Storing beets in the cellar, or how to provide yourself with fresh vegetables for the whole year. Storing beets for the winter in the cellar, basement and at home using only sand and sawdust Storing beets in winter

Foreword

How to store beets in order to use root crops grown on your own plot for food in winter is not only an economic issue, but also a healthy nutritious diet. Indeed, in addition to the fact that purchased vegetables in the period until the next harvest are more expensive, their quality can be very low (for example, they can be sick, spoiled, contain nitrates), and it is also possible to purchase fodder beets instead of table beets.

Which table beets are suitable for long-term storage?

Of course, as for other vegetables, it is not necessary to lay the entire harvest of table beet for long-term storage, but selectively. The fulfillment of this condition is very important, but not the most important. The fact is that not all varieties of this vegetable can be stored for a long time. If you choose seeds of the wrong type for planting, then all the efforts spent on growing, collecting and storing root crops in the hope that in winter there will be dishes from your beets on the table may be in vain. And even if the vegetables of the resulting crop are unusually healthy and beautiful, if they are varieties with poor keeping quality, then very soon they will either have to be thrown away or hastily processed and preserved.

The following varieties of table beet are intended for long-term storage: Renova, Lettuce, Cold-resistant 19, Mulatka, Red ball, Boltardi, Podzimnaya A-474, Flat Gribovskaya A-474, Libero, Detroit, Bravo, Egyptian flat, Incomparable A-463, Nosovskaya flat , Pablo F1, Single stem, Bordeaux-237.

In terms of keeping quality, these varieties are the best. But first of all, you should pay attention to the table beets of local selection. Its varieties will most often turn out to be the best option not only for growing a good harvest, but also for its successful and long-term storage.

But, for example, the Cylinder variety, which is very popular and grown in almost every country house, is not suitable for winter storage. Its root crops have excellent taste, but the keeping quality is much worse than that of the above varieties.

Rules for preparing table beets for storage

Regardless of the variety, preparation for storage begins with the correct harvesting of table beets. It must be harvested before the first frost. Beet root crops grow at the very surface of the soil, and their upper part protrudes from the ground at all, so that even in the event of a slight frost, they can freeze slightly and become unsuitable for storage.

For harvesting, it is best to choose a dry and fine, preferably sunny autumn day. And it is more pleasant to work, and this will contribute to the long-term storage of table beets. Harvesting is also not necessary anyhow. It is strictly forbidden to pull out root crops by pulling on the tops. The skin of the table beet is likely to be damaged by the ground and the pebbles in it: torn off, scratched or cut. Such root crops will begin to rot soon after laying in storage and will not lie for a long time. Moreover, because of them, undamaged healthy beets can begin to deteriorate.

It is necessary to collect root crops with a shovel or pitchfork:

1. We immerse the bayonet of the tool in the ground next to the beets.
2. By pressing on the handle of the shovel, we slightly raise the root crop along with the soil.
3. Gently pull the vegetable out of the broken ground by the tops or take it out with your hands.

Immediately it is necessary to clean the root crops from the ground. Soil clods on the surface of the beets will absorb moisture during storage and become a favorable environment for the putrefactive bacteria contained in them. But it is also not worth striving at any cost to remove all the land. It is more important, however, not to damage the vegetables when cleaning. Therefore, it is completely unacceptable to use wood chips, a knife and other objects, to press strongly on tightly adhered lumps of soil with your hand and beat the beets one against the other. Root crops separately should be slightly shaken by the tops, and try to remove the remaining earth by lightly pressing the thumb of the brush. If it doesn't work out, it's best to leave it as is. From this harm will be less than from the damaged skin of the root crop.

When harvesting takes place in dry weather, then most likely it will not be necessary to clear the ground. If the soil is oily and wet, then it will be easy to remove it using the above methods. Problems, as a rule, arise for those who clean vegetables later - after transportation and drying, before storing them.

Then the tops of the beets must be cut off. And not completely, right up to the root crop, but leaving a small tail 1–1.5 cm long. It is not recommended to twist or break off the tops by hand - you just need to cut it off.

Then we cut off the side roots. We must try not to damage the root crop itself. If the main root is very long and branched, it is allowed to cut it off a little, leaving a tail of 5–7 cm. However, it is better for beet storage when it remains completely intact - there is less chance of infection.

