Storing vegetables and fruits in the refrigerator

How to properly prepare potatoes

After digging, the potatoes are not immediately sent for storage. The tubers are dried, ripened, and mechanical damage is healed.

Air-sun bath

If the weather is good, the tubers are scattered to dry on the arable land; in rainy weather they are taken under a canopy. The potatoes are kept in the sun for no more than 2 hours, then dried for 2 weeks in a barn or under a canopy. Ultraviolet rays, they make up 10% of the spectrum of sunlight, have a bactericidal effect, kill fungi and bacteria, and increase the shelf life of potatoes.

Healing

It is impossible to avoid mechanical damage during digging. Infection can occur through wounds on the skin. They dry out quickly and become covered with dry skin at a temperature of 13-18 °C. Healing takes no more than 2 weeks. If the temperature is lower, the process is delayed up to 3-4 weeks.

Falling asleep

Before being sent for storage, the tubers must undergo a period of gradual cooling. In industrial potato storage facilities, the temperature is reduced daily by 0.5 °C. The process lasts 10-15 days. The weather helps the summer residents. When the air temperature drops to 2-4 °C, the potatoes are sent for storage. Thanks to the gradual decrease in temperature in the tubers, all processes (physiological, biochemical) stop.

Temperature and storage conditions

Next, we’ll look at how to store vegetables and fruits so that they stay fresh longer.

To keep vegetables and fruits in the refrigerator as long as possible, they need a certain temperature.

Although the shelf life can be extended through proper preparation, positioning and temperature control, each product has an optimal shelf life that should not be exceeded.

Let's talk about the most common vegetables and fruits.

Apples are the longest-living of all those presented. They can last up to 3 weeks on the top shelves in plastic bags. The main thing is that the fruits do not initially show signs of rot.

Apples can be stored on the top shelves for up to 3 weeks. If you decide to leave citrus fruits in the refrigerator, choose the warmest and driest places: the side wall, bottom compartments. Keep without container and away from other products. Under these conditions, oranges will last 2 weeks, tangerines - 1, grapefruits - 3.

To store citrus fruits, give preference to the bottom or side shelves of the refrigerator. Peaches, plums, pears - place unripe fruits in paper packaging and store at room temperature. Mature ones will not last long and begin to deteriorate quickly. At 1-5 degrees they will last 3-4 days. It is better to put it on the middle shelves, not close to the wall

The middle shelves of the refrigerator should be left for storing plums, peaches and pears. Grapes can be stored in plastic containers on the lower shelves for up to 7 days. But it retains its best appearance and taste during the first three days.

Grapes should be stored on the lowest shelves. Kiwi tolerates low temperatures well. Ripe fruits on the lower shelves or in the door, where the temperature fluctuates within 8 degrees, will last up to several weeks.

Kiwi can be stored on shelves with the lowest temperatures. Most berries do not last long. It is advisable to place them in the refrigerator, spread out in one layer on a paper towel. Shelf life is no more than 3 days.

It is better to store poisons in the refrigerator on a paper towel.

Berries cannot be stored washed.

Potatoes can be refrigerated for up to 7 days. Place it only in the bottom drawers in a paper bag or mesh.

Potatoes can only be stored on the lower shelves of the refrigerator. No more than 7 days. Wrap the cabbage in cling film and place in the bottom drawer. In good condition it lasts up to 3 weeks.

Before storing in the refrigerator, cabbage should be wrapped in cling film. Carrots and beets will last up to 3 weeks at a temperature of 2-5 degrees. Place it in a plastic or paper bag on the bottom shelves or in the crisper drawer.

Carrots should be stored on the bottom shelves of the refrigerator or in drawers.

Root vegetables should not be washed before storing.

Tomatoes require a temperature of 18-19 degrees, so it is better to keep them at room temperature in the kitchen or balcony.

It is better to store tomatoes in the kitchen or on the balcony. Greens wrapped in cling film on the top shelves closest to the freezer will last up to 7 days.

Greens will keep for up to 7 days in the refrigerator if you wrap them in cling film first. If possible, cut the ends of the stems to the same level and place in a glass of water, and cover the top with plastic with a hole for ventilation. In this form, the greens will stay fresh for up to 3-4 weeks.

