How and where to store turnips at home for the winter

Many people are concerned about the question of how to properly store turnips. It can be done in the cellar, refrigerator, pantry. Often this root vegetable is frozen. You can also make various blanks from it. In addition, today there are many interesting recipes. To succeed in this business and keep the turnip fresh as long as possible, there are a number of rules that must be followed.

Features of turnip storage

To keep the vegetable fresh for a whole year, it is worth studying the rules of its features of cultivation and storage. In this case, you should follow the following recommendations:

1. Turnips can be combined with other products. This vegetable does not tend to absorb odors.
2. Only smooth vegetables that do not contain mechanical damage can be removed for long-term storage.
3. It is recommended to store turnips in a cool, dark place.
4. When stored in the refrigerator, vegetables are placed in plastic bags.
5. Before storing the turnip, it is recommended to cut its tops to 2/3 of the length.
6. It is not recommended to wash the vegetable. He is only cleared of the earth.
7. To increase shelf life, each vegetable should be wrapped in paper or newspaper. This method is relevant when storing root crops in a box.

Procurement rules

Careful preparation of the root crop for long-term storage allows you to smoothly bring it into a state of natural dormancy. This will keep it cool all winter. In addition, the preparatory work cleans the vegetable of non-viable residues, in which fungal microorganisms and other parasites can multiply.

To prepare a turnip, you need to follow these steps:

1. Remove dirt and other contaminants from fruit. To do this, use a soft brush or towel.
2. Carefully inspect the root crop. Damaged vegetables, areas of rot or traces of infection should be discarded.
3. Cut the green stems with a sharp knife. In its place, a stump with a height of no more than 1 centimeter should remain.
4. Carefully remove the lateral roots. It is recommended to get rid of the central root if necessary. In this case, it is allowed to leave a tail of no more than 5-7 centimeters.
5. When harvesting turnips from your own plot, the roots should definitely be dried. To do this, they are moved to a dry, warm and well-ventilated place. Vegetables should be left to dry for several days.

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Optimal storage conditions

In order to preserve the tubers for the whole winter, it is recommended to take care of their storage conditions in advance.

In this case, it is important to take into account the temperature regime, humidity and illumination parameters.

Temperature

The optimum temperature conditions for storing turnips are considered to be 0 ... + 3 degrees.

Humidity

The air humidity must be high enough. They should go up to 90%.

Lighting

To keep the turnip fresh as long as possible, it is recommended to store it in a dark place.In this case, active air circulation is considered desirable.

Storage methods

There are many methods of storing root crops, each of which has certain characteristics. First, you need to choose the container correctly. It is important that it is tight. This will help prevent rodents or other pests from getting inside.

Dense boxes

Turnips are best stored in boxes covered with thick plastic from the inside. It is recommended to pour wet sand at the bottom. However, it should not be very humid. It is worth placing the vegetables on them so that they do not touch each other. Then they are again sprinkled with sand. To save space in the cellar, the crates can be stacked up to 2 meters high.

Racks without slots

A good option would be to use shelves without slots. Fruits should be placed in several layers on the shelves. It is recommended to sprinkle each of them with a layer of sand 2-3 centimeters thick. To prevent the development of diseases, it is allowed to add chalk or hydrated lime to it. For 50 kilograms of sand, 1 kilogram of substance is taken. Instead of sand, it is allowed to use dry sawdust. Their moisture content should not exceed 18%.

Clay

For this method, it is recommended to prepare a clay mixture, the density of which should resemble liquid sour cream.Each root vegetable should be dipped in the resulting mass, then dried in the fresh air. A thin layer of clay will protect the turnip from external aggressions.

Pearlite, vermilkulite

These materials also help keep the root vegetable fresh for a long time. They are characterized by low thermal conductivity. Thanks to this, perlite and vermiculite protect vegetables from freezing and rotting in the hot season. In addition, they are excellent at absorbing moisture.

vegetable core

To store turnips in this way, you need to do the following:

• dig a hole of 80 centimeters and cover the bottom with straw;
• lay the vegetables in several layers - they should not touch each other;
• sprinkle with wet sand;
• cover the hole with soil and spruce branches;
• make drainage ditches on the sides to drain the liquid.