Then you need to select the beets, which will be laid for long-term storage. We leave only strong, whole and healthy root crops. All damaged, with signs of disease and rotten vegetables should be set aside separately. They should be used as food as soon as possible. They will not be stored for a long time, and even, starting or continuing to deteriorate, they will infect healthy beets. It is also desirable that the selected root crops are not very large. The best and longest stored beets, the diameter of which is up to 12 cm, and the large one lies poorly. Drying is the last step in preparing beets for storage.

You don't need to wash the root crops either before or after!

If the harvesting of beets occurs in warm, dry weather, then all its preparation for storage can be done right in the garden. For drying, we lay out the selected root crops, if under the sun - for 2 hours, and in the shade - for about 4 hours. No more is needed, otherwise the vegetables will begin to wither.

When the beets had to be dug out of the wet ground, maybe even in the rain and the weather in the next day does not allow it to be dried on the street, this should be done indoors. It is desirable that it be well ventilated. Scatter the root crops on the floor in 1 layer. Drying wet beets indoors lasts from 2–3 to 7 days.

The best conditions and methods for storing beets

Beets are best stored in sandboxes in a dark, cool room. Conditions that need to be created in it:

• humidity level 95–90%;
• temperature 0… +2 o C;
• Natural ventilation is desirable.

Under such conditions, root crops can be stored until spring and even longer. The most important thing is to maintain the temperature, especially the first 1-2 months after laying the beets, because if it rises to at least +4 ° C, the tops of the vegetables will begin to sprout, and this will significantly reduce the shelf life. Also, the temperature should not be allowed to drop below 0 ° C, otherwise the root crops will freeze. Then, again, they cannot be saved for a long time.

It is impossible to create such storage conditions for beets in an apartment - only in the basement or cellar. The sand in the boxes should be clean sifted river sand, preferably washed and calcined in the oven or dried in the sun. We put it on the bottom of the container with a layer of 8-10 cm. Then we put the vegetables so that they do not touch each other. We sprinkle them with sand from above, making a layer of 2–3 cm above them. So we lay the beets to the very top of the box. Every month you should check the condition of the root crops. Those that have begun to deteriorate must be removed, and the overgrown tops should be cut off. Here's how to properly store beets so they'll last well into spring.

• In polyethylene bags with holes for ventilation with a capacity of 35–40 kg. They are suspended and not tightly tied for air access.
• In a chest with potatoes. Beets should be laid on top of the tubers in 1 layer. Potatoes will give excess moisture to root crops, which they need.
• Small pyramids (heaps) on shelves or in small boxes with holes for air circulation. Shelves and drawers should be no lower than 15 cm from the floor.
• In peat, table salt or sawdust. They, like sand, are sprinkled with root crops, laid in layers in boxes. If in sawdust, then it is advisable to check the condition of root crops more often than once a month.
• In bulk in a separate chest, the bottom and walls of which are latticed, with slots.

These methods, when properly performed and maintained under the required conditions, can also allow vegetables to be preserved until spring.

It is advisable to powder the beets with sifted wood ash before storing them or roll them in chalk powder. This will protect the root crops from diseases and slow down the spread of spoilage from one to another. Small vegetables are best stored separately from large ones.

Storage of beets in the apartment

This option is the least preferable, since it is very difficult to store beets in an apartment in winter. More that you can count on - the roots will lie for 3-4 months. Storage methods are the same as for the cellar. Best of all in low boxes, sprinkled with sand. The entire storage period must be ensured that the filler remains dry.

The best conditions can be created on an insulated loggia, but there is a high risk of root crops freezing in severe frost. And if you heat this room, it is difficult to withstand the required temperature - up to +4 o C. But still, the conditions there are better than in the rooms. To prevent freezing, root crops can be placed in, which will need to be built. Or they will have to be covered with warm blankets in the cold.

You can store beets in the rooms of the apartment in a change house, pantry; under the wardrobe, bed; most importantly, away from batteries and in the dark. In the refrigerator, wrapping each tightly in food foil or parchment paper, beets can be stored for 2-3 months.