If the greens are placed in a glass or jar of water, they will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks. Keep cucumbers in the warmest place of the refrigerator at a temperature of about 8 degrees in a half-open bag. In a special lower compartment they will stay fresh for up to 7 days.

Cucumbers should be stored in the warmest part of the refrigerator.

Under what conditions should potatoes be stored?

You need to store potatoes at home, following certain rules.

Before storing the tubers, you should prepare the room. It needs to be cleaned, all sources of decay removed, and the walls treated with slaked (5%) lime. This will help prevent mold from developing in areas where vegetables will be located. It is imperative to equip the cellar (basement) with ventilation: this will help increase the shelf life of potatoes. It is advisable to place the harvest in boxes with a volume of 15–20 kg, the bottom of which must first be lined with straw, sand or sawdust to absorb excess moisture. The top of the potatoes should be covered with a thick cloth or a layer of hay to protect them from freezing. Several fresh apples are placed among the potatoes. They will slow down the germination process of tubers

It is important that the fruits do not rot (they are stored less than potatoes). In this case, they are replaced with fresh ones.

Planting potatoes should be stored separately. If tubers are stored in the form of a mound, it should not be more than 1 meter high.

First, use the earliest varieties of vegetables: such root vegetables will not be stored for a long time. And if such potatoes are left until December, they need to be stored as planting potatoes. The tubers no longer have any nutritional value: they become wrinkled, dry, and tasteless.

• Potato storage temperature should be between +2°C and +4°C. Therefore, if the vegetable is stored on the balcony in frosty winter, the tubers are insulated with old blankets or outerwear.
• The humidity level in places where root crops are stored should not exceed 85%. But the air should also not be allowed to be too dry.
• The cellar (basement) should be illuminated exclusively with electric light of minimal brightness, so as not to contribute to the greening of the potatoes and the production of solanine. If this happens, it will no longer be possible to eat such a fruit.
• You can store the potato harvest in boxes, boxes, bags, or simply in bulk until May.

Potato storage

To ensure that the shelf life of potatoes is as long as possible, it is worth knowing certain points. Then you can prevent spoiled tubers from appearing. Before choosing a place to store potatoes, you first need to sort out and dry the vegetables. Direct exposure to sunlight should be avoided. They cause green spots. Sick and injured tubers must be disposed of immediately. All potatoes can go bad because of them.

To ensure that potatoes have a long shelf life, you need to find a place for them at the right temperature. Minus or very high temperatures will spoil the potatoes. The best temperature is from +2 to +5 degrees. A balcony, especially an insulated one, can be considered an excellent place to store tubers. A frost-free cellar would also work. The temperature in it, even in winter, should not be below zero.

The room in which the potatoes will be stored must be ventilated and dried in advance. This is best done in warm and dry weather. Also, do not forget that the room must be ventilated. The humidity in it should be no more than 80-90 percent.

When potatoes are already stored, they need to be sorted from time to time. This is due to the fact that it can germinate. The shelf life of potatoes, if properly maintained, can be from autumn to June. But all the rules must be followed. However, the amount of vitamins will decrease over time, and the nutritional value will decrease. Medium and late varieties of potatoes can be stored for a long time, from 6 to 8 months . The early variety is preserved less well. Potatoes can be stored for up to 6 months in a cool place at temperatures up to +10 degrees. This could be an insulated box on the balcony or a cellar.

Where is the best place to store potatoes?

Those who want to know how to properly store potatoes in winter in a city apartment should consider the following options:

• Place under the sink. A dark, enclosed space with high humidity helps keep components in proper condition. The main thing is that all the above requirements are met. You should not use plastic bags for storing potatoes; it is better to use a box or wicker basket for this.
• Balcony, loggia. In this case, you need to either bring the environmental conditions to optimal, or pack the potatoes according to all the rules. Inventory should be checked from time to time to ensure that everything is in order.
• In a refrigerator. This option is suitable for storing vegetables in small quantities. But the temperature and humidity indicators required for root crops are always within the required limits. In the refrigerator, unlike other places, potatoes should be kept in plastic. Thanks to this, you won’t have to worry about the vegetable pulp starting to emit foreign odors.
• Corridor at the entrance. Another place suitable for temperature indicators. In order not to worry about the safety of the product, you should place a large box with a lock in the room, which is screwed to the floor or walls using screws.

