Home storage methods for potatoes

Potatoes are one of the most frequent guests on our table. To consume quality vegetables all year round, it is important to store them properly. The harvest is kept not only in the cellar, but also in the apartment: in the corridor, closet, on the balcony, in the kitchen and in the refrigerator.

To prevent the tubers from rotting and starting to sprout, they are provided with optimal conditions: temperature, humidity level and air circulation.

Harvesting potatoes for winter storage

Only ripe tubers are well stored... Signal for harvesting - drying of leaves. Experienced summer residents wait about a month until the tops are completely dry. Dug vegetables only in sunny and dry weather to reduce the risk of rotting in the future.

Early varieties are harvested in late July - early August, mid-ripening - until the end of summer, late - from late August to the first weeks of September.

Storage preparation

Preparing potatoes is extremely important and consists of several stages:

1. The dug tubers are placed on a polyethylene floor in one layer under the open sky and dried for about a day. This will rid the supply of microorganisms and remove excess moisture.
2. The potatoes are finally peeled from the ground and sorted. Separate specimens with mold, signs of insects, mechanical damage from healthy tubers. Sort vegetables and varieties to take into account the shelf life. Early cultures are used first.
3. The crop is laid on a film under a canopy and left to dry for another day.

Thereafter vegetables are placed in boxes or bags for winter storage.

Optimal conditions

In order for potatoes to be edible as long as possible, the conditions are met:

• check that pests (rats, mice, insects) did not end up in storage;
• create an optimal microclimate (+ 2 ... + 4 ° С, 75–80% humidity);
• for storage, choose wooden boxes with flooring, nets or canvas bags;
• the tubers are sorted out every 1–1.5 months.

Refrigerator or freezer storage

Although keeping potatoes in the refrigerator is convenient and simple, you won't be able to fit the entire crop on the shelves. In addition, low temperatures and condensation can adversely affect the taste of the tubers.

How long

Potato shelf life in a refrigerator small, 5-10 days... Therefore, it is better to place vegetables in small batches, 2-3 kg each. This amount is eaten in about 1.5 weeks.

In the freezer fried and boiled vegetables are kept for 10-15 days, prepared whole or in strips - 3-6 months.

In any form

Raw potatoes are kept on special vegetable shelves for a week... Tubers are pre-checked for damage, cleaned from the ground.

Peeled vegetables darken quickly when exposed to air. To keep the freshness of the product longer, do the following:

1. The tubers are washed, then placed in a container with cold water. At room temperature, this will increase the potatoes' shelf life by 4 hours, in the refrigerator by a day.
2. The vegetables are washed and dried thoroughly with paper towels, placed in vacuum bags, sealed tightly and placed in the freezer.

Shelf life of boiled potatoes in the refrigerator - 3-4 days.

Important! As part of other dishes, the vegetable is not stored for more than 2 days.

Why not

Although cold is the main food storage aid, for long-term maintenance of potatoes, it is destructive:

• at low temperatures, starch turns into glucose and gives potatoes a sweetish taste;
• Condensation from warm air causes vegetables to become damp and rot.

How best to store

In the refrigerator, the tubers are kept on the lower shelf for vegetables at a temperature of + 5 ° С, boiled, fried and raw potatoes are stored in the freezer. Before being placed in the chamber, the vegetables are blanched, dipped in boiling water, and then in ice water, dried with paper towels and laid out in containers.

By the way! To freeze fried potatoes, they are completely cooled, excess fat is removed with napkins.

How to keep potatoes in an apartment

In the absence of a cellar the harvest is kept until spring and at home.

In the corridor

Although storing potatoes in an apartment allows you to always have access to the crop, it is complicated by some problems.

The temperature in the hallway is constantly changing, supplies suffer from the cold airwhich is admitted when the door is opened. Dirt and water from shoes and umbrellas threaten vegetables.

In such conditions, they monitor the optimal level of humidity. (75-80%). To prevent the tubers from fogging up and be clean, they are covered with burlap. If it is hot in the apartment, a container of water is placed next to the crop.

At the entrance

The entrance of an apartment building allows storing large volumes of potatoes, but the first danger of such conditions is the people living nearby. To prevent anyone from stealing supplies, the box with them is locked and fastened to the floor.

Important! In winter, emergency situations often arise at the entrance: the sewer is leaking, pipes burst. This negatively affects the quality of the tubers.

At room temperature

Room temperature is not suitable for long-term storage of potatoes: it is much higher than the optimum +2 .. + 4 ° С, so the tubers rot, dry out or germinate. The shelf life of vegetables in such conditions is 10-14 days.

