How to store beets in winter and summer - recommendations from experts. How to store beets in winter

Every summer resident considers it a pride to grow a rich harvest of root crops in the country with his own hands. However, all efforts can be completely destroyed in winter. Therefore, in order to properly store beets until spring, you have to arm yourself with useful knowledge. It is worth noting that not all varieties of beets are suitable for laying for the winter. In order not to make a mistake, you need to know which varieties are suitable for bookmarking, and which are best consumed before winter. Even if the early beet varieties are perfectly healthy and beautiful, they still will not overwinter.

Egyptian flat. Will give a full harvest in 110-130 days after sowing. It tolerates drought well and does not go to the stem.

Bordeaux 237. Guaranteed good harvest in any weather. But it tends to overgrow, so it is recommended to sow beet seeds as late and densely as possible. In addition, Bordeaux 237 is the sweetest beet variety.

Ataman. Does not tolerate excessive soil moisture. Cylindrical dark red roots keep well.

Mona. There are no white rings or they are weakly expressed. The probability of their appearance increases on soils with an excess of nitrates. Egyptian flat;

Red ball - an early variety that can be harvested after 100 days, sowing in the winter is allowed, it tops the list of the sweetest beet varieties;

mid-season Bordeaux 237, Detroit round, Ataman and Cylinder;

Borsch, small rounded roots with dark flesh without rings;

Renova with dark purple flesh, prefers sandy loamy soils.

The same varieties of beets are the best for middle lane Russia. This is defined by similar climatic conditions with the Moscow region, as well as the low demands of vegetables.

How to store beets in winter

Happy owners suburban area trying to acquire a cellar even while living in big city, exactly this comfortable spot for storing vegetables. Most likely, no one thinks about how to properly store beets in the cellar in winter, they just lower them and pour them in a bunch, something will be preserved, but something will not.

But in the cellar, this valuable and necessary vegetable can be stored until the next harvest, and without damage to its qualities. At a temperature of +2 to +4 degrees and a humidity of about 80%, beets can be stored for up to 8 months. A simple method can be used to extend culture storage. Root crops are lowered into a box or bin in one layer and covered with wet clean river sand, then another row of beets is laid out. another layer of sand. In this form, root crops retain their fresh appearance throughout the year.

There is another way to store it, in a clay mash. A solution is made from clay and water, the consistency of liquid sour cream, and root crops are dipped there one by one. After drying, the clay crust protects the beets from adverse conditions and the development of diseases. Only healthy specimens should be selected for this method.

How to store beets in an apartment

If it so happened that your summer cottage is not equipped with a cellar, it does not matter. You can store beets in the apartment. Here you have two options: a refrigerator and a balcony. It is better, of course, to choose the second one, but if the balcony is not glazed, still use the refrigerator.

Both storage methods are not particularly different from each other, except that you will have to tinker with the delivery of sand. But placing wooden boxes on the loggia is not difficult. The only thing to pay special attention to is low temperatures on the balcony in winter period; if the thermometer indicates a temperature well below zero, the beets should be carefully folded into plastic bags and placed in vegetable trays in the refrigerator. In addition to polyethylene, you can use plastic containers for products, as well as paper bags.

If such storage clutters up everything free place and causes discomfort, with the onset of warming, send the beets back to the balcony.

Ways to store beets in an apartment

Storage of beets in the cellar

To keep beets in the winter in the cellar, you need to know the subtleties. A plastic bag is not required here. But wooden boxes are useful. Beets are laid in them in layers. Be sure to ensure that the roots do not touch each other. To do this, they are generously sprinkled with dry sand, sawdust or wood shavings.

Storing beets on the balcony in winter

In how to keep beets for the winter on the balcony, you need to take into account the possibility severe frosts and freezing of roots. Therefore, it is recommended to cover boxes with vegetables with old blankets or jackets. Potatoes in sacks are sometimes stored there on the glazed balcony. Then you can pour beets on top of the potatoes.