It should be remembered that potatoes can spoil even if they are in the refrigerator. Most often, this happens not because of violations of the rules for storing it, but because of the initial purchase of a product that is not of the highest quality. There's nothing to be done here. If characteristic dark spots appear on the surface of the tubers or their pulp, it is better not to use this product as food. In any case, it is practically devoid of nutritional value and taste.

At what temperature should fruit be stored?

Scheme for laying apples in boxes: a – laying in straight rows in a three-sided box; b – laying apples in a box diagonally.

Besides vegetables, we also try to preserve fruits for the winter. The surest way is freezing and canning fruit. But still, sometimes you want to keep fruits fresh for as long as possible.

Apples can be stored for a long time if the following conditions are taken into account. The first condition: you need to harvest the harvest correctly, treat each apple with care. The second condition is to wipe each apple with a cloth treated with glycerin, or wrap each apple in paper and place it in boxes or crates. The storage temperature for apples should be zero, and the air humidity should be 85-90%. Under these storage conditions, apples can remain fresh for three to eight months.

Pears, unlike apples, are not stored for as long, but they also require special attention when picking and storing them. The temperature and humidity are the same as when storing apples

Fruits are placed in boxes that should provide good air access. It is necessary to sort through the fruits every month and remove spoiled and rotten fruits.

If you want to preserve plums for some time, then they need to be properly collected from the tree. Cut each plum with scissors with a stem, put it in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator or in a cool, dark room where the temperature is closer to zero. So they can lie for two to four weeks, no more, otherwise they will begin to deteriorate and you will lose part of your harvest. Also, under no circumstances should you remove the waxy coating from them, which only increases the shelf life.

Other fruits grown in your garden cannot be stored for long periods of time. It is better to use them intensively for food or freeze them for the winter, and then cook wonderful and tasty compotes or prepare various desserts.

To summarize our article, we can summarize all the data that is necessary for the correct and fruit. These are relative humidity and storage temperature, the table of which is presented above.

Potato storage conditions

To keep more potatoes healthy, the following requirements must be met.

In any type of storage, maintain the air temperature within +2..+4°C. At this temperature, the potatoes are at rest - they do not form roots and do not freeze. Lower temperatures promote the conversion of starch into sugars, while higher temperatures trigger the process of root formation.

The storage facility must have thermometers to measure temperature, as well as the ability to take action if it changes. If the temperature rises quickly, open the vents and arrange ventilation.

The air humidity in the room where potatoes are stored should not exceed 70-85%. To determine, install a hygrometer in the room. Increased humidity promotes the appearance of mold fungi. The air in the room is dried or ventilation is used.

The bottom of the potato storage should be covered with sand, preferably quartz, pebbles, crushed stone, and other material that absorbs moisture. The bottom of the cellar and other types of storage facilities must not be cemented, covered with linoleum, smooth slate, floorboards and other similar materials, as this will accumulate moisture, which contributes to the appearance of mold and other negative processes.

Daytime and prolonged artificial lighting is not allowed in the storage facility. Light promotes the production of poisonous solanine in potato tubers. The external manifestation of solanine production is the greening or dark green color of the tuber. These potatoes are not suitable for human consumption.

To preserve potatoes from winter pests and diseases, you need to carefully prepare the room and accordingly arrange the tubers in convenient containers.

• Isolate the storage from outside pests: mice, rats, slugs.
• Disinfect the premises from fungal and bacterial infections (burning a sulfur bomb or just lumps of sulfur on a metal tray or use other methods of disinfecting the premises).

How to store potatoes if there is no cellar

So, we are talking about possible options for storing potato tubers if there is no basement, and you choose which one suits you best.

In an apartment (private house)

If you decide to store potatoes in a living room for the winter, then they should be placed in the coldest places - near the balcony or near the windows. In a private house - at the front door or in the entryway (at above-zero temperatures). In this case, it is advisable to keep tubers in cloth bags, as they do not interfere with the necessary ventilation.