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Bags of sand or ashes

For the storage of root crops, it is permissible to use sand or wood ash. In the first case, moderately moist sand is used. When using ashes, it is worth processing root crops with dry matter. The result is an alkaline environment that protects the fruit from rotting.

How to store at home

There are a number of different methods you can use to keep your turnip fresh. In this case, it is recommended to take into account important nuances.

Storeroom

When storing turnips in a closet, it is important to observe temperature and humidity parameters. It is desirable that the room be sufficiently cool and humid.

Glazed balcony

When storing turnips on a glazed balcony, the tuber is placed in a crate and covered with a layer of straw.Each row should be sprinkled with wet sand. To avoid freezing turnips in winter, it is recommended to wrap the box with a blanket.

Fridge

Thus, it will be possible to preserve early or late varieties of vegetables for 30 days. For this, the roots are placed in the vegetable drawer. To prolong the freshness of root vegetables, it is worth wrapping them in paper, film or a bag.

It should be borne in mind that there should be no spoiled vegetables nearby. Otherwise, the decay processes will accelerate several times.

Treatment options for winter

To store turnips for the whole winter, you can use the freezer or make blanks from the roots.

Frozen

To begin with, the fruits must be washed and peeled. Then cut into 2 cm cubes and boil in boiling water for 5-6 minutes. Then immediately place the product in ice or cold water. Pass through a sieve, disassemble into portions and freeze.

Drying

Properly prepared fruit can be stored for six months. To do this, washed root vegetables must be peeled and cut into pieces of 5-6 millimeters. Pour boiling water over it and allow to dry. Arrange in a single layer on the oven rack and dry for 8-10 hours. The temperature should be 70 degrees.

Preservation

Various turnip preparations are very popular. To do this, you need to choose the right recipe.

Marinated with apples

For this recipe, take 1 kilogram of green apples and turnips, 250 grams of sugar, 1 liter of water, 50 grams of salt, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and half a glass of apple cider vinegar. Vegetables should be washed and put in a prepared container. Add spices and sugar to water and boil. Add vinegar at the end. Cool marinade and pour over apples and turnips.Place in a warm place and place the load on it. After a few weeks, the product can be consumed.

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Canned beets

This recipe will require 1 kilogram of turnips, 1 beetroot, 150 milliliters of vinegar, 6 cloves of garlic, 1.5 liters of water and 5 tablespoons of salt. Turnips should be well washed, cut into pieces and covered with 3 tablespoons of salt. Leave to act for 4 hours. After the salting is completed, rinse the slices under running water and transfer them to sterile jars. It is also recommended to add garlic and beets to it. Bring water to a boil, add vinegar and salt. Pour the vegetables with the resulting composition and cover with lids.

Dirty

To prepare this preparation, it is worth taking 1 kilogram of turnips, 500 grams of coarse salt, 200 grams of caraway seeds and 5 cabbage leaves. Vegetables should be washed, peeled and cut into circles. In a separate container, mix the cumin and salt. Place the root vegetables in a container, sprinkle with salt and caraway seeds. Pour boiled water over it, cover with cabbage leaves and place the load. Put in the fridge for a few weeks.

Common Mistakes

It is recommended to lay the affected fruits separately and immediately use them for preparing various dishes or storing. They can be dried or frozen. Keeping affected vegetables of good quality can ruin the entire harvest.

Do not store the vegetable loose or put it in a drawer. It is exposed to external factors and loses its taste.

Additional tips and tricks

To increase the shelf life of turnips, you need to follow these rules:

1. Before placing the vegetable in the cellar, deratization measures should be carried out.Otherwise, small rodents will damage the crop.
2. To avoid massive rotting of vegetables, they must be periodically sorted.
3. To prevent the development of fungus, before drying the culture, it is recommended to soak it for 1-2 hours in a solution of potassium permanganate at a concentration of 1-2%.
4. When storing turnips on the balcony, it is worth controlling the temperature. When it drops to -20 degrees, the container is covered with a blanket.

Turnips are a healthy and tasty root vegetable that can be stored all winter. To achieve good results, it is worth choosing the right storage method. This can be done in a basement, closet or refrigerator. Also, various preparations are made from the vegetable or they are frozen.