Preparing the storage of beets and carrots for the winter takes place in several stages, each of which is very important. The first step is to take care of the time of harvest. Beets can't stand freezing. Therefore, it is necessary to collect it before their onset.

The optimal time for the middle lane is the beginning of October. For southern latitudes - the end of October or the beginning of November. Read about the timing of harvesting carrots.

But, the last two options can only be considered if long-term storage is planned.

What to store?

So, when you have already decided on the location of the vegetable for the next few months, you should think about ways to store beets for the winter at home. To a large extent this depends on the expected storage time of the beets and the selected location.

If you plan to use beets within the next month, then storage in the refrigerator, in ordinary plastic bags, is also suitable. Packages must not be sealed tightly. so that the beets do not deteriorate from excess moisture.

You can do it yourself in a package small holes. In the refrigerator itself, the moisture should also not be increased.

How best to store beets underground, see the photo.

You can store beets in special boxes right in the kitchen. It is better to keep such a box away from the stove. Better at the balcony door or window. A little longer you can store beets in the shade, under the bed or in the pantry in large bags. Kilograms for 20-30. Again, the bag must not be tied, otherwise the beets will start to rot.

If you plan to eat beets harvested in the fall until spring, then you should consider other options. It is very good to store beets in wooden boxes lined with foil. At the same time, beets are sprinkled with wood ash, chalk shavings, sawdust, sand, or each tuber is dipped in a clay mash.

All this is done so that the vegetables do not touch each other. This greatly extends their shelf life. Sand, before use, must be well calcined.

In the house, boxes with root crops descend into the underground. In the apartment you can store them on the stairwell or on the balcony. The balcony must be glazed.

Temperature

most favorable the temperature for the preservation of the beet crop ranges from 1-4 ºC. These temperatures must be strictly adhered to.

When the thermometer falls below one degree, beetroot freezes and is exposed to various diseases. When exceeding 4 degrees, fruit wilting and weight loss are possible.

It is also necessary to maintain humidity in the air from 80 to 85%.

Shared storage features

Storage conditions for beets and carrots are largely the same. They can be stored in the same cellar or on the same balcony.. And even in one box. But, only on condition that they do not touch.

A layer of sand (sawdust, wood ash) is poured into the box, then vegetables are laid out. Be sure to keep a short distance from each other. Then another layer of sand. And again vegetables.

When stored in one bag, the keeping quality of both carrots and beets decreases. And, accordingly, the shelf life of vegetables is reduced.

Timing

Even at room temperature, beets can be stored for about a week.. Thick skin prevents rapid loss of moisture. The content of the root crop in the refrigerator, in a plastic bag extends the shelf life up to a month.

Sprinkled with sand, sawdust, ash and chalk shavings, as well as processed with clay mash, vegetables can be stored for about four months if located directly in the room.

To increase the shelf life of beets, it is necessary to sort out vegetables from time to time. Remove spoiled fruits from boxes and bags. You shouldn't do this too often. The skin may be damaged. When stored in a refrigerator, condensation must be prevented.

Storing beets in plastic bags, in packages for the winter, as well as how to store beets without a cellar further.

Ways

Plastic bags

In plastic bags, beets can be stored subject to following conditions:

1. Check all vegetables carefully..
2. Fill a 35-40 liter bag with vegetables.
3. Do not close or tie.
4. Make frequent small punctures over the entire area of ​​the package.
5. Put the bag in a cool place.

The temperature must not exceed 10 ºC. When making punctures, be very careful. In order not to hurt the fruits.

Banks

Is there a way to store carrots?: when it is washed, dried and put into three-liter jars tops up.

Then this jar upside down and put on a shelf in the cellar.

Based on the fact that the storage conditions of beets and carrots are similar, it can be assumed that this method is also suitable for beets.

The only difference between these root crops is in shape and size. After all, beets of large and medium size just won't fit in the neck. And, therefore, this method of storage is relevant only for small beets.

Fridge

As already mentioned, beets are stored in the refrigerator for about a month. This method is good for a small amount of vegetables..

If the refrigerator is exactly what you need, then you need to do the following:

1. Select fruits of medium size.
2. Check for rot and damage.
3. Wipe off the dirt with a dry cloth.
4. Trim the tops to 1 cm.
5. Put root vegetables in a bag.
6. Make small holes in the bag.
7. Put the bag of vegetables in the drawer for vegetables at the bottom of the refrigerator.