In the room or refrigerator

But what about those who do not have a balcony? How to store beets at home, just in the room or in the refrigerator? At room temperature These root crops keep fresh for a week. But it is necessary to remove it away from heating appliances.

Factors affecting the storage of beets at home

Conditions that need to be created in order to preserve beet stocks for as long as possible:

The optimum temperature is from -10C to +20C. At a lower temperature, the fruits will freeze, and a higher temperature will contribute to the germination of tops, wilting and the development of diseases.
Humidity level: 85-90%. When it decreases, the fruits quickly wither, and too high humidity leads to the development of fungus and mold.
Availability natural ventilation. There must be good circulation in the room air masses.

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These factors are determining, but not decisive, because the lightness of beets is influenced by the characteristics of its cultivation and preparation for storage, which must be taken into account in advance.

Beetroot keeps well with potatoes. It is laid on top of the potatoes in one layer. In this case, vegetables from the lower layers give moisture to the beets, which need it.

The best way to extend the shelf life is to place the beets in sand. However, not every sand is suitable for this. Before the mixture is calcined in the sun or in an oven, this kills germs. In the container, vegetables should not touch each other. From above you need to pour sand with a layer of 2 cm.

The modern way to store beets is in table salt. This technique popular with many gardeners. There are two technologies: dry - the roots are placed in containers with salt; - wet - each beet is treated with a strong brine then dried and stored. The most preferred dry technology.

Do you have your own garden or do you prefer to buy vegetables in the store, in any case, you will definitely have to solve the question: “How to store beets?” After all, this tasty and healthy root crop is needed in the kitchen all the time, and at least a few things should be at hand, in case you want to cook a salad, vegetable cutlets or borscht.

Ways to keep beets in winter at home

You can buy a kilo of beets each time you need them and keep them in the refrigerator for a while. But diligent housewives know that it is much more profitable to stock up since autumn. necessary quantity root crops to last until the next season. In the spring, as a rule, the cost of beets in retail sales increases, and taste qualities its getting much worse. It remains only to figure out how to save the beets for the winter so that the money is not spent in vain.

For owners living in high-rise buildings summer cottages the problem of how to store beets in an apartment is no less relevant: it takes so much time and effort to grow these root crops during the season that it will be just a shame if half of the crop rots ahead of time.

Video about beet storage

Ideally, storage of beets in winter should be carried out in a special storage facility. In these rooms it is convenient to maintain the desired level of humidity and a temperature suitable for beets. But what about the residents of city apartments who have neither a cellar nor a basement? Fortunately, at home, you can save beets until spring - choose the most suitable way!

Beets are best preserved at temperatures up to +2 degrees, but the humidity, on the contrary, should be high - up to 90%. At high temperature the tops of beets will quickly sprout, the roots will wither and deteriorate.

Ideally, storage of beets in winter should be carried out in a special storage

put the root crops in plastic bags (just do not tie) and put them where the temperature is cooler - next to the balcony or outside door;
if there is a glazed balcony, beets can be taken out for the winter there, laying them in layers in wooden boxes, and generously sprinkling each layer with sand, shavings, or dry sawdust - root crops should not touch each other;
so that the beets on the balcony do not freeze in the cold, the boxes are covered from above with old blankets;
if you store potatoes in bags on the balcony, beets can be poured on top of it - both root crops will only benefit from such a neighborhood.

Due to the thick skin of the beets, the moisture from the root crops evaporates rather slowly, so even at room temperature, the beets can be safely stored for at least a week. The main thing is to keep root crops as far as possible from heating appliances.

So that the beets on the balcony do not freeze in the cold, the boxes are covered with old blankets on top.

Storage of beets at home is also possible in the refrigerator, but not longer than a month, while the root crops must be wrapped in cling film or placed in a plastic bag with holes made in it. Make sure that condensation does not form in the bag.

What should be taken into account to extend the shelf life of beets?