Tip: To avoid dampness and rotting of the crop, beets or dry straw can be placed on top of the bags.

If there are no cool places in the apartment, then it is permissible to place the potatoes in a driveway pocket or pantry. In this case, you can use wooden boxes. But it should be borne in mind that in warm conditions the shelf life of the crop will be significantly reduced. To extend it a little, you can do the following - take a small plastic container, make 30-40 small holes in it, put a damp cloth and place it inside the box with potatoes.

Another option for wintering potatoes in an apartment is a thermostat. It is a mini refrigerator with the ability to adjust temperature and humidity. The disadvantage of this device is its small usable volume - only a few tens of liters.

On the loggia

A loggia provides a greater choice of storage options. But a prerequisite for winter placement of vegetables must be glazing.

When the thermometer shows a positive mark, storage is not particularly difficult. The optimal temperature on the loggia is maintained even with slight frosts outside the window. The main thing is to prevent light from entering the product, as well as strong increases in temperature and sudden changes (for this, the crop is covered with warm clothes or old cotton blankets).

When frost sets in, take care to insulate the crop, as well as maintain proper conditions inside the storage facility. There are several ways to do this.

The easiest one is to buy a heating cabinet. It independently maintains the required storage temperature and ventilates the potatoes. If this is not possible, then you can make such a device yourself:

1. Build a box with double walls;
2. Place insulation (foam plastic, sawdust, etc.) between the walls;
3. At the bottom of the box, place incandescent light bulbs placed in protective light-insulating metal casings (a thermal relay is also built into the system).

Help: Instead of lamps, it is possible to install a plastic pipe through a hole in the wall. An electric hair dryer is placed in it, which supplies heated air to the tubers. As a result, the storage process is heated and ventilated.

In regions with not very cold winters, the option of heating the loggia is possible. In this case, light-proof wooden boxes larger in volume than a heating cabinet are sufficient for storage.

Is it possible to preserve a vegetable until spring without a cellar in the ground?

A non-standard way is to store in a pit:

1. Choose a place on your garden plot that is not flooded with water;
2. Dig a hole about one and a half meters deep, its area depends on the volume of the crop being planted;
3. Arrange drainage at the bottom; to do this, make several grooves 10 cm deep along the edges;
4. Cover the bottom and walls with straw;
5. With the first frost, place the tubers in the hole - the storage is filled so that about 30-40 cm remains to the top edge;
6. Cover the supplies with a layer of straw;
7. Create a hill 50-80 cm high above the storage (it should overlap the walls to the sides by more than 1 meter);
8. In case of severe frosts, additionally cover the hill with a layer of snow, straw or other heat-insulating material.

This method is very inconvenient, since retrieving crops from such storage in winter is quite problematic. It can be recommended for storing seed.

Conditions

Potatoes are an unpretentious crop, so there are no problems with their preservation. The most important factors for shelf life are:

• place;
• container;
• temperature;
• humidity;
• lighting.

Place

When the vegetables are sorted and selected, a place in the apartment is chosen where the tubers will be located. It should be kept away from heating devices and other perishable crops. The most common places where potatoes are harvested in an apartment are:

• storage rooms;
• balconies with glazing;
• dark cabinets with locking doors.

The location must be chosen based on the amount of potatoes. If you use a lot of it, then only a large storage room or balcony will do, if you have a cellar. It is convenient to keep no more than a couple of buckets of tubers in the closet.

Tara

The main point when selecting containers is its ventilation. It is imperative that air gets to the potatoes, otherwise they will dry out or rot. Most often it is stored in wooden boxes with slots. The top of the box can be covered loosely with a lid.

If the number of tubers is small, you can pour them into a plastic bucket, the bottom of which is lined with paper to protect it from moisture. It is allowed to store potatoes at home in plastic bags or bags, just do not tie them at the top.

Temperature

The lower the temperature, the longer the potatoes will be stored. The best option is to maintain the temperature at a level from plus 10 to 16 degrees. At higher temperatures, potatoes begin to soften, lose their taste and sprout. The germination process is especially active towards the end of spring.