However, the shelf life of beets in the refrigerator can be extended. If, instead of conventional bags, use vacuum. So the beets are stored twice as long. Read about storing carrots at home.

Underground house

The basement is the most common place to store vegetables.

Even before laying vegetables in the cellar, you need to do the following:

1. Clean up, ventilate.
2. Treat the walls with lime mortar.
3. Rid the cellar of rodents.
4. Raise the bottom row, on which there will be boxes or bags of beets, 15 cm from the floor.

In the subfield prepared in this way, you can place on the floor are boxes or bags of beets. You can separate a special section and store the beet crop there. The height of the restriction of this section can reach up to a meter.

Besides, beets can be stored in bulk on shelves lined with straw or burlap. Mindful of the danger of contact with the walls, here you need to make a limiter. Also about 15 cm.

Root crops should be poured onto the shelves in the form of a pyramid. Leaving a gap between the vegetables and the top shelf to keep vegetables from spoiling.

You can lower boxes with beets sprinkled with chalk into the underground of the apartment, ash, sawdust and sand. Here everything is the same as when stored in an apartment. There are such ways to store beets as, and.

How to store beets in the underground of a wooden house, see the photo below.

Suitable for underground and chatterbox. To do this, you need to dilute the clay with water. To make it liquid. Roughly in half. Let the solution stand. Better to leave overnight. Then dilute a little more. Dip each root vegetable in this solution. When the clay dries, transfer to boxes.

Conclusion

There are many ways to store beets. You can try them all. To eventually come to some one. Whichever method is chosen, the main thing is to remember the basic principles of storing beets.

Maintain the required humidity and temperature. Harvest early. Avoid damage. Periodically sort out, removing spoiled root crops.

Useful video!
If, after reading the article, you are still thinking about how to properly store carrots and beets in winter at home, if there is no cellar, then you should watch an introductory video that will reveal this topic in more detail.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

The main purpose of basements and cellars is to store vegetables in winter. Among the ranking of the most popular vegetable crops (potatoes, carrots), beets are in third place. It grows well in harsh climatic regions and does not need special complex care. It is practically not used in canning, but in boiled and fresh form it is used in many dishes of Russian and Ukrainian cuisine.

The cellar is considered the best place to store beets, because it is easiest to create a suitable microclimate for this vegetable in it. In this article, we will look at the main stages of storing beets in the cellar, starting with harvesting and ending with ways to store the vegetable for storage.

How to store beets in the cellar in winter

Beetroot is considered a fairly unpretentious vegetable in terms of storage. It is much easier to keep it fresh than, for example, cabbage or apples. But one should not think that this culture does not require any special conditions. First of all, you need to properly harvest and prepare the crop.

After harvesting, it is advisable to leave it in the garden for a short time (it is recommended to dig up the crop in dry, cool weather), so that the crop dries out a little and is better cleaned from the soil. Upon completion of drying, it must be carefully sorted out and only those fruits that do not have mechanical damage or signs of disease damage and look healthy should be left for winter storage (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Placement of root crops in the cellar

The tops are carefully cut with scissors or a sharp knife, while 1 cm “stumps” should remain. It is not recommended to remove the leaves with your hands and touch the tails of the vegetable, which can lead to instant damage to the root crop.

Preparing beets for winter storage

The root crop, sorted, cleaned from soil elements and tops, should be laid out in a dry room (should be well ventilated, no direct sunlight), so that the culture dries out completely within a week. After that, you can move the root crop to the cellar for the winter.

Note: It is recommended to store beets in a basement or cellar at a humidity of no more than 90% and a temperature of 0-2 degrees. At higher temperatures, the process of wilting, decay and the development of diseases can begin. The crop will be most sensitive to elevated temperatures at the beginning of the storage period; at a level of +4 degrees, the tops of the vegetable begin to sprout.

It is important to remember that the high air temperature in the storage contributes to the rapid development of fungal diseases that can affect the entire crop. There are times when the signs of some diseases during the sorting of the dug out crop will be outwardly completely invisible.