Whether the root crops remain as firm, tasty and sweet in spring as they were after harvest depends not only on how you store them, but also on the original quality of the beets intended for storage. Therefore, in addition to knowing how to properly store beets in winter, you need to stock up on knowledge of which root crops can be safely left until spring, and which ones are better to eat right away.

Dry the whole harvest a little under the sun, gently shake off the ground with a dry cloth and sort

So, if you grow beets yourself, pay special attention to - plant those varieties that are distinguished by increased keeping quality and give root crops with a diameter of about ten centimeters. Vegetables that are too small dry out faster, and beets that are too large have poor taste and are fibrous.

When digging up the beetroot, be careful not to damage its skin. Dry the entire harvested crop a little under the sun, gently shake it off the ground with a dry cloth and sort it out, removing the rumpled, damaged, rotten and other diseases-affected vegetables. The tops should be cut with scissors, leaving no more than 1 cm.

Video about storing beets at home

When storing beets in an apartment, be sure to look through it from time to time and immediately remove spoiled, rotten root crops to prevent the rest from rotting.

If none of the listed ways how to store beets, for the winter, root crops can simply be grated and put in a bag in the freezer or pickled beets, so that later, if necessary, add to dishes.

And the beets are very much the same. They can be stored in the same cellar, on the same balcony (if it is glazed), and even in the same box, but only on condition that they do not touch.

ATTENTION: But carrots are considered the most difficult vegetable crop to store, and beets are the most storable, so if possible, it is better to store them separately.

Suitable varieties

Late-ripening varieties of root crops should be chosen for storage.. The following varieties and hybrids of carrots are best stored:

Beet varieties suitable for long-term storage:

Bravo.
Incomparable.
Bordeaux 237.
Red ball.
Podzimnaya.
Mulatto.
Detroit.
Nosovskaya is flat.

choice of root crop variety;
preparation technology;
temperature conditions in the room;
humidity mode;
lack of excess oxygen supply;
pest protection.

Among the methods intended for storage, each gardener will find his own, the most convenient and profitable. First you need to decide when and how to clean the root crop for storage.

More about suitable varieties carrots and shelf life can be read, and we told you which varieties are suitable for long-term storage.

When is the best time to dig vegetables?

Harvesting vegetables too early reduces consumer qualities root crop, not allowing to accumulate a sufficient amount of sugars. Too long being in the garden makes it possible to accumulate sugar in in large numbers, which makes the vegetable very attractive to rodents.

Usually, the harvesting time depends on the ripening period and the weather. The ripening period of root crops is usually written on the seed packaging.. It is better to dig vegetables for storage when it is favorable for Lunar calendar. The days of the waning moon are considered the most favorable, but this factor can be neglected for the sake of suitable weather conditions.

Harvesting should begin at a time when the lower 2-3 shoots of the tops have turned yellow. Such root crops already have good consumer properties. We remove the beets before the onset of the first frost (having frozen, it will not be suitable for storage), and carrots can be safely left in the garden until the first snow (chilled root crops are better stored). In rainy autumn, it is better to harvest early, as moisture-saturated root crops will not survive well until spring and will be more prone to rotting.

IMPORTANT: Carrots can be dug up after the first frosts, and beets must be harvested before them! Frozen beets will begin to rot almost immediately.

You can find out when to remove carrots from the garden for storage.

Watch a video about the timing of harvesting carrots and beets:

Harvesting methods

Someone pulls out root crops from the ground, someone digs with a pitchfork, someone takes up a shovel. How to do it right? Do not water the vegetable garden before harvesting.

It is best to dig with a blunt pitchfork, supporting the root crop by the tail. The pitchfork must be placed strictly vertically no closer than 5 cm from the row. This will help to avoid microtrauma, because the pledge good storage- intact skin. Therefore, hitting root crops against each other to shake off the ground is also not recommended.

Remove excess soil from root crops better with hands gloved. Then you need to cut the tops, just cut, and not break off, leave a tail of 1-1.5 cm, leave to dry for several hours. The cutting of the tops should be done immediately, as this will save nutrients. Then sort the fruits, remove damaged and spoiled root crops to avoid rot.

