes and be sure to layer the root crops with sand or peat. Any filler should be slightly damp and always fresh - re-use is unacceptable. Wooden boxes, when used repeatedly, are well dried in the sun, and plastic containers and bags are thoroughly washed with a solution of potassium permanganate or running water.

Storage of carrots in the apartment.

We lay out the root crops in cardboard boxes, pour them abundantly with sand or onion-garlic husks and place them in the pantry. In winter, carrots can be stored on a balcony or loggia. If the temperature there is positive, the root crops are put, for example, in glass jars or in a box (wooden or plastic), lined with plastic wrap and filled with sand.

You can store carrots in the refrigerator. To do this, each root crop is wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a vegetable box. It is important to dry the roots well before this so that they do not start to rot.

Recently, many housewives began to store carrots in the freezer. This method is suitable for owners of a large freezer. Carrots are washed, peeled, grated or chopped in a food processor and frozen in special plastic bags. Thus, having spent only one day, for about six months you can not worry about the safety of the crop.

On a note

Carrots sown in April - early May are best eaten immediately and sent for processing, and root crops sown in the second half of May are laid for long-term storage. Under optimal storage conditions, they can lie until late spring. For long-term storage, you need to choose carrots of medium and late varieties, and early ripe varieties are best eaten before January - February.

The use of an increased dose of nitrogen fertilizers, especially in the second half of the growing season, leads to a decrease in the safety of root crops and a deterioration in their quality. But the introduction of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, on the contrary, contributes to the accumulation of a large amount of dry substances, sugars and carotene in root crops and, thus, contributes to better ripening and preservation of carrots.

As for watering carrots, in the second half of summer they should be limited, and 2-3 weeks before harvesting, they should be completely stopped.

If root crops affected by diseases are found in winter, they are carefully removed and thrown away, and hands are thoroughly washed with a dark solution of potassium permanganate. Only after such a precautionary measure can you touch healthy root crops. If several root crops were affected at once and even an abundant mycelium (white, gray rot) formed, it is better to ruthlessly throw away the entire contents of the plastic bag or box. In no case do not cut out the affected area on carrots, since fungal toxins most likely have already spread throughout the root crop and can cause serious poisoning of the body: both human and animal.

Diseases of carrots during storage can be divided into two groups: wet and dry rot. The first group includes fungi - white and gray, wet bacterial rot. Most often, infection occurs in the field and the first signs of the disease can sometimes be detected already during harvesting. In this case, a rapid infection of nearby root crops occurs. The tissue decomposes and a wet mess forms: if there is abundant white or gray mycelium and sclerotia, you are dealing with white and gray rot, and if there is an unpleasant odor, you are dealing with bacterial. Elevated storage temperatures favor the rapid development of pathogens.

Wet rot is most common in years with rainy summers.

The second group includes diseases such as phomosis, black rot, fusarium, typhulosis. Phomosis affects mainly carrots, black rot - many celery crops, and fusarium is found almost everywhere and on almost all crops. Infection of carrots occurs most often on the ridges, and the intensive development of the disease occurs during the storage of root crops. Phomosis and black rot can develop on any part of the root crop, typhulosis prefers the head, and fusarium prefers the tail.

Dry rot spreads slowly and is more common in dry summers.

Carrot storage: video

BEET STORAGE

Beetroot belongs to those crops that easily endure long-term storage in basements, cellars, heaps or in any other cool rooms. Beets have a dense skin, so they retain their natural moisture throughout the winter.

Before storing beets for storage, they must be thoroughly cleaned of soil residues.

Do not peel the beets with a knife or hit the root crops against each other. Sharp objects and blows can damage the skin of root vegetables, and even if such damage is not immediately noticeable, the beets will not be able to keep for a long time.

After that, the tops of the beets are cut off, leaving petioles 2-3 cm long, as well as a central rosette of small leaves. Then the roots are dried for several days in the fresh air in the shade.

The most favorable conditions for storing beets are +2…+3 °С and air humidity within 85-95%.

If it is too humid in the cellar or basement where the beets are stored, root crops (as well as carrots and potatoes) should be sprinkled with sand, sawdust, salt or viburnum leaves.