During storage, air circulation in the cellar is of no small importance, so natural ventilation should be arranged in the basement. Barns for root crops must be arranged at a height of 15 cm from the floor level, which will create good conditions for air exchange and uniform cooling of the crop, and will not allow it to sweat.

Proper picking of beets

Long-term storage of this root crop causes problems for many. However, it is difficult to imagine Russian cuisine without this vegetable. At the same time, the use of beets with the approach of spring has great benefits for the body and a large number of medicinal properties.

In fact, storing beets should not cause much trouble, since they are a table root vegetable, which has a much better keeping quality than carrots or potatoes. If you know about the correct storage and bookmark suitable specimens in the storage, you will be able to save it until spring.

Successful storage of the root crop will be possible with the following factors:

1. Ensuring suitable indoor conditions;
2. Properly grow, carefully harvest and sort the crop;
3. Choose varieties with better keeping quality and cold resistance.

Before engaging in the cultivation of this crop, you need to remember that the highest quality seed will grow best on fertile loamy or sandy loamy soil. When planted in acidic soil, it can be affected by common scab, which will contribute to the formation of warts, cracks and roughness on the skin. In the resulting cracks, other diseases will also develop that will negatively affect the keeping quality.

For cultivation on personal plots, such varieties with high keeping quality are suitable:

• Bravo
• red ball
• Incomparable
• Bordeaux 237
• single-growth
• Podzimnaya
• Nosovskaya

Figure 2. Proper harvesting

Harvesting root crops should be started earlier than harvesting carrots, since beets can freeze at the first frost. Try to dig up root crops very carefully to prevent mechanical damage that will cause viral and fungal diseases in them (Figure 2).

Diseases that reduce the keeping quality of a crop:

1. Overfed root crops with phosphorus and nitrogen become susceptible to white rot.
2. Gray rot most often develops on frostbitten or damaged beets.
3. With adhering soil on the root crop, gray or white rot can be brought into the cellar.
4. In summer, the culture is very often affected by phomosis and fusarium, which begin active development in winter and form black spots and voids on root crops.

In addition, it should be borne in mind that during wet spring and dry summer there is a lack of boron salts in the soil, which causes the development of rot of the root heart, which penetrates from the head of the vegetable and forms voids in it. Such root crops rot at the very beginning of the storage period.

Preparing the crop for storage in the cellar

For harvesting, it is recommended to choose a dry sunny day. In the root crop, most of the "body" is above the soil surface, and it does not tolerate night frosts. If root crops are allowed to freeze, then their keeping quality will be very poor. The frozen part deteriorates quickly and will soon begin to rot (Figure 3).

Note: For this reason, the time of digging up the crop must be chosen correctly. For example, in the middle lane, root crops are harvested in October, and in the southern regions in late October or early November.

If the harvest fell on rainy weather, then the root crops will need to be dried without fail. The presence of moisture contributes to the active development of pathogens and fungi that damage root crops and the occurrence of rot and mold. From the soil, the beets must be carefully dug up with a shovel or pitchfork, trying not to damage the skin. Any damage (scratches, cracks) will make storage problematic as they will make the vegetables weak for bacteria.

At the end of the harvest, a series of manipulations must be carried out. First, you need to clean the roots. Secondly, you should gently shake and clean the adhering soil from the vegetable.

Figure 3. Preparing root crops for storage

It is recommended to clean the harvested crop with gardening gloves or with a rag. It is better not to use a spatula or a knife, as sharp objects can easily damage vegetables. It is also not necessary to hit the roots against each other or against hard surfaces to get rid of stuck soil. Upon completion of cleaning from the soil, it is necessary to cut off the roots, while the thin lateral ones are completely removed, and the central root is shortened to 6-7 cm. All manipulations with the roots are carried out by hand. If you need to cut a very thick spine, then you can use scissors or pruners for this.

Next, you should remove the tops from the root crops and for this, the leaves are collected in a bunch, and cut to a height of half a centimeter. It is not worth cutting the tops very short, as this can damage the culture. After pruning, it is necessary to dry the vegetables and lay them out on a litter (it can be outdoors, if weather conditions permit) or scatter it in an even layer into one vegetable in a dry, well-ventilated area. If the collection took place in the rain, then in this case the vegetables must be dried for at least a week. Next, peeled and dried root crops should be sorted by size; medium-sized vegetables, dense and round, are suitable for ideal storage.