Too low a temperature is also harmful to the tubers: they freeze and become tasteless. In addition, potatoes quickly spoil in the cold and are not suitable for food.

Lighting

A prerequisite for proper storage is the absence of daylight. You can store the tubers in a dark place for a long time, but if you put them in the sun’s rays, the skin wrinkles, and the fruits themselves lose some of their juice and become dry. The sun stimulates the awakening of the eyes, so shoots will soon appear on the tubers.

In the dark, the eyes “sleep” until mid-spring and only with warming do they awaken and grow over the surface of the vegetable.

Humidity

Select a place in the house for the culture so that the humidity is at a minimum level. 15-50% is enough for the potatoes to lie well. When humidity rises, rot occurs and spreads very quickly. Humid air also promotes the germination of eyes, which are not at all needed for storage and will only shorten its shelf life.

Preparing seed potatoes for storage

Harvested potatoes cannot be stored immediately. The peel of this vegetable is still thin and not ripe enough. To make it denser and minor damage to heal, keep the seed in a well-ventilated place for two weeks.

It is also useful to green the seeds in the light. To do this, the tubers are laid out in one layer and periodically turned over. Daylight encourages the accumulation of corned beef in them. This is a poison, so potatoes become inedible for rodents, and their resistance to diseases increases.

After drying and ripening, the seed material is carefully inspected again, rejecting damaged specimens. To enhance immunity, the seeds are treated with one of the fungicidal preparations. For this purpose, Maxim or a weak solution of copper sulfate is often used.

When preparing the composition, 2 g of the substance is diluted in one bucket of water. After processing, the potatoes are well dried.

How to prepare a cellar for storing potatoes

Potatoes are quite picky about storage conditions, as they contain a lot of starch and water.

Accordingly, before storing the harvest, you need to pay special attention to preparing the cellar. It is best to perform it 1–1.5 months before harvest

Preparatory work in the cellar includes the following actions:

1. Check and clean all ventilation openings to ensure good air circulation in the room.
2. Waterproof the floor if it is too wet or if there is groundwater near the soil surface.
3. External thermal insulation of the cellar to protect against severe frosts and overheating. The ideal option is to build a small cellar above it, which will protect the ceiling of the vault from high and low air temperatures.
4. Ensuring that the door that closes the storage unit is airtight so that it does not allow drafts to pass through. It is recommended to cover the outside with foam plastic for better thermal insulation.
5. Additional heating in the cellar using dark-painted lamps hung in the corners of the storage room. When turned on, they will emit heat, which will help protect the cellar from freezing during severe cold weather.
6. Removing debris and excess clutter that takes up a lot of space and can attract rodents.
7. Repairing holes in the walls or floors of a room with cement mortar or durable metal sheeting to prevent rodent hazards.

Did you know? The homeland of potatoes is South America: there they still grow in natural wild conditions.

Room treatment

In order for potatoes in storage to retain their good appearance and taste until spring, you need to properly treat the room. This procedure allows you to get rid of microscopic harmful bacteria and extend the shelf life of potatoes.

Video: Processing the cellar before adding vegetables

Basic recommendations for storage processing are presented below:

• The walls must be thoroughly disinfected with a solution of 10 liters of water, 2 kg of lime, 150 g of salt and 1 kg of vitriol. Bulk ingredients are dissolved in water and the resulting mixture is treated with the ceiling, floor and all walls of the room;
• processing the cellar using a sulfur bomb. It must be brought into the room and set on fire so that the smoke permeates all the walls, ceiling and floor of the storage room;
• if the previous potato harvest was covered with mold when stored in this cellar, then disinfection must be carried out twice with an interval of 7–8 days.

Important! It is better to carry out storage treatment in warm and sunny weather, so that the room is well ventilated and wet walls dry out faster.

Preparing the storage container

The simplest option for storing vegetables is to place them on the floor of the cellar in the form of one large pile. But if among the tubers there are at least a few damaged or rotten fruits, then they will cause rot to appear on most of the rest of the potatoes, so it is better to store the crop in specially prepared capacious containers.