Some vegetable growers advise this method of trimming carrot tops - cutting off 0.5-1 cm of the top of the root crop itself. If you use this method, then you should keep the vegetables for some time before laying them in the storage place - until the upper cut is covered with a crust, otherwise the fruits will begin to rot soon. IN rainy weather drying in the barn can take several days, even a week.

Root crops must not be washed before storage.! Washed beets and carrots can be stored in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator in a plastic bag for one month.

Shelf life of root crops

At room temperature, beets and carrots are stored for no more than a week.
In plastic bags in the refrigerator - 1-2 months.
Boiled in the freezer - one month.
In the cellar in a closed box - 5-8 months.
In the cellar in coniferous sawdust or clay casing - until the next harvest.
In the cellar in the sand - 6-8 months.
In the garden - until the new harvest.

Where and how to keep them fresh at home?

Options

Beetroot is the most stale root crop. Therefore, the following storage rules should be observed:

Fall asleep in bins or boxes, at a temperature of about 3 degrees they will lie perfectly all winter in the basement.
It is well stored on piles of potatoes, which shares excess moisture with it.
In a box without holes, sprinkled with wet sand in the basement.
IN plastic bags 15-20 kg.
In the garden in small piles. To do this, they dig a hole 40 cm deep, put root crops there in the form of a prism (the height of the prism is 1-1.3 m), cover it with a thick layer of straw so that the collar height is 2 m, cover it with earth, and in winter additionally cover it with snow. Before laying, it is desirable to treat with chalk powder (200 g of chalk per 10 kg of beets).

Carrots are difficult to keep in perfect condition because they have a thin skin., which poorly retains moisture, root crops quickly dehydrate and dry out. Plastic bags with a capacity of 20-30 kg will help to save the necessary moisture. Root crops are poured into them by 2/3, sprinkled with sawdust on top, it is not necessary to tie bags so that condensation does not form.

The “clay shirt” preserves carrots just as well - it is done clay talker(clay is diluted in half with water), we dip the carrots into this talker and dry it. In such a shirt, carrots retain their juiciness well and do not deteriorate.

ATTENTION: If during harvesting a lot of spoiled or injured root crops come across, then they can be processed and stored for storage in a processed form.

How to save for the winter?

Carrots can be stored in several ways.:

These are time-consuming methods, but they are used more often, as they will better preserve all the nutritional properties of vegetables in winter time. Also used when small root crops are grated and placed in freezer. You can show imagination and make curly cuts. It will also please cold winter a fun mix of vegetables (carrots, Bell pepper, green pea).

Avoid storing root vegetables and apples in the same room, this will keep root vegetables longer.

Harvesting beets and carrots is a troublesome business, and it should be approached responsibly. If you do everything on time and follow these simple storage rules, then your vegetables from the garden will be fresh until spring, and maybe until the next harvest year.

Beetroot is the vegetable that always, one way or another, includes our menu. How to save beets for the winter at home? This question becomes especially relevant if you are the owner own garden or suburban area. In almost every house you can always find a couple of root crops. And if you grow it for sale or harvest it as pet food, the issue of crop safety becomes especially relevant. Let's take a closer look at how to store beets at home and how to do it correctly.

This vegetable is indeed an indispensable product, we use it in the preparation of first courses, salads, side dishes, and preservation.

Features of preserving the nutritional suitability of beets, by and large, do not differ much from the general norms for storing vegetables. However, there are some nuances, old folk tricks that allow you to save taste and useful qualities this root crop until the next harvest.

Beet storage - basic rules

The timing of harvest is just as important as the preparation of root crops for storage. It should also be borne in mind that each variety has its own individual ripening dates. Thus, early-ripening varieties will be ready for harvesting in 50-80 days, from the moment when the first shoots see the light. By about mid-summer / early August, early beets can be removed from the ground.