Note: For example, root crops of very large size and very small ones are stored much worse. These vegetables are best placed in the refrigerator to be used or processed first.

Upon completion of all the preparation of the beets, they can be moved to the cellar. However, it is necessary to create all the conditions for storing root crops, properly prepare the place and carry out a number of preventive measures.

How to store beets in the cellar

The basis of storing beets in winter is not much different from storing potatoes or carrots. The harvested crop of root crops can be stored in bulk on the floor or bins can be made with a wall height of up to 1 meter and a wooden grate should be provided at their bottom, which will improve the ventilation of vegetables. Bins should be placed at a distance of about 10 cm from the walls of the cellar or basement. You also need to make sure that the gaps between the boards are no more than five centimeters, otherwise the root crops will fall into them (Figure 4).

Ways to store beets in the cellar and basement:

1. The most common way is to store on top of potatoes. With this method, the beets will absorb the moisture they need, and the potatoes will be protected from excessive moisture.
2. You can store beets in boxes filled with sun-dried river sand. With this method, you will need to check the sand so that it does not become wet.
3. Sprinkle root vegetables with sand or powder with sifted ash.
4. In boxes, the root crop can be well stored if it is pre-treated with brine or sprinkled with salt. When using brine, vegetables must be thoroughly dried.

Figure 4. Storage methods in the basement: 1 - on top of potatoes, 2 - in boxes, 3 - in sand, 4 - in salt

In addition, fern leaves or other plants rich in phytoncides can be placed under and on top of the beets. They will prevent the development of fungus and protect the vegetable from mold.

Temperature regime

In the matter of preserving the crop, it is necessary to take into account a large number of nuances and recommendations for the proper storage of root crops in the cellar. In a well-built cellar or basement, protected from moisture and cold, such conditions are easy to observe.

However, in order to achieve minimal yield loss and maximum keeping quality of vegetables, attention should be paid to the following points:

1. Check in the cellar for a high degree and the fact of free movement of cool air around the entire perimeter.
2. For better weathering of the stored crop, it is worth installing bins for root crops at a level of 10-15 cm from the floor.
3. Walls and floors must be cleaned, dried from excess debris.

Also, for whitewashing the walls and ceiling, a solution of bleach is used, which will help to disinfect and sterilize the room.

Humidity

The best preservation of beets will be in the presence of humidity at around 90%, which is a very high indicator in comparison with other vegetables. Also, good ventilation in the room is of no small importance, since air must circulate. The occurrence of stagnation of air will cause the rapid formation of rot on the fruits.

Before lowering the crop into the cellar for storage, it must be prepared for this (make racks or shelves). It is not recommended to place boxes with root crops on clay and concrete floors, as well as lean them against the walls of the room. The simplest solution to this issue will be a plank flooring device on which boxes of beets can be placed. The distance from the deck to the floor should be at least 15 centimeters, which will ensure good ventilation for vegetables. It is also worth checking the presence of ventilation holes in the drawers, and in the case of storing vegetables in lattice vegetable containers, check the distance between open gaps (should not be more than 5 centimeters). If the gaps between the boards in the boxes are more than 5 cm, then the smallest root crops will fall out of them. Beets can be stored in special bins, about 1 meter high.

Before the direct laying of the crop, it is necessary to clean the cellar, dry the room and process the walls with lime. Such a cellar preparation complex will help preserve the precious crop from mold and various microorganisms. If rodents are found in the premises, it is necessary to immediately start a fight to evict them from the vegetable storage.

Ways to bookmark for storage

Each vegetable has its own storage conditions that will be favorable for keeping quality, and in general, such rules are similar to most root crops. In practice, it has already been proven that beets are much easier to store than potatoes or beets (Figure 5).

