How to store beets in the winter at home?

Beetroot is one of the most popular root crops; it grows well in domestic climatic conditions and does not require special care. But in order to preserve its palatability throughout the winter, you should know how to store beets. Tips on this subject are varied and numerous, so it is important to systematize them.

How to choose varieties for long-term storage?

Not all beets can be stored in a refrigerator or basement throughout the winter. The main criteria that you should pay attention to when choosing a variety are cold resistance and keeping quality. After all, even the most beautiful and healthy-looking tubers, unsuitable for long-term storage, will rot after a while.

Therefore, to avoid such problems and disappointments, you should choose those varieties that can be stored in the winter at home. These include:

• Mulatto;
• Salad;
• Renova;
• Detroit;
• Single shoot;
• Egyptian flat;
• Cold resistant;
• Late winter A-474.

Tip

When choosing beets, you should pay attention to local varieties, which are most often the best option for storage.

Preparing a vegetable for wintering

Storage of beets depends not only on the place where it will be laid in winter, but also on the correctness of cultivation, collection and sorting of crops. Therefore, in order to feast on a fresh vegetable throughout the winter, several important points should be considered.

• Harvesting

Harvesting beets should occur earlier than carrots, since when it comes to the surface during the first frost, it quickly freezes. Such vegetables will be poorly stored, rotted or spoiled.

For digging, it is recommended to choose a sunny and dry day. If the digging was on a rainy day, then the tubers will have to be dried. For the middle strip, October is considered the ideal time for harvesting beets.

Before you pull the root crop out of the ground, you must carefully dig it with a shovel, being careful not to damage the skin. It is problematic to store beets, on the peel of which there are cracks or defects, since viral or fungal diseases occur due to mechanical damage.

• Drying

Before sending the beets for storage, they must be thoroughly dried in the garden (it is advisable to choose warm sunny weather) or indoors (in case of a rainy day). If the root crop is dried in the garden, then it is enough for him to lie down in the sun for 2-3 hours.

It takes much longer to dry the vegetable indoors. Root crops should be scattered in one layer and left for several days (from 2 to a week).

• Sorting

When sorting, preference should be given to small, round and dense root crops. Unlike large varieties, they are not as fibrous, but tasty and much better stored. On the other hand, it is not recommended to store too small root crops for storage, as they will immediately fade.

The tops must be carefully cut with scissors, without damaging the vegetable and leaving a “stump” of 1 cm.

Tip

In order not to damage the beets, it is not recommended to pick off the leaves with your hands or touch the tails.

When the root crops are sorted, they are transferred to a dry, ventilated room and left for a week for final drying. Then the crop is ready for storage in the cellar. It remains only to prepare favorable conditions for the cellar or basement itself and to carry out some preventive measures.

Storage conditions for beets

Storage of beets in a cellar, basement or apartment begins with the creation of certain conditions for humidity and temperature.

The correct temperature for storing vegetables at home is from 0 to 2 degrees Celsius. If the basement or cellar is warmer, the root crop will quickly fade. Even a slight increase in temperature (a couple of degrees) can lead to the fact that the beets begin to germinate. But freezing can harm the root crop.

To preserve beets, 90% room humidity is required. Good air circulation must also be present, i.e. the room must be ventilated. This is the only way to protect the fruits from rot.

There are various options that help to properly store beets in the winter. It is enough to choose a suitable method for yourself that meets the existing conditions.

How to store beets in the cellar in winter?

The best option for preserving root crops is their wintering in a cellar or basement. Before sending vegetables for the winter, it is recommended to prepare shelves or racks. It is recommended that you retreat at least 15 cm from the floor, as air will circulate better at this distance.

It is impossible to pour root vegetables directly onto the floor, as they can become damp. An alternative is the construction of a wooden flooring on the floor or simply poured sand. It prevents the formation of mold and prevents moisture from evaporating.

If you plan to store root vegetables in boxes, then it is better to lay medium-sized beets on the bottom, and put large vegetables on top. But it is even better to store large vegetables separately from small ones.

Boxes must have ventilation openings through which air will circulate. For better preservation of root crops, you can sprinkle them with ash, sodium chloride or sand.

As a prophylaxis, once every 4 weeks, vegetables should be sorted out to remove rotten ones to protect healthy products from rot. If the beets began to sprout, you need to pay attention to humidity or air temperature and adjust them if necessary.

We store beets in the apartment

It is not always possible to boast of a nearby cottage equipped with a cellar or basement. But this does not mean that you can not store beets in the refrigerator. And if the root crop can’t lie down all winter, then it will easily retain its taste qualities for 3-4 months.

The apartment has several main places for storing vegetables in the winter.

• On the balcony - if it is insulated and the temperature here does not drop to minus marks - the beets will feel fine until spring. It is enough to pack it in plastic bags or put in boxes. If there is a risk of freezing, and there is no place for beets in the apartment, then the boxes can be insulated with polystyrene foam from the inside and a low-watt bulb used for heating.
• In the refrigerator, beets perfectly retain their taste and quality at a temperature of 0 degrees. The vegetable can easily lie for a month, just wrap it with parchment paper, food foil or just put it in a plastic bag. You can keep beets in the refrigerator in a prepared form. It is necessary to peel the vegetable, grate and put into packets.
• You can store beets in normal household conditions - under a bed or other dark, dry place in the apartment. The main thing is that there are no batteries or other heating devices nearby. Root crops spill out evenly to the bottom of the box. It is recommended from time to time to sort vegetables for rot.

Knowing how to preserve beets, you can enjoy this tasty and very healthy vegetable all winter. And it does not matter 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.