They must meet the following requirements:

• the best material for making containers for potatoes is wood;
• The box and container for vegetables must have openings through which ventilation will take place. The boxes can be placed in horizontal rows located on wooden stands, or stacked on top of each other;
• Separate fabric bags are also suitable for storing tubers, which allow air to pass through well and protect the fruit from rotting. Bags should also be placed on wooden pallets 10–15 cm high from the floor;
• Potatoes in the cellar can be stored in nets, but tubers can freeze in them. To prevent this from happening, nets with vegetables are covered with a layer of straw or a warm blanket on top.

Good preservation of the crop is also facilitated by pre-treatment of potato storage containers. It is best to carry out this procedure in warm and sunny weather.

Processing is carried out as follows:

1. All containers for potatoes are taken outside, cleaned of soil and remnants of last year’s vegetables.
2. For disinfection, the container is treated with a hot concentrated aqueous solution of potassium permanganate.
3. Leave the containers in the sun until completely dry, and then bring them back into the cellar.

Important! The small size of these containers helps to divide the potatoes into small portions and reduce the risk of losing the entire crop due to rotting of several tubers.

Preparing for long-term storage of potatoes

1. First, the tubers are carefully examined for damage and signs of disease. If any are found, they are also sorted into conditional groups.
2. Root crops that are broken, scratched or otherwise damaged are selected for priority consumption, or given to livestock feed.
3. If signs of any infection are found, dispose of it.
4. Next, the fruits are cleaned of dirt, but not washed, but simply wiped, since moisture can cause rotting.
5. It is advisable to let the harvested crop dry a little, but not to overdry.
6. After this, the potatoes are placed inside the prepared container.
7. If necessary, carry out antimicrobial treatment. To do this, you can grate the garlic and place it in compartments or grids at the rate of one hundred grams of garlic per one hundred kilograms of harvest.
8. But it is also permissible to sprinkle the deposits with dry rowan leaves, spray with onion or rowan tincture.

Cellar storage

Lime is a cheap and effective means for disinfecting cellars.

To this end, a number of preparatory activities are carried out:

• preparing lime mortar;
• disinfection of metal objects;
• fumigation;
• ventilation;
• liming of walls.

Preparation of lime mortar consists of dissolving two kilograms of lime, one hundred and fifty grams of copper sulfate, and a bucket of water. Disinfection of metal objects is carried out by treating racks, handrails, shelves, and other components with copper sulfate.

Next, you should whitewash the walls, after which the room is fumigated with tansy or wormwood, after which it is well ventilated.

It should be noted that the cellar or basement must be well ventilated - the greenhouse effect must not be provoked. The crop is placed directly in compartments or special grids and boxes.

The temperature regime is provided - from eighteen degrees below zero to one degree plus. This interval is explained by the fact that at first the temperature should be higher - about 18 degrees, then gradually drops to five, and then left for the winter at least two degrees Celsius.

No lighting required.

Storage on the balcony

1. They put together a special container box in which root vegetables are placed in bags or in nets and closed.
2. It is advisable to cover the top with old blankets, felt, or other warming material.

Thermal cabinet

The finished oven is equipped with electric heating and a temperature controller.

And you can also equip a heating cabinet. Such designs are purchased ready-made. When using them to store potatoes, it is not necessary to first place the crop in bags - they are poured directly into the cupboard.

In such a heating cabinet, the manufacturer has installed a special thermal regime, that is, the optimal temperature is constantly maintained. It is allowed to install such cabinets on the balcony or in the apartment. The main advantage of the equipment is the fact that a forced ventilation system is initially built into it - the owner does not have to worry about ventilating the crop. However, this type of storage runs on electricity, so it may not be a very economical method.

Storage in the apartment

You can store a small amount of potatoes in your living area for daily cooking.

The most suitable varieties are Bronnitsky, Lasunak. It is worth noting that lying in an apartment for more than four months contributes to the deterioration of tubers - wrinkling, sprouting eyes, and the occurrence of dry or wet rot.

Another possible disadvantage of apartment storage is the fact that the temperature in the room must be lower than what is usually maintained for human habitation. In addition, it is advisable to keep the window open at all times.