Among the main ways of laying beets for storage are:

1. Joint storage with potatoes: scatter the beets in an even layer on top of the potatoes in the box, which will create favorable conditions for both vegetables. Potatoes prefer dry conditions and can spoil quickly in a humid environment. At the same time, beets need a little more moisture than most crops. Under such conditions, the burgundy root crop will feel good, but it will also take away excess moisture from the potato, which is harmful to it.
2. Storage of beets in boxes with holes: burgundy root is poured into small wooden or plastic boxes. It is not recommended to cover the boxes, as the vegetables must be ventilated.
3. Pyramids on the shelves: storage of beets can be carried out by placing them on the shelves of the rack or in the shelves of the cellar, while laying out the vegetables in pyramids. Shelves must first be lined with straw or burlap. During storage, root crops should not come into contact with the walls of the room and the upper shelves.
4. Ash or sand: beets are put in wooden boxes and sprinkled with sand or wood ash. If you decide to use sand for storing vegetables, then you can completely bury the precious crop in it. However, the sand must first be calcined in order to disinfect it. River sand is best for storing this vegetable.
5. Sprinkling with salt: This storage method is similar to the previous one, but table salt is used as an adsorbent. Using salt, you need to generously salt the root crops in the boxes or dip each vegetable in a strong saline solution, and then dry it. Once the beets have dried, they can be stored away.
6. Storing beets mixed with leaves: root crops are shifted with rowan, fern or wormwood leaves. These plants interfere with the active reproduction of pathogenic microflora, since they release volatile substances, phytoncides.
7. Immersion of roots in clay: dilute a solution of oily clay with water. In such a solution, the density should resemble the consistency of sour cream. You can also add a small amount of chalk. In the prepared solution, it is necessary to soak each vegetable separately and allow it to dry. The procedure will need to be repeated and only after the second treatment of the root crops can they be stored for storage, but after complete drying.

Figure 5. Popular ways of laying a root crop in the basement (from left to right): pyramid, in ash and in clay

You can also store beets in large plastic bags. This storage method is suitable for basements with a small area, as it is required to save space. Burgundy root crops placed in bags will be stored on wooden stands or bricks. Try not to put more than 40 kilograms of beets into the bag.

Storing beets with other vegetables

Let's look at the issue of storing carrots and beets in a cellar or basement, without harm to vegetables. Both varieties of root crops do not like very high humidity and are vulnerable to freezing. For example, beets can be stored in the same box with potatoes, while carrots need to be kept separately and in a slightly different environment.

For carrots, it is best to do a "layering" by successively changing the layers of sand and carrots in the container. Sand for carrots should be saturated with moisture by 20-35%. In rare cases, a liquid clay treatment can be applied, which gives the vegetables an extra layer of protection. If the beets are treated with ash or chalk, they will receive another layer of protection.

A proven way to store beets in the cellar is shown in the video.

Beets are one of the most popular vegetables in Russian cuisine. Gardeners grow an unpretentious vegetable in large quantities, stocking it up for the whole winter. Fortunately, the storage of beets is not particularly difficult, and the root crop can winter in the country, and in the cellar, in a city apartment. Today we will tell you how to keep beets for the winter in the underground.

Selection of beet varieties for underground storage

Yes, yes, you heard right - proper storage of beets begins at the stage of choosing seeds for planting. The fact is that among the many varieties of this root crop there are those that cannot be saved even if ideal conditions are created for them. Therefore, if the goal is to preserve the crop until spring, you should plant beets with increased keeping quality. For example, varieties "Red Ball", "Late Winter", "Bordeaux", "Libero", "Egyptian Flat".

Diseases that reduce the keeping quality of beets

• gray rot often develops on beets that have been frozen or damaged during digging;
• in root crops overfed with nitrogen and phosphorus, susceptibility to white rot increases;
• white and gray rot can be brought into storage along with lumps of earth adhering to root crops;
• in summer, beets are often affected by fusarium, as well as phomosis, which develop during winter storage, forming hard black spots and voids in root crops;
• during wet spring and dry summer, there is a deficiency of boron salts in the soil, due to which beets develop heart rot, which passes from the root head inward, forming voids. Such root crops rot at the very beginning of storage.

Harvesting beets for underground storage

A dry and, if possible, sunny day is suitable for harvesting beets. A significant part of the beet roots is located above the ground, so it is afraid of night frosts. Frozen beets are not stored well, since the areas of the vegetable affected by freezing quickly deteriorate and rot. Therefore, if possible, it is necessary to choose the optimal moment for harvesting - for the middle lane it is October, and for the southern latitudes - the end of October-November.