For many years, a mixture of sand and chalk (or dry slaked lime) has helped me to store beets. With the help of these substances, an alkaline environment is created in boxes with root crops, which prevents the development of unwanted microflora. To prepare the backfill, I mix 200 g of crushed chalk (or dry lime) with 10 kg of sand.

The only requirement is that beets must be washed more thoroughly than usual before use.

Inna Semyonovna MISHCHUK

Storage of beets in the cellar.

In boxes with sand (peat, sawdust) sprinkled with beets, small holes are made for air access. You need to install the boxes not on the floor, but on pre-prepared stands about 20 cm high.

Do not move the containers close to the wall or to each other - the air must circulate freely. To save space, boxes with beets are stacked on top of each other.

Quite often, beets are stored on top of potatoes. This method is quite acceptable, since the "neighborhood" is beneficial to both cultures.

Storing beets at home. If you do not have a cellar, you can store beets in any other cool, but not cold room: on an unheated veranda, glazed loggias or balconies. Boxes or loose bags of root crops are placed in a dark place and checked regularly.

At home, a small amount of beets can be stored in the refrigerator. To do this, the root crops are placed in a plastic bag, and then in a vegetable box. Do not tightly tie a bag of beets. You can store this vegetable in the refrigerator for 2-4 months.

It is important to remove beets from the site in a timely manner, since, being on the surface of the soil, it easily freezes. At the same time, root crops are quite resistant to diseases during storage. If rot nevertheless appears, the affected area is cleaned and smeared with liquid clay or sprinkled with chalk. The growing tops are also constantly cut off.

When grown on acidic soils, beet root crops can become covered with a dark brown rough crust or cracks and warts. This is how the usual scab appears.

At the same time, not only the marketable appearance of beets deteriorates, but the keeping quality of root crops also decreases, since other diseases develop in the cracks.

On supercooled or mechanically damaged root crops, gray rot can be detected during harvesting. Both gray and white rot continue to develop during the storage period of vegetables and infect neighboring root crops. The higher the temperature and humidity of the air in the storage, the faster this process goes.

Root crops grown with excessive nitrogen or phosphate fertilizers are more susceptible to white rot. A complete mineral fertilizer (for plowing) with a predominance of potassium, on the contrary, increases the resistance of beets to diseases.

During storage, root crops can be affected by phomosis and fusarium. Infection of vegetables occurs during the growing season, but the development of the disease is noted in winter. At the initial stage, the disease can be detected only by cutting the root crop (the affected tissue is black, hard).

There is also a physiological disease of beets - heart rot, which is caused by a lack of boron salts in the soil. This disease most often manifests itself in years with wet springs and hot, dry summers. First, black dry rot appears on the head of the root crop, then it goes inward, forming voids. Please note that other microorganisms can grow in these voids. As a rule, the root crop rots already at the beginning of storage. To prevent this disease, plants are recommended to be fed with fertilizers containing boron.

ONION AND GARLIC STORAGE

These cultures are well stored in cellars and basements with a temperature of 1 to 5 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of 75-80%.

Onions are harvested after their leaves fall down and begin to turn yellow. Experts advise not to wait for the leaves to completely dry out, as rains may begin, and onions that have been in moist soil will not be stored well. After harvesting, the bulbs are dried in the shade for a week, then the feathers are cut off from them, leaving a neck about 5 cm long. Please note: if you decide to store the onion crop woven into pigtails, you do not need to trim.

Old Russian storable varieties Arzamassky, Bessonovsky local, Pogarsky local, Strigunovsky and others deserve special attention. Bulbs of such varieties as Odintsovets and Zolotnichok are well kept.

On a note

Do not store onions with a raw top layer of scales, as well as bulbs that have grown at least one arrow.

If small flies appear near the bulbs, carefully review the crop to find and remove vegetables that have rot.

Storing onions at home. A small amount of onions can be stored in a box with onion skins, which will keep the onions from drying out. If you have collected a rich harvest, it is recommended to scatter the bulbs on the floor of a warm, dry room in one layer and store them at a temperature of 18-20 ° C and an air humidity of 60-70%. Onions can be stored in wooden crates or mesh bags.