Mid-season varieties are ready for harvest after about 80-100 days from the moment of germination, by the middle or end of August it will already be possible to harvest. Sometimes the collection time can be delayed until the first days of autumn, this happens if the sowing was carried out late spring or early summer.

Late varieties ripen the longest, about 100-130 days, end of September - optimal time for harvesting.

When planning the storage of beets for the winter, it is important to adhere to these terms. By the end of summer, active heat is no longer observed, the drought disappears, root crops begin to intensively gain weight and nutrients.

If the root crop is not removed from the ground in time, it may freeze slightly, then there is no need to talk about high-quality storage. Frozen root crops do not differ in keeping quality, and fragments affected by frost begin to rot. You should know that only healthy, medium-sized vegetables harvested on time are best tolerated. winter storage while retaining their flavor and health benefits.

How to store beets? Immediately after the vegetables have been dug up, they should be dried well. If the day is sunny, then this can be done right on the ground, near the beds. In warm sunny weather, 2-3 hours will be enough. When it rains, root crops need to be transferred to dry room with good ventilation, spread out in one layer and withstand 3-7 days.

It is also worth considering that different varieties root crops are stored differently. There are those that immediately need to be used for their intended purpose, and some can lie for months without losing their qualities. For example, varieties such as Bordeaux 237, Lettuce, Detroit, Mulatto, Late Winter are best suited for long-term storage. These vegetables have a rather dense skin and a stable immunity to bacteria that provoke the appearance of rot. Or, on the contrary, the Cylinder variety, beloved by many for its taste properties, is not at all suitable for winter stocks.

The process of extracting root crops from the ground is carried out using a good old shovel or pitchfork. Everything should be done carefully, not to damage the integrity of the vegetables, because the “injured” specimens will no longer be suitable for storage.

One more important nuance- it is necessary to clean the root crop from the ground delicately, you can not hit the vegetables against each other, especially - do not use sharp objects to remove dried lumps. If the root crop has been damaged, even slightly scratched, it should be used for its intended purpose as soon as possible.

How to trim beet tops for storage? Proper pruning tops are also important. It is impossible to tear off or manually twist the stems, they must be carefully cut sharp knife, leaving about 1 cm. When twisting the tops, the vegetable is always damaged. Even if these damages are minimal, this is unacceptable for storage. The main root can be shortened a little if it exceeds 6-8 cm, and the short ones can be left as is. Lateral root processes should also be trimmed.

And finally, one of the most important issues — Do I need to wash beets before storing for the winter? Beets, no matter what variety they are, are never washed before being sent to storage! Not only washing, but even soaking root crops is highly undesirable, because a thin coating of earth on a vegetable works as a kind of shield that promotes long-term storage. It is enough to put on garden gloves and manually remove large earthen clods.

Cropped tops, photo:

Summing up the basic requirements and preparation for storage, we conclude that sick, injured, too large, with traces of rot, root crops for wintering are not suitable. But whole, intact, healthy medium-sized root crops are just right.

How to properly store beets

Let's look at the most convenient and most commonly used options for storing root crops. Whichever method you choose depends entirely on your preferences and capabilities. If you have a vegetable store or cellar, that's great, but if not, then even ordinary apartment can become a place for storage - this is quite feasible.

Storing beets for the winter in the cellar is the most the best way of all available. The main requirements for maintaining the keeping quality of root crops are:
The humidity level is approximately 90%;
Lack of light;
Good ventilation;
Air temperature from 0 to +2 °C - not higher and not lower than this indicator. The danger of frost should be excluded, as well as an increase in temperature to + 4 ° C (tops begin to sprout in root crops);
The presence of at least a minimum (10-15 cm) elevation above the floor.

Where to store beets? As for the container for vegetables or the way they are laid, everything is at the discretion of the owner. Root crops can be stacked in wooden or plastic containers, bags, laid out on shelves or covered with sawdust, sand. To optimize the loose way of storing vegetables, make wooden grate and lay it on the floor. This technique will contribute to better circulation of air masses, which will have a good effect on your crop. Divide your vegetable stocks into small and large nodules and store them separately. This is much more convenient - you will know where the vegetables of the required size are stored.