Be sure to dig up the beets before frost, since the part of the root crop located on the surface of the earth, even with a slight frost, will be damaged and become unsuitable for storage.

You can dig up root crops with a fork or a shovel, slightly lifting them along with the soil. And then gently pull out the tops with your hand. Do not try to pull the beets out of the ground for the same tops, as you risk damaging the top layer of the root crop on dry ground or pebbles, which will significantly reduce the shelf life of the crop.

Preparing beets for underground storage

• The harvest is carefully sorted out, leaving only healthy root crops without mechanical damage or signs of disease.
• Carefully cut off the tops of the beets with scissors or an old knife. In this case, the "stumps" should remain one centimeter long.
• Sorted beets, cleaned of earthen lumps and tops, are laid out in a dry, well-ventilated area, where the sun's rays do not fall.
• Before being stored in the cellar, beets are aged here for a week.

Sorting beets for underground storage

Sorting is the last stage of preparation before laying the beets for storage in the cellar in winter. It is necessary to sort the beets into 4 separate piles: small, medium, large and damaged. Medium-sized root crops are best stored, and these should be selected for laying in the cellar. Large and small ones do not lie well, they are eaten secondarily, but the damaged ones should be identified in the refrigerator and eaten in the very near future, since their keeping quality rarely exceeds 1-2 months.

Preparing the cellar for storing beets

In order not to lose the precious beet crop and provide yourself with useful vitamins for the whole winter, you should take into account a lot of nuances and recommendations for proper storage of beets in the cellar. Make sure that the cellar has a sufficiently high degree of ventilation, and cool air moves freely around the entire perimeter. Install root bins 10-15 cm above floor level for better weathering. Floors, walls and other surfaces must be cleaned and dried from excess debris. For reliability, bleach is sometimes used and whitewash is produced for sterilization.

On average, this should be a temperature of about 0 or +2 ° C. If these figures are exceeded, then the fruits will begin to sprout, become covered with condensate, rot and twitch the development of diseases. Premises saturated with warm air and dampness will adversely affect the quality of the crop. It is better if the humidity in the cellar does not exceed 80-90%.

Subfield Storage Methods

It is best to store beets in a cellar or basement, and there are several reasons for this. Firstly, in these rooms you can create ideal conditions for storage. Secondly, the presence of sufficient space allows you to place a large number of root crops. There are many ways to store beets in the cellar, consider the most popular:

• In boxes or boxes with ventilation holes, where the beets are placed in small batches. They are recommended to be placed at a height of 10-15 cm above the floor to create ventilation.
• Small slides, pyramids up to 75 cm high on the shelves of the cellar.
• In crates without slits, lined with a two-centimeter layer of wet sand. The fruits are stacked so that they do not touch each other, and again sprinkled with a layer of sand. Laying height - no more than 0.5 m. For disinfection, sand is recommended to be calcined in the sun or in the oven.
• In boxes without holes, sprinkled with table salt. Sometimes, to save salt, it is mixed with sand.
• In boxes without holes in peat or sawdust. This method is identical to storing beets in sand.

Storing beets at home

In a country house, it is better to use a basement for storage. If there is no basement, you can:

• put the beets in a plastic bag and, without tying it, put it on the balcony (it must be glazed and regularly ventilated), during severe frosts, vegetables are covered with warm blankets from above;
• if the size of the balcony allows, wooden boxes are used, in this case one layer is needed to lay out the beets to avoid rotting;
• the refrigerator is perfect for storing root crops; in the bottom drawer, beets will lie perfectly for up to a month.

A little secret: many housewives prefer to store beets in the form of a semi-finished product. To do this, grate the vegetables, pack them in portions in bags and put them in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator. Pay attention to the condensate that appears in the container with beets, it is necessary to dry the vegetables.

If you had to store root crops at room temperature, avoid their proximity to heating appliances.

Knowing how to save beets, you can enjoy this tasty and very healthy vegetable all winter. And it doesn’t matter at all whether the root crop will lie in the refrigerator or in a specially equipped cellar, the exact implementation of all the rules will ensure its safety.