Every housewife knows what can be cooked from beets. Ukrainian borsch, herring under a fur coat, vinaigrette - all of this we eat with great pleasure. But how to store beets correctly, not everyone knows.
How to store beetroot in winter: preparation
To keep the beets well preserved until the very spring, you need to learn how to collect it correctly. This should be done in dry weather. The most favorable period is mid-October. Just in this period of time the weather becomes cool, but frosts are not yet coming.
Beetroot is needed after it dries well in the sun. After that, remove the remains of the land, but you can not wash the beets. Next, you need to carefully see if the root of the damage or disease. Such beetroot should not be stored, it is better to use it at once.
Storing beets at home involves careful pruning of the foliage. Never peel the leaves, this can damage the beets. Leave no more than 2 cm from the stem. Now the roots are placed in a dry and well ventilated room for final drying. In such conditions, the beet should spend about a week.
Ways of storing beets
The best conditions are the cellar or the cellar, where the temperature does not exceed 2 ° C. It is good to use sand for these purposes. It does not allow moisture to evaporate, does not allow to decay the crop, prevents the appearance of mold. It is correct to store the beets in winter in this way, as the root crop does not begin to ache or dry out. Instead of sand it is permissible to use peat or sawdust. If you decide to store the beets in a box, it is better to place medium-sized root crops on the bottom - they are better stored - and larger ones are placed on top.
Well preserved beetroot, sprinkled with chalk or wood ash. Try the method with a clay popper. She is coated with root vegetables and stored.
It is permissible to store the crop in plastic bags. One package can accommodate up to 40 kg of vegetables. The main thing is not to close or tie a package, just leave it open.
After a while you can detect the appearance of dry rot. This is a very common disease. For prevention, once a month, you need to pick up the beets and choose all the rotten root crops. Affected areas can be cut and sprinkled with wood ash. Such methods help preserve the harvest for a long time.
If you notice that the beet has begun to germinate, pay attention to the humidity and temperature of storage. Be sure to cut the tops so that it does not draw moisture out of the root.
How to store beets in the apartment?
It's good if there is a basement in the house or at the cottage. But how to store beets in an apartment where there are no such conditions? It is acceptable to use the method with a polyethylene bag. Such a bag (necessarily open!) Can be put on the balcony near the door. Instead of a package, you can use boxes.
You can store beets in the refrigerator, as it is perfectly preserved at a temperature of 0 ° C. In the bottom box root vegetables
If you put a packet of beetroot in the refrigerator, a day later, there may be a drop of water. Be sure to dry the beetroot. Keep it only in the package, it is protection from the effects of frost.
If you decide to store vegetables at room temperature, they should be placed on the bottom of the box evenly. This will help to avoid rotting. There are many ways how to store beets, but one rule applies to everyone: pickle beets from time to time, maintain storage conditions.