Sand storage

A fairly common method river sand should be clean, calcined. Use an oven or scorching oven for this. Sun rays. The most important thing here is disinfection, by the time the beets are deepened, the sand should cool completely. The tubers should be buried in such a way that they do not touch the barrels. From above, you also need to pour a layer of sand (at least 2-3 cm).

Sprinkling vegetables with sand, photo:

Potato storage

This method is convenient in that these two vegetables come from the earth, which means that they will be comfortable together. How to store beets? Such a neighborhood is very often practiced by gardeners, beets are laid out on top of potato tubers. In this way, an acceptable level of humidity is created, because the potatoes actively release it during storage. For best effect you can safely lay on top of the roots of the head of garlic or onions. These vegetables are known to release disinfectants that purify the storage atmosphere and neutralize harmful bacteria.

Storage in plastic bags

Too great way to preserve beets, the main thing is not to tie bags, not to restrict air access to vegetables. You can stock up on voluminous plastic bags, fill them with tubers of 30 or 40 kg, according to their size.

Storage in salt

How to store beets in the cellar in winter so as to provide her additional protection? Try the old-fashioned way to store root vegetables - salt, which is known to have antimicrobial qualities, prevents rotting. If you sprinkle vegetables with it, then they are guaranteed to comfortably endure the winter and lie down until the arrival of heat. With its low cost, salt, however, creates powerful protection for root crops. You can not only sprinkle them with dry salt, but also process them with a thick saline solution. After drying, such “hardened” vegetables adequately tolerate long-term storage.

Beets for the winter - storage in sawdust or ash

Instead of salt for pouring root crops, you can successfully use ordinary ash, previously sifted through a fine sieve. Ash also prevents rotting, as does salt. Nice results gives pouring of vegetables with chalk powder (prevents wilting), peat, tyrsa or sawdust. These dry products of natural origin do not emit harmful substances. They do not contain chemicals and therefore will not harm your crop. There are also known cases of shifting vegetables with fern leaves, walnut, horseradish, branches of wormwood. You can safely use those "gifts" of nature that grow in you, plus everything, they have protective properties.

Sprinkling root crops with sawdust, photo:

Storage in clay

This is also an old way of storing vegetable stocks, harmless and very effective. Clay is collected (try to choose an environmentally friendly place for this), sieved through a large sieve (you can use a construction sieve), diluted with water until a consistency similar to sour cream is obtained. Root crops are lowered into this liquid in turn, and after complete drying, covered with such a protective crust, they are sent for further storage. The clay layer prevents decay and the development of diseases.

Coating vegetables with clay, photo:

How to store beets in an apartment?

All of the above methods of storing vegetables are good if you have a basement or vegetable store. But what if you live in an apartment? There is a way out - to use a loggia or balcony, best of all closed or glazed. It is important that in winter the mercury column of the thermometer on the balcony does not fall below zero. For this purpose, a container filled with sand, wooden or plastic, is optimal.

How to store beets in an apartment? The sand must be clean, sifted and calcined; for these purposes, as mentioned above, you can use an oven. A layer of river sand is poured into the box, root crops are laid (so that they do not contact each other), sand is poured on top again, and then beets are laid out again. From above, vegetables are covered with the final layer of sand. This method will help to keep them for several months - the condition of the vegetables is excellent.

Falling asleep root crops with sand, photo:

If the balcony is not glazed, then you can equip the so-called "mini-cellar" - a voluminous, tightly knocked down wooden box, insulated inside with foam or polystyrene foam. Inside such a "cellar" you can install a small lamp, it will not only add comfort to use, but will also carry out mini-heating of the container. The main thing is to arrange everything so that the vegetables do not freeze with the onset of frost, otherwise they will become unsuitable for food, lose their useful qualities.