Onions (and garlic) are well stored in small fabric bags suspended from the ceiling. You can make them from cotton or chintz, and you can also use ordinary nylon tights or stockings as a bag.

Note!

Experienced vegetable growers assure that onions and garlic do not require special care during storage. The easiest and most common way is to weave them into braids and hang them on the wall in a secluded dark and dry room with a stable temperature. Sometimes even nooks and crannies are allocated for storing onions near the central heating radiators. Under such conditions, the bulbs can be stored for months without loss of quality and do not germinate. But for garlic, such conditions are not suitable - it can dry out.

Do not store onions and garlic in bulk, because without access to air, vegetables quickly deteriorate. It is for this reason that plastic bags are never used to store onions and garlic, as vegetables need ventilation.

Onions have several varieties, the most common of which are red, white and yellow onions. The latter is one of the most spicy and is used in the preparation of first and second courses. Red and white onions are used for salads and preservation, as they are slightly sweeter.

At home, yellow onions are best stored, but bulbs should be chosen with a dense golden-orange husk.

Before storage, some vegetable growers either cut off the bottom of the bulbs or set them on fire (for example, with a candle) so that the onion fly does not start. And to prevent germination, the bulbs are set on fire on the other side. By the way, the same activities are carried out with garlic.

Of the fungal diseases during the storage of onions, neck rot is harmful. Bulbs become infected with this disease in the field. Moreover, the disease affects, as a rule, weakened plants. At first, the rot develops very slowly, so it cannot be detected during harvesting, but during storage, the upper part of the bulb softens, and over time, the lesion spreads deeper. The disease becomes widespread in years with cold wet summers.

No less harmful are soft or wet rots caused by bacteria. The surface of the bulbs and the lower part of the stem turn into a wet, rotting mass. The disease develops at high temperature and humidity. During storage, the bulbs are sorted out, removing the affected ones.

If you decide to buy onions for future use, do it in dry weather. Before putting the bulbs into storage, dry them properly for several days under a canopy in the open air, and then carefully inspect each vegetable, discarding soft and rotten ones.

Advice

If the bulbs are frozen during storage, place them in cool water for 2-3 hours - they will restore not only their appearance, but also their taste. But these vegetables are no longer suitable for long-term storage.

Garlic.

This culture is more capricious than onions. Therefore, for its safety, both classical methods and various tricks are used.

Harvesting begins before the heads of garlic begin to disintegrate into cloves. If this has already happened to some specimens, use them as food first. An important condition for long-term storage of garlic is its preliminary long-term drying.

You can also store garlic in linen or chintz bags suspended from the ceiling. The classic way is to weave a braid of garlic and hang it on the wall in a dark and dry place with a stable temperature. If it is not possible to weave a braid, the heads of garlic can be folded into an old nylon stocking and hung up.

I do so

A few years ago I heard about an interesting way to store garlic. Before laying in bags or stockings, it is subjected to a special treatment - it is immersed in molten paraffin. The film formed as a result of such manipulations protects the garlic from drying out and protects against pathogens.

If you do not have much garlic, I can recommend another interesting way. Clean the teeth from the husk and lower them for storage in a jar of sunflower oil. As a result, the oil will acquire a pleasant aftertaste and a special aroma, and the garlic will be perfectly preserved.

Still peeled teeth can be stored in a jar of flour.

Tatyana Olegovna VRUBLEVSKAYA

For better storage of garlic, another interesting method is used. Vegetable oil is calcined for 2-3 hours and a few drops of iodine are added to it. The mixture is thoroughly mixed and applied to the heads of garlic. After that, the vegetables are dried in the sun - so that the oil is absorbed.

You can also extend the shelf life of garlic using ordinary glass jars. The main condition is that they must be dry. Dried garlic is placed in them and closed tightly with plastic lids.

You can store garlic in plywood boxes, sprinkling it with salt.

There are two main ways to store garlic: cold and warm. In the first case, the air temperature should be in the range from 0 to 3-5 degrees Celsius. In the second method, the ambient temperature should be in the range of 18-20 °C. By the way, the warm storage method is used only for spring garlic.

The room where the garlic is stored is regularly ventilated, and the heads are inspected and felt in order to identify spoiling or germinating ones in time.