In late September – early October, cabbage and root vegetables are harvested from the beds. Our consultant Dmitry Lukyanov, agronomist-vegetable grower, candidate of agricultural sciences, tells how to preserve the harvest until spring.
21 September 2016
Only late varieties of cabbage, such as Zimovka, Amager, are capable of being stored until spring. Heads of cabbage ready for harvesting should weigh 800 g or more, too small ones lie much worse. It is important to determine the correct harvest time: early cut heads of cabbage will be warm, they cool for a long time in the storage area and can begin to rot during this period. Late-harvested cabbage is already frozen and will not lie either. Heads of cabbage, harvested in clear dry weather, on a cold day with an air temperature of 3-8 ° C, are best preserved.
Vegetables ready for harvest are cut or chopped off. On the heads of cabbage, it is recommended to leave a few covering leaves and a stump with a straight cut 3-5 cm long. In the cellar where the cabbage will winter, there should be a constant temperature of about 0 ° C and high humidity, at least 90%. Heads of cabbage can be hung in the cellar by tying two by the stump and throwing the rope over the pole. If there is space on the shelves, the heads are placed on the shelves so that they do not touch each other. If there is no cellar, then the cabbage can be stored on a glazed loggia by wrapping it very tightly with cling film and blocking the vegetables from sunlight (a large box with a lid will do).
Almost simultaneously with cabbage, beets, carrots and other root crops are laid in the cellar. The easiest way to store it is in a sand box. It should be poured into a box with a layer of about 5 cm. Lay vegetables in rows on top so that they do not touch. Pour a new layer of sand on them, then lay the roots. You can store the crop in shavings or sawdust, they contain essential oils and protect from rot. The balcony option for storing vegetables is also simple. Buy trash bags made of thick black cellophane (usually they are large, 60 liters or more). Gently fold the root vegetables into a standing bag, do not tie it, but cover it with a dark cloth, protecting from light. Water vapor will keep the vegetables firm, and the carbon dioxide released will prevent diseases from developing. For better preservation, a handful of dry mustard is poured into the bottom of each bag. There is another way: take large cardboard boxes and put carrots and beets in dense rows in them, alternating them with horseradish rhizomes (one rhizome for 20 root crops). This plant produces essential oils that keep vegetables from spoiling. It is important to remember that such storage methods are suitable only for glazed balconies and loggias.