How to store beets at home, even if there is no balcony?

We use all dark places to our advantage: it can be a pantry, the space under beds, cabinets or under tables. The main condition is that these places should be remote from radiators or heating devices. Here again you will need boxes, the dimensions of which should comfortably fit all available free apartment spaces. Root crops, again, should be sprinkled sawdust, sand or chalk, you can also use clay mortar.

Make sure that bright light does not penetrate there.

In such conditions, vegetables will overwinter well, will not lose their appearance and nutritional values for at least 4 months. Most importantly, do not forget to periodically sort out stocks, remove spoiled or suspicious root crops.

How to store beets in the refrigerator?

If the volumes of the harvested crop are small, then the lower compartment of the refrigerator is suitable for storage. Tubers can be wrapped in paper or foil. Thus, they can be stored for about a month, but if they lie longer, they will begin to lose moisture and useful properties. In addition to wrapping paper or foil, you can use plastic bags with holes. Special plastic (food) containers are also suitable for these purposes.

Remember that beets should not be washed before storage!

Freezing Beets

Separately, it is worth mentioning freezing, but this is rather an alternative, extreme method of storing this vegetable, since with such an approach it loses a significant part of its useful qualities. Root crops are washed, crushed manually or with the help of food processor, laid out on plastic trays or plastic bags, placed in the freezer.

Summing up, it is worth emphasizing that the key to long-term comfortable storage of beets is an initially well-organized harvest. Important right choice variety with good keeping quality.

Now you know how to cut beets for storage for the winter, as well as what composition is better to choose for pouring vegetables. If there is no cellar - it does not matter, you can equip a vegetable store at home, how to equip a box for tubers - now you also know. With properly organized basement storage, this truly irreplaceable vegetable can be stored for approximately 7-8 months. At home, in compliance with all the rules, beets will comfortably “live” for up to 4 months.

Recommendations and tips on how to keep beets for the winter at home will also become relevant for other vegetables, such as carrots, turnips, rutabagas. Now you can be sure that delicious red borscht, vegetable cutlets, all kinds of salads and side dishes will come out well, because healthy beets are always at your fingertips.

Beets - common vegetable crop. Having gathered a rich harvest, people try to save it on winter months. To do this, you need to know how to properly store beets in the winter in a cellar or other home storage.

The best varieties for storage

Worse survives the winter beets of medium early and early varieties. They are intended for conservation, the use of a root crop in fresh cooking salads and other dishes. Late varieties are used for long-term storage.

For storage, beets of the following varieties are taken:

Renov;
Mulatto;
Gribovskaya;
Libero;
Bordeaux;
Egyptian flat;
incomparable;
Salad.

Seeds for sowing are selected taking into account the place of their breeding. It is best to take seeds from varieties that have been collected in your area. They are best suited to the local climate and weather conditions. For example, Matryona beets are perfectly stored in the Urals.

Preparing beets for storage in the cellar

In order to properly prepare the crop for storage in the cellar, it should be brought into line with the recommended parameters and correctly performed:

ventilation;
sterilization;
temperature;
humidity.

The cellar must be well ventilated. Cool air should move freely throughout the room. To ensure a sufficient level of oxygen, vegetables are placed in prepared bins. The floor of the room, like other surfaces, must be kept clean and dry.

Attention! It is recommended to use bleach for storage sterilization.

Before storage, the beets are carefully selected and dried. On examination, pay attention to the presence of diseases (rot, mold), general defects and dents, softness and shoots. If a damaged vegetable is found, it is isolated from the rest. Detected shoots are removed.

How to store beets in the winter in the cellar

There are various technologies for storing beets in the cellar. It can be stored together with potatoes, placed in wooden or plastic boxes with or without fillers, put in plastic bags or on shelves. All these methods are popular with gardeners.