Conditions

Cabinet under the kitchen window for storing potatoes and other vegetables.

In order to ensure optimal conditions, it is recommended to follow certain measures. Primary requirements:

• using containers only from natural materials;
• location - near the window;
• constantly open window;
• providing ventilation;
• compliance with the temperature regime – 15 degrees.

Potatoes spoil quickly in the refrigerator.

However, you can restore the taste by placing the potatoes on the balcony or in the cellar. After about three days, the taste will be restored. You can only use an old refrigerator to store potatoes, which no longer works. It is installed like an ordinary box on the balcony. Conditions are created that are standard for a regular box with one difference. Due to the fact that the refrigerator has thick thermal walls, there is no need to use warm covering material.

Storage conditions for beans and peas

Well-ripened and well-dried legumes can be stored for a long time, but the problem is that beetle larvae appear before harvesting. To prevent their reproduction, garlic cloves or dill seeds cut in half are placed in beans that have been stored.

You can leave the beans in the cold, for example, on the balcony. Or place in a hot oven. Of course, such seeds will lose their viability, but they are suitable for food.

The best way to preserve the bean harvest is to hermetically seal (with metal lids only) the well-dried grains in jars with the addition of cooled ash from the dry bean leaves. Calculation: 1 tablespoon of ash per 0.5-liter jar of grains. Even if there was already a bug or its eggs in the grains, they will die from the ash and lack of oxygen. In this form, grain can be stored for many years without losing its viability.

Storing potatoes in an apartment, at home

Storing potatoes in the refrigerator is a bad solution: in closed bags they will quickly deteriorate, and in open bags they will poison the atmosphere and spoil other products. And the volume of the refrigerator is small. Therefore, you need to find a suitable place in the apartment.

How to choose a place

Usually they try to place the potatoes right in the kitchen, although this is not an ideal option. The coldest place is usually near the doors (including the balcony), but even there the temperature is rarely below 15–16 °C, so we will talk about a month at most. Sometimes cool storage rooms are used, if available. In the kitchen, potatoes are usually placed under the sink in a wooden box or basket. As a rule, this place is closed from light and properly ventilated. Since storing potatoes in an apartment is difficult, some tricks often come to the rescue, the simplest of which is lining them with mint or wormwood leaves. It’s good if there are beets nearby (in fact, the same techniques are used outside the apartment).

Small quantities of potatoes are stored under the sink

Types of storage containers

You can store potatoes in any “breathable” container:

• linen bags;
• nylon nets;
• wooden boxes;
• wicker baskets.

The volume may vary, but it rarely makes sense to keep more than a bag of potatoes in an apartment (that is, 4–5 buckets). It is bad to keep potatoes in plastic bags without holes or in any metal container.

How to make a box

Since an insulated box is not required for storage in an apartment, it can be made from any available material: timber, boards, plywood. The most convenient planks are about 5 cm wide; Be sure to leave a gap of 1–2 cm between them for air access. If it is impossible to place the box in the dark, it is covered with dark, breathable fabric. In the case of balcony storage, it makes sense to make a box with double walls and thermal insulation: there are many design options.

Compact accommodation options

Since there is always little space at home, they try to place potatoes in a variety of places where they can create relative coolness and darkness. Select one of the drawers in chests of drawers and sets, place grids behind the doors, under the table, under the bed. You can often find mini-storages under the removable cover of the seating area. Often a bucket of potatoes is even kept in the toilet room.

Any unexpected place can be used as storage

If the potatoes are washed, they will be stored worse. True, thorough drying can mitigate this deterioration; Some gardeners always wash potatoes even before storing them in the cellar, but they dry them perfectly before that. It is better to put poorly dried, washed potatoes in the refrigerator and use them within a week. Sometimes you have to store peeled potatoes, but this is a completely extreme case: we are talking about “storing” only for a few hours. It is best to leave it in cold water (although some of the starch will be lost). You can scald it with boiling water, then it will turn black more slowly. Sometimes peeled potatoes are even frozen, but you need to understand that after this they will be sweet and not suitable for all dishes.

How to preserve potatoes throughout the storage period

The entire period of potato storage is divided into 4 stages, which we will describe below.

