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Many residents of Our Country know how to store grenades at home. High-quality fruits in neighboring countries ripen by the end of autumn. During this period, they are purchased and stored for another six months or even more, if others do not want to buy later.
Features of storing grenades
Southern fruits come to the markets from Turkey, Egypt, Spain, Latin America after a long journey. Therefore, it is believed that it is better to stock up on options brought from the Caucasus or Central Asia. The season of high-quality ripe pomegranates, which come from the countries of the named nearby regions, lasts from November to January. For successful storage of pomegranate at home, fruits meet the following requirements:
- the peel must be whole, without damage and cracks;
- there are no dents on the fruits after compression, blows;
- cover of a uniform color, without spots and soft areas;
- absolutely no smell comes from the fruit.
In order for the fruits at home to remain tasty and not lose their juiciness, you need to know the features of their storage:
- optimum temperature – from + 1 °С to + 10 °С;
- a place protected from sunlight and bright light, or at least a little darkened;
- air humidity is moderate, but should be significantly higher than in normal apartment conditions.
It is convenient to store pomegranates in winter for 30-50 days in a residential area if there is a rather cool corner. In a city apartment, this requirement is almost impossible to fulfill if the balcony is not insulated. It is only necessary to use home appliances – a refrigerator or freezer. Although there is an interesting folk experience on how to store pomegranates at home, smearing them with a layer of clay. It has been noted that sweet varieties lose their exquisite taste faster. And initially sour in their characteristic properties are stored with high quality for a longer time.
Where to store pomegranate
At home, southern fