Proven ways to keep grapes for the winter at home

How to preserve grapes for the winter at home - this question worries many gardeners. Fresh berries are good for your health, but they quickly deteriorate and lose their appearance.

We will share the secrets of experienced winegrowers that will help you enjoy them even in winter.

Are the grapes suitable for long-term storage at home?

Many people find storing grapes a waste of time. The culture is very whimsical and is prone to fungal diseases, attacks of midges, and rotting. It is more common for amateur gardeners to consume berries in the form of raisins or jam.

Experienced growers know what to preserve grapes fresh - not an easy but doable task... It is important to choose the right variety and place of shelter, monitor climatic conditions, and promptly eliminate unfavorable factors. The fruits are fragile and contain a lot of juice, which is quickly lost under inappropriate conditions.

The best varieties for storage

Late varieties are ideal for storage. They have firm flesh and skin, strong immunity to pests, and a dense waxy coating on the fruit. Not all regions of Russia manage to grow them. Darker varieties keep better than light varieties, which develop browning and brown spots over time, which spoil the appearance of the product.

When choosing grapes for long-term storage, pay attention to the brushes:

1. With loose clusters and large berries. They should be intact and hold tight to the stem.
2. High in sugar. It helps the crop to last longer. The sweeter the variety, the better keeping quality.
3. With dense bunches. They do not break when suspended.

The best stored varieties are those with a high calcium content. These include Moldova. An excellent option would be varieties:

• Alexandria nutmeg;
• Hamburg nutmeg;
• Moldavian black;
• Lydia;
• In memory of Negrul.

The highest keeping quality (up to 139 days from the moment of collection) is shown by the following varieties:

• Moldova;
• In memory of Negrul;
• Anniversary of Moldova;
• Original;
• Anniversary of the crane;
• Kutuzovsky.

Up to 111 days are stored:

• Liang;
• Light coloured;
• Criuleansky.

Selection and preparation of bunches

Taking grapes seriously will help keep them tasty and fresh for a long time:

1. Collect brushes on a sunny day. Do not cut fruit in foggy, rainy weather. Excess moisture will lead to early rotting of the product.
2. Choose fully ripe bunches. Do not use unripe or overripe for storage.
3. Wear thin gloves and try not to touch the berries to avoid rubbing off the protective wax layer. It will preserve their taste and aroma.
4. Use rounded scissors to remove damaged berries from the brush - they can become sources of rot.

The choice of grape variety and the correct harvest is only half the success. The safety of the product is also affected by the care of the plant itself:

1. Stop watering the plant 40 days before harvest. The berries will lose excess moisture and gain sugar.
2. Unload the vine from some of the bunches in time.
3. An excess of nitrogen fertilizers will not let the berries lie for a long time. Limit such dressings, or rather replace them with phosphate-potassium.

Storage locations

A capricious culture is placed in a dark, dry and clean place. When choosing a room, the following factors must be taken into account:

1. Humidity. In a shelter, it should be no more than 80%. Lime or sawdust placed in small containers next to the fruits will help to reduce its level. This will prevent the spread of the fungus.
2. Shine. From its effects, acids are destroyed, and this leads to decay. The best storage option is a darkened room.
3. Temperature. Too low or high temperatures will spoil the fruit. The best option is from 0 to + 5 ° C.
4. Air. The room is regularly ventilated, especially when mold appears.

The grapes must not be washed after harvest. It is advisable to place the bunches at a short distance from each other.

Suitable for storing the product:

1. Cellar. Be sure to treat the room with antibacterial agents or whitewash.
2. Refrigerator. Keeps the product for a long time if the bunches are intact. Store in the fruit compartment or in the freezer.
3. Balcony. Not the best option, but if you put the grapes in cardboard boxes or boxes, ensure the optimum temperature and humidity, the fruits will lie for several months.

When planting grapes in the cellar, there should be no other fruits or vegetables.

Storage methods

Every year, gardeners experiment and offer new storage options. To pamper yourself with juicy berries in winter time, use proven methods.

In water

With a small amount of harvest, containers with water will come to the rescue:

1. A bunch of grapes is cut along with a 15-20 cm piece of vine.
2. Its end is placed in a bottle filled with distilled water with 1 tablet of acetylsalicylic acid or activated carbon dissolved and fixed at an angle.
3. The bunches are suspended so that they do not come into contact with each other.
4. The berries are systematically examined and the rotten and fallen ones are immediately removed, and the water is changed.

On green ridges

A simple design does not take much time, but with this method there is a great risk of drying the berries:

1. Stretch a strong steel rope between the walls.
2. Bunches are tied together in pairs.
3. Hang at a short distance from each other.

