How to store beets in winter: detailed step-by-step instructions

We do not stand behind beets. We will be preparing whole winter, and maybe spring, healthy salads, fragrant borscht from our own root crops, and not store-bought ones. The main thing is to properly preserve the crop. It would seem that the process is not complicated, it is important to follow the sequence and provide the beets with the right conditions. And so, in order.

We are preparing the “sleigh”, that is, the harvest, in the spring. For long-term storage, for example, the Cylinder variety, beloved by all summer residents, is completely unsuitable. Yes, it is fragrant, tasty, but it should be used almost immediately after harvesting the beets. It is not suitable for winter storage.

Choose varieties for long-term storage: “Cold-resistant”, “Podzimnyaya”, “Renova”, “Mulatka”, “Libero”, “Salad”, “Single-growth”, “Detroit” and others. If you are not sure about the choice, it is better to once again ask for advice at the seed store.

Remember the “golden rule” of collecting root crops: “Do not pull!”. Gently lift the soil with beets with a fork or a shovel, dig in, and then take out the fruits with your hands. If you pull the beets, you can damage them. And, therefore, rot will appear in the places of “cuts”, “abrasions” and other damage from inaccurate harvesting.

Try to harvest beets on a dry, sunny day to avoid excess moisture. This weather will allow you to dry the root vegetables in the open air. This will only take 2-3 hours, instead of several days indoors.

By the way, beets must be harvested strictly before frost, or the ground part is guaranteed to suffer. It would be pointless to lay such a crop for storage. He won’t last long.

No matter what day you plan to harvest beets, you still won’t be able to get it completely dry from the ground – the soil still retains natural moisture. We lay the collected crown crops to dry on the street in sunny weather, or carefully lay them out indoors on paper in one layer. For street drying, several hours are enough, for room drying – 2-3 days.

After drying, we carefully remove excess (but not all!) Earth from the beets, do not knock root crops against each other, do not intensively shake them off, do not rub them with our hands, but fan them a little.

For successful storage of beets in winter, we do not tear off the tops, but cut them off. It is better to leave a small tail up to 1 centimeter long. We cut off the side roots with a sharp knife, the main root can be cut off, but leave 5-7 centimeters of its length.

Most of all, heads with a diameter of about 10-12 centimeters are suitable for storing beets in winter. Too small ones quickly lose moisture and dry out, too large ones can imperceptibly begin to deteriorate from the inside. Make sure that the root crops for storage are undamaged and strong.

Handle the heads with cloth gloves to protect them from infection and moisture.

In pits and trenches, in cellars, cellars.

A good option:

Dark ventilated room, balcony, refrigerator.

What conditions are suitable for long-term storage of beets? The temperature in the room should be maintained above +2 degrees, but keep in mind that at +4 the tops of the beets may begin to germinate, and this reduces the shelf life. The humidity level is not higher than 90%, the pantry must be ventilated. If we talk about apartment storage, a glazed unheated balcony is best suited for storing beets. The only question is to isolate the root crops from direct sunlight. For example, put together a box with a lid. Or sprinkle beets in boxes with sand in order to avoid light. It is better to install boxes and boxes at least 15 centimeters from the floor so that there is also air circulation below

• Beetroot keeps well on potatoes. Potatoes give off the moisture that beets need. It is necessary to fall asleep beets upstairs in one layer.

• If you store beets on the balcony, prepare several blankets at once, if the temperature suddenly drops below zero, you will have time to cover the root crops in time and save them from freezing.

• Beets in winter can be stored even in the living room. But away from heating appliances and in a dark place, for example, under a bed or under a closet in boxes with sawdust or sand. True, in such conditions, the root crop will last up to 3-4 months.

• If the crop is small, you can store the beets in the refrigerator. Each head will need to be wrapped in cling film or parchment paper. Suitable for packaging and foil.