How to store carrots, beets, cabbage and potatoes so they do not rot until spring

The end of summer is the time of the main harvest on the garden plot, when literally everything ripens – berries, fruits, vegetables, root crops...



But it is not enough to harvest a rich crop; it must also be stored properly!
 

Storing the potato harvest

In a dark and cool place, potato tubers of late varieties can easily be stored for 5–7 months, but you need to know some storage details.

First, sort through the harvested potatoes.

• Set green potatoes aside and store them separately from the others. They must not be eaten, but they are ideal for planting next year.
• Potatoes prone to hollow heart should also be stored separately, as should tubers with any damage, even minor scratches and wireworm tunnels.
• Sort the tubers by size.

Storing the beet harvest

At room temperature, root vegetables can be stored for no more than 1.5–2 months. But if you follow all the rules for storing beets in a cellar or basement, they will remain fresh and juicy even after being stored until spring (6–8 months).

Beets can be placed in storage after the cuts on the tops have dried. Be sure to ventilate them for several days after harvesting, under a shelter or indoors. The optimal temperature for long-term storage is about 3°C, and the humidity is 80–85%.

The most popular ways to store beets:

• Storage in polyethylene bags weighing 15–20 kg. Fill the bags with root vegetables and leave them open or tie them closed. To prevent condensation from forming inside the bags, make holes all around them and put a little mustard powder or sawdust on the bottom.
• Storage in wooden boxes with holes or wicker baskets. Carefully place the root vegetables inside and sprinkle them with a little sawdust.
• Storage on the cellar floor. First, remove all rubbish from the cellar, dry it thoroughly and disinfect the room, for example, by whitewashing it with lime milk. Beets can also be placed on shelves in the form of small pyramids. Put the larger root vegetables at the bottom and the smaller ones on top.
• Storage in wooden or plastic boxes in sand: pour a 5 cm layer of sand onto the bottom of the box, place the root vegetables in it with the roots facing down so that they do not touch each other, and cover them with sand until they are completely covered. Then repeat the process.
• Storage in the refrigerator. Place the beets in the vegetable drawer at the bottom of the refrigerator and separate them with polyethylene bags. Just remember that beets can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 1.5–2 months.

Storing the carrot harvest

Carrots can be stored for 2–3 weeks in a regular refrigerator and for up to 4–7 months in a cellar or basement. Let us take a closer look at the second method.

This crop is quite demanding when it comes to storage conditions: it is highly susceptible to mechanical damage and retains moisture poorly. Root vegetables quickly wilt and sprout even when the temperature in the cellar rises slightly.

Carrots are placed in storage at a temperature of 0–2°C and high humidity so that the root vegetables remain juicy for as long as possible.

The most popular ways to store carrots:

• In polyethylene bags. Fill them with up to 5 kg of root vegetables and tie them tightly.
• In bags with a capacity of up to 20 kg. In this case, it is advisable to pour an 8–10 cm layer of damp wood sawdust over the root vegetables.
• In sand: pour a 2 cm layer of sand onto the bottom of a box, place the root vegetables in it and cover them with a 1 cm layer of sand. Then repeat the process. Keep in mind that the root vegetables must not touch one another when arranged in layers.

Storing the cabbage harvest

Dry the cut cabbage for one day in a warm, well-ventilated place. Late varieties keep the longest, for up to 5–8 months, while mid-late varieties can be stored for slightly less time, 3–5 months.

Before storing, carefully sort the cabbage: only mature, firm heads without cracks, mechanical damage, mold, rot or signs of disease will be able to survive the winter fresh.

Cabbage can be protected from rotting in storage by dusting it with chalk or slaked lime before placing it in storage.

Main cabbage storage conditions:

• temperature from –1 to 2°C;
• humidity – 85–95%;
• regular ventilation of the room;
• periodic removal of rotten heads.

• hanging it by the stalks directly from the ceiling or beams;
• placing it in wooden boxes on the floor;
• along the walls on shelves 25–30 cm wide;
• in boxes with a thin layer of sand, up to 10 cm deep, with the stalk inserted into the sand.