Together with potatoes

To keep beets in the cold season in the cellar with potatoes, you must use big box. First, pour a layer of potatoes into it. Lay the beets on top. Due to the natural compatibility of these vegetables, this method is considered one of the best for storage. Potatoes love dryness. Beets in the cellar require high humidity. During storage, the potato gives off moisture, which immediately passes to the beets and is absorbed by it. This ensures optimal conditions to keep crops in storage.

in boxes

There are 4 ways to store vegetables in boxes. The first storage option involves placing the beets in a box with holes for sufficient air circulation. No more than two kilograms of vegetables are placed in one package.

Another method of storing beets is that the collected and dried root crops are placed in a wooden box and sprinkled with ordinary salt. You can do it differently: each fruit is dipped in a salt solution and, after drying, placed in a box. Salt is considered not only an excellent absorbent, but also a wonderful crop protector from the appearance of fungus and mold.

In the third case, the root crop can be stored in boxes with plant leaves (mountain ash, wormwood, fern, tansy, gout), which release protective substances - phytoncides. They counteract the reproduction of pathogenic bacteria and the development of fungal diseases, thereby preserving the fruits from rot. Plant leaves are placed on the bottom of the container and between the beets.

IN last version storage vegetables contain in wooden box without holes. Dry ash or river sand is poured at the bottom. Harvest is laid in layers. Sand or ash is again covered from above, on which the next layer of beets is laid. The sand is pre-disinfected.

in bags

In a small cellar, beets are well stored in plastic bags. To save the root crops, the filled bag is suspended, small holes are made from below. With a certain frequency during storage, the bags are opened for ventilation.

On the shelves

Root crops are laid out close to each other on the shelves. Each layer is covered with sand with the addition of chalk and dry slaked lime (the proportion of sand and chalk is 50/1 kg). This mixture is good prophylactic from rot, mold and other diseases. Instead of sand, you can take sawdust.

Attention! The humidity in the storage room should not exceed 15 percent. Because of the disinfectant properties essential oils, which are contained in sawdust, the root crop does not lose its useful properties and does not shrink, forming wrinkles.

In clay glaze

To store beets in clay glaze, you first need to prepare a mixture of clay and water. For 1 kg of clay there is 0.3 kg of water. After preparing the glaze, well-dried root crops are dipped into the composition and dried. Processed beets are covered with a protective coating that protects against diseases. After drying, the beets prepared for storage are placed in boxes or boxes and left in the cellar.

Why beets wither in the cellar

Before laying root crops for winter storage in the cellar, they must be dried. It is better to do it in a draft. The container must have holes, a grid or a grid. Shoots must be completely removed. The cellar must be equipped with an exhaust hood, provide low level humidity and positive temperature. The safety of vegetables should be monitored and their bulkhead should be done at least twice a month.

In most cases, rotting begins due to the fact that vegetable growers violate storage rules, or root crops are affected by diseases. The main diseases are gray and white rot, phimosis with fusarium and heart rot. Gray rot appears on damaged vegetables or those that have been stacked frozen.

The appearance of white rot, phimosis and fusarium is associated with improper cultivation of the crop. In the first case, a lot of fertilizers were used, in the last two, proper prevention of fungal diseases was not carried out.

The disease associated with the rot of the core of the fruit is a consequence of insufficient moisture in the soil during cultivation. Most often manifested in hot dry summers.

Optimal storage conditions

The best conditions for storage in the cellar are:

Placement of root crops in a room with a constant temperature from 0 to 2 degrees Celsius and humidity up to 90%.
Sufficient natural air circulation or exhaust ventilation.

The optimal mode of storage of vegetables in the cellar is maintained during the entire period, since with an increase temperature regime and humidity, they begin to grow with shoots and gradually lose their useful qualities and appearance. When placed in containers or on racks, root crops should be at a height of at least 15 cm from the ground.

Conclusion

Using the tips above, you can store beets in the winter in the cellar until the next harvest. Great importance while having careful preparation vegetables for storage. Compliance with the conditions will allow vegetable growers to enjoy their favorite and mouth-watering beetroot dishes at any time of the year: borscht, salads, kvass.