Features of storing potatoes: at what temperature does it freeze

The maximum task of each summer resident is save the harvest harvested in the garden until spring. Potatoes tolerate long-term storage better than many other vegetables. Under suitable conditions, the tubers are kept in perfect condition and remain edible until spring.

In this article we will tell you how store tubers correctly and whether the potatoes will freeze at minus 5 degrees.

Necessary conditions for storing potatoes

In order for the potatoes to retain their taste and not become lethargic and wrinkled, they are stored in a ventilated room with certain indicators of humidity and temperature.

Important! To increase the chances of preserving the harvest, choose the right digging time. The longer the tubers remain in the soil, the better they ripen and store. But this rule applies only in stable dry weather and before the onset of frost.

Temperature

Experienced summer residents recommend storing crops at temperatures from + 1 ... + 3 ° С... Lowering below 0 ° С and sharp fluctuations are not allowed. If the storage temperature rises, the potatoes will begin to sprout, quickly become soft and unusable.

With a decrease in indicators, the starch in the potatoes will begin to turn into sugar. For this reason, sometimes sweetish potatoes appear on the table.

Now let's answer the question, at how many degrees does the potato freeze. If the thermometer falls below –2 ° С, vegetables freeze completely, they are not recommended to be eaten.

Important! Basement or cellar - optimal storage places, since potatoes require not only an optimal temperature, but also a special light regime. When tubers are exposed to light for a long time, solanine is formed in them - a component harmful to human health, due to which the vegetable acquires a greenish tint.

Humidity

Potatoes spoil quickly in high humidity, which increases due to lack of ventilation. If it is not possible to make good ventilation in the cellar, it is better to store the potatoes in the garage.

With an increase in humidity, gardeners are forced to fight rot and fungal diseases, and the harvest is rarely saved until spring.

Optimum values ​​for potatoes are 75-80% moisture. In such conditions, the tubers retain all vitamins, trace elements and taste.

Preparing potatoes for storage

Ideally, the crop needs a preparatory period and gradual adaptation to temperature conditions. During the month before placing tubers in the cellar potatoes are kept in storage facilities, lowering the temperature daily by 0.5 ° C. However, such conditions are achieved only in specialized vegetable stores, where an automatic system monitors everything.

In ordinary cellars and basements, by the time vegetables are laid, a suitable temperature has already been established - from +2 to + 4 ° C. It takes 2-3 weeks. By this time, physiological and biochemical processes in the tubers have ceased, which means that they are completely ready for storage.

Measures to prepare potatoes for wintering:

• manual cleansing of soil residues and adhering lumps;
• drying - after digging, the potatoes are laid out in one layer outside under a canopy or in a dry, well-ventilated room without access to sunlight;
• sorting - sick, rotten, damaged by insects or a shovel are removed.

Specimens that have been damaged by digging with garden tools can be left for 10-12 days in a dry room. If the tubers remain dry and rot free, the vegetables can be stored along with the rest of the crop.

Attention! Do not rinse potatoes before loading them into the cellar. It will accumulate excess moisture and quickly rot.

Preparation of premises and capacity

The potato storage must be prepared in advance... The cellar is protected from freezing and any contact with the external environment. If possible, a small superstructure is erected over it.

The hatch is insulated with foam or other heat-insulating layer; the entrance must be hermetically closed. If the depth of the room is large, an additional air gap is installed above the first hatch, which will protect from the cold.

Important! To protect against moisture, containers filled with quicklime or other moisture-absorbing compounds are placed in the corners of the cellar.

The cellar is ventilated before laying vegetables, it is treated against parasites and fungi. Disinfect with sulfur blocks or lime whitewash.

Suitable containers or bins are prepared for potatoes. It is not allowed to store tubers in bulk on the floor. For the boxes, stands are made of wood with a height of 15 cm. The sides of the containers must have holes for ventilation.

Apartment owners who do not have cellars place potatoes on balconies: in boxes on wooden supports. Vegetables should not come into contact with cold floors or walls.

When cold weather is used:

• blankets;
• blankets;
• old warm clothes;
• burlap.

The room must be closed and regularly ventilated. Loggias without glazing are not suitable as vegetable stores in cold regions. In cities where the temperature in winter does not drop below 0 ° C, summer residents build pallets or boxes, store crops on balconies in bags.

How to keep potatoes from freezing

In too cold cellars, in order to avoid a sharp drop in temperature, special split systems are installed. This requires additional costs, so some gardeners replace them with compressors from old ones. refrigerators.

The sensor will help prevent temperature fluctuations. The lamps placed in the corners of the basement will protect the potatoes from negative values. To serve exclusively as heating appliances, they are covered with red or other dark varnish.

Insulating materials will help protect the crop from freezing:

• straw;
• felt;
• sawdust;
• sackcloth.

These coatings do not impede the passage of air, so the potatoes do not rot.

What temperature regime you need to withstand

The most suitable range is from +1 to + 4 ° С. When warm, vegetables sprout quickly. Gardeners recommend sprinkling beets on top of a layer of potatoes. It absorbs excess moisture well and protects from cold weather.

For sufficient air ventilation, the folded layers should not be higher than 1.5 m.

Temperature features for potatoes

A short storage of potatoes at temperatures above 15 ° C is permissible for 10-14 days at high humidity (not damp) air. The main condition is placement in a dark place.

Sharp temperature fluctuations lead to the germination of eyes and the appearance of roots.

Experienced summer residents take into account the characteristics of the soil in the area where the cellar is located:

• dense soil gives off heat faster, so in summer there is a possibility of overheating of stored products, and in winter there is a risk of freezing;
• clayey soil is characterized by high thermal conductivity; when equipping basements, reliable thermal insulation materials are used in it;
• sandy and dry lands warm up and freeze faster than others;
• in sandy loam soils, basements are not made too deep to avoid freezing of products.

What to do if the temperature at the storage location drops below 0 ° С

The freezing temperature of potatoes is about –2… –3 ° С. At such values, starch is converted into sugar, the taste of the crop deteriorates. To the question at what temperature the potatoes finally freeze, the answer is this: if the thermometer drops even lower, all useful elements and vitamins are destroyed in vegetables, the product finally deteriorates, becomes unusable.

The seed is stored only at + 3 ° C, otherwise the components that activate the growing process will die.

Important! Late-ripening varieties are more resistant to temperature drops and can withstand long-term storage until spring. Early varieties completely lose their taste in winter.

On open balconies, for insulation, polystyrene boxes with walls at least 5 cm thick are used. Such boxes with sealed lids function as a thermos, they are regularly ventilated by covering the vegetables with a warm blanket.

What to do with frozen potatoes

How many degrees of frost can potatoes withstand in the ground? If the potato managed to freeze in the soil due to the first frost (up to -4 ° C), but did not stay in the soil for more than 14 hours, they dig it up as quickly as possible.

Before storage, vegetables are dried in a ventilated area. The bins are periodically inspected for any damaged specimens. But you cannot constantly mix the laid layers.

Lowering the temperature to -10 ° C is dangerous for the crop - it is disposed of, since it will completely rot during storage. The product is not used in cooking; the processes of formation of toxic substances begin inside the tubers.

Conclusion

Although potatoes are one of the most unpretentious and cold-resistant crops, they need stable humidity and temperature during storage, and reacts negatively to dampness and sudden changes in thermometer values.

Equipping the cellar, basement or balcony with suitable storage boxes and using thermal insulation materials will save the crop until spring.