The first is therapeutic , it is also the most important period, which determines the further shelf life of potatoes.

During this period, drying and ripening of vegetables occurs. After harvesting, the potatoes are left on the ground in the sun for a couple of hours to dry for the first time. You should not increase the drying time, otherwise the peel will be damaged by sunlight and the potatoes will have a very short shelf life. Then the potatoes need to be dried in a cool and well-ventilated place - on the floor of the garage or under a canopy, so that the tubers are not exposed to sunlight. Potatoes need to be dried in such conditions for 2-3 weeks. During this time, excess moisture will evaporate and damage to the tubers will heal. It is better to dry at temperatures from +12 to +17 degrees and humidity within 90%.

The second is the cooling period . This period is due to the preparation of potatoes for long-term storage at low temperatures. For 10-20 days, it is necessary to gradually lower the temperature in the place where potatoes are stored every day. By the end of the period, the temperature at the storage location should be about +2 degrees. By this time, the processes in the potatoes have stopped, which means they are ready for long-term storage. During this period, it is also important to protect the potatoes from getting wet, otherwise rotting processes will begin in them and the shelf life will be short.

The third is the main one. When stored at low temperatures, potatoes go into a dormant state. Therefore, it is fundamentally important to create an optimal storage regime during this period.

The place where potatoes are stored should be as dark as possible to prevent the production of solanine. The storage temperature for potatoes is within +3+4 degrees. If you deviate from this range, the potatoes may begin to sprout and spoil. The humidity in the place where potatoes are stored should be within 90%.

The last one is spring . To prevent potatoes from starting to sprout during this storage period, you need to lower the room temperature to +1+2 degrees.

How to store potatoes in the refrigerator

Each of us has the habit of storing potatoes in the refrigerator. But is it advisable to do this? Let's figure it out together.

On the one hand, storing potatoes in the refrigerator is convenient; they are always at hand. The refrigerator maintains optimal humidity and there are no sudden temperature changes. In addition, within a week the purchased potatoes will be used up and there will no longer be questions about their long-term storage.

However, on the other hand, when storing potatoes in the refrigerator, many negative aspects arise, such as:

• at low temperatures, potato starch turns into sugars, which negatively affects the taste and quality of potatoes;
• Potatoes in the refrigerator tend to become damp and sprout;

Therefore, whether to store potatoes in the refrigerator or find a more suitable place for them is, of course, up to you.

The shelf life of potatoes in the refrigerator is from 7 to 20 days .

How to store potatoes in the freezer

Despite the fact that everyone knows about the negative impact of low temperatures on potatoes - the appearance of a sweet taste and unpleasant texture, when potatoes are frozen correctly, such problems do not arise.

Potatoes must be properly prepared for freezing: thoroughly wash the potatoes to remove any dirt, peel them and place them in cold water for a while.

There are several ways to freeze potatoes:

• freezing whole potatoes

For this freezing it is better to use small potatoes.

For potatoes, you need to prepare two containers - one with boiling water, the other cold with ice.

The potatoes are first immersed in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, and then in ice water for 2-3 minutes. Then the potatoes are laid out on paper towels until completely dry. Dried tubers are placed in sealed bags and stored in the freezer. If it is necessary to use potatoes, they do not wait for them to defrost, but immediately heat them.

• freezing potato slices

The principle of preparing potatoes is the same as for whole freezing. The only difference is that in this case the potatoes are cut into small slices.

The shelf life of potatoes in the freezer is 6-9 months .

How to store potatoes at room temperature

Of course, the method of storing potatoes in an apartment is very impractical in terms of storage duration. However, if there is no other option, even in an apartment you can find several places to store potatoes.

1. In the kitchen cabinet under the sink

This storage location is quite optimal, since the place is protected from light and quite cool. A definite plus is also that potatoes are always at hand.

1. On the insulated balcony

For this storage, you should prepare wooden or plastic boxes, in which you then place the potatoes. At too low temperatures, it is better to cover the vegetables on top with warm clothes.

The shelf life of potatoes at room temperature certainly depends on the storage conditions and averages from 2 weeks to 3 months .