Regular airing and adherence to temperature conditions will help preserve fruits for up to 3 months.

Attention! It is important to monitor the appearance of midges in the room and prevent berries from rotting. This will ruin the entire crop.

In boxes

For grapes, boxes with low sides are chosen. Before placing the bunches there, the bottom is covered with linden or poplar sawdust by 3-4 cm. The brushes are laid out with the combs up so that they do not touch each other.

From above, the bunches are covered with a small layer of sawdust. The boxes are placed in a dark, dry and cool place.

On shelves

Another option is to lay out the brushes on the shelves. The distance between them should be at least 20 cm, and the racks themselves should be no more than 90 cm deep. The shelves are covered with straw or straw ash, which has antiseptic properties and will protect the grapes from pests.

Reference. The grapes are laid out with ridges away from themselves. This makes it easier to inspect damage and remove rotten berries.

In barrels

This method allows you to save up to 8 months of harvest. Cork powder is poured into a small barrel at the bottom.

Brushes are placed in several loose layers, each of which is sprinkled with cork powder. Cover the keg with a lid and place in a cool place.

Other ways to store grapes

If the listed options do not work, look at other methods.

Freezing

A freezer will help keep the berries fresh without unnecessary tools. Both dark and light varieties are suitable for freezing.

To successfully freeze a product, follow simple steps:

1. The berries are separated from the stalk, washed and sorted.
2. Dry on paper towels.
3. Place the grapes in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours to cool.
4. Then they put it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
5. They take out the berries and pack them in bags or containers.
6. Put it in the freezer.

The optimum temperature is -25 ° C.Before eating, the berries are immersed in cold water for an hour. Secondary freezing is prohibited. When frozen, the product retains all its beneficial properties.

Drying

Dried berries are also useful.... Raisins are rich in potassium, phosphorus, fiber and are an excellent source of energy. It is not difficult to make it at home.

A simple method that does not require any financial costs is natural drying. To do this, the grapes are sorted, washed and blanched for 3-4 minutes in a soda solution at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. for 1 liter of water. After processing, the wax coating is erased and a mesh is formed through which moisture leaves faster. The berries are dried with a towel, laid out on a sieve and taken out in the sun. It takes 20-30 days to cook raisins.

Important! During drying, the sieve is covered with gauze from birds and insects, and brought into the room at night.

Faster to make raisins in an electric dryer or oven. It is imperative to blanch the berries in a soda solution before drying.

Conservation

You can enjoy the sweetness of the grapes without freezing and drying. Canning will help with this. Sunny berries will decorate the table and delight the household. The main thing is to choose ripe ones.

You can preserve grapes in sugar syrup according to a simple and reliable recipe.

For containers with a volume of 0.7 liters, you will need:

• 500 g of berries;
• 100 g sugar;
• 1 tsp vanilla sugar.

Cooking method:

1. The berries are washed, sorted out and put into containers. Do not fill cans under the neck.
2. Both types of sugar are poured in.
3. Pour boiling water over, leaving 1 cm of free space on top.
4. Cover the container with a lid and sterilize for 20-30 minutes.
5. Roll up the lids and leave upside down until they cool completely.

Jam, juices, jellies, jams are also made from grapes, canned in marinade with spices.

Storage periods

How long are grapes stored? At room temperature, it will withstand only 72 hours, in water and boxes - 2 months, suspended - 3 months, in the refrigerator - up to 6 months, in the freezer - from 8 to 12 months.

Additional processing of fruits will help to increase the shelf life.

How grapes are processed for long-term storage

A small amount of berries will help to save processing with paraffin or wax melted up to 70 ° C. But before use, the grapes will have to be immersed in water heated to the same temperature.

When stored in boxes, tablets of potassium metabisulfite are laid out on the bottom. When they react with oxygen, sulfur dioxide is released. It has excellent antifungal and antiviral properties.

Sometimes brushes are processed:

• fungicides "Acrobat", "Polykhom", "Paracelsus", "Fundazol", "Topaz", "Quadris", etc .;
• potassium permanganate solution;
• calcium chloride solution.

Conclusion

Preserving grapes at home is a laborious task, but everyone can do it. Choose late, dark colored varieties. Provide the optimum temperature in the storage - 0… + 5 ° C - and humidity no more than 80%.

A cellar, refrigerator, balcony are suitable as storage. The longest time - up to 1 year - the grapes will lie in the freezer. Alternative methods are canning and drying. Subject to all the rules, the product will retain its beneficial properties and taste.