In the pantry

How to store potatoes in an apartment for the winter? Storage room is the best option: a constant climate is maintained here, the sun's rays do not enter the room.

Tubers do not sprout, turn green or rot... Keep the harvest in wooden boxes with holes or nets for sufficient air circulation.

If the air in the pantry is too dry, the humidity is increased to 75-80% with a spray bottle, a damp cloth, or an open water bottle left in the room.

On the kitchen

Due to the small area of ​​the kitchen, vegetables are often kept under the sink. The main advantage of this method is that the potatoes will be in the immediate vicinity of the cooking zone.... However, if the plumbing is faulty and condensation accumulates under the sink, the tubers will quickly rot. Harvest and pests spoil.

Important! The area under the sink should be well ventilated.

Vegetables stacked in wicker baskets or wooden crates with holes.

On the balcony

A balcony is a common place to store potatoes at home. Large boxes of vegetables are placed here, and the relatively constant temperature regime allows the tubers to remain fresh until spring.

Choosing a balcony

Even on a glassed-in balcony it is often cold in winter., especially in January frosts, so a heated room is better suited. The presence of temperature sensors will help create an optimal microclimate for tubers (+ 2 ... + 4 ° С).

On an open balcony, without special tools and containers, suitable conditions for the harvest cannot be created - tubers will be affected by cold snaps, therefore, preference is given to a glazed space.

How long potatoes last

At suitable temperature, humidity and air circulation on the balcony, the tubers will remain fresh until spring. If such conditions are not created, potatoes will stand for about 1-2 months, until the first autumn showers.

How to extend storage

To keep potatoes fresh until spring, a number of conditions are met:

1. Maintain the temperature at +2 .. + 4 ° С. At high rates, vegetables will begin to sprout, at lower rates, they will freeze.
2. Provide air humidity of 70–85%. This will prevent the tubers from rotting.
3. Choose a room with good ventilation.
4. They isolate the crop from exposure to light: due to direct sunlight, a toxic substance is produced in potatoes - solanine. Green tubers are immediately disposed of.
5. The bottom of the storage is sprinkled with sand. It will absorb excess moisture and prevent vegetables from rotting.

What to keep potatoes

How to properly store potatoes in an apartment? Vegetables are kept in boxes or mesh bags, depending on the conditions..

In wooden boxes

Unheated boxes are kept in an apartment, basement or on a glazed heated balcony... Such a container will provide the necessary ventilation, and the tree will not let the tubers get damp.

The box is hammered together from improvised boards, old furniture or bought ready-made.

Helpful! Sometimes the container is insulated with foam, foil or a warm cloth, tightly closing all the holes. This will protect the crop from cold snaps, but reduce ventilation. To keep the vegetables from damp, they are sorted regularly.

Special boxes with automatic temperature control are sold for vegetables.... They are more expensive and require some work skills, but they are guaranteed to save supplies until spring.

In plastic boxes

Such containers are available and inexpensive, but do not contain ventilation holes. Plastic is an artificial material that does not allow air or moisture to pass through, which creates a greenhouse effect.

To eliminate this disadvantage, small holes are made in the walls of the box., sand or hay is poured at the bottom.

Important! Such containers are not suitable for use outdoors or in the entrance.

other methods

When stored in a warm shed or pantry use regular meshes.

Special backpacks are suitable for the balcony (thermal containers) of different sizes, equipped with foil insulation from the inside. Such a device is compact enough to store vegetables for a long time. Models are sold with thermal sensors and heating elements that will raise the temperature inside the backpack if the supplies are kept on an unheated balcony.

Common mistakes

When storing potatoes at home and on the balcony make the following mistakes:

1. Tubers are not sorted carefully enough. It is important to get rid of damaged copies, use only whole and healthy ones.
2. Keep potatoes along with others vegetables. The ideal neighbor for a vegetable is beets, they are laid out with a top layer to absorb excess moisture.
3. Do not disinfect containers. To preserve the harvest, it is recommended to treat boxes and bags with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Recommendations

Tips to keep potatoes fresh for a long time:

• place a few sprigs of mint or cloves in the box;
• insulate not with a cloth, but with hay or straw;
• do not keep early and late varieties together: the former are not suitable for long-term storage in equipped boxes or bags;
• spruce branches or wormwood located between the tubers will help from rot.

Conclusion

Keeping potatoes fresh for the winter is easy if you follow all the recommendations. It is best to keep vegetables in a cellar or basement, but at optimal humidity and temperature in the pantry or on a glazed heated balcony, the tubers will not lose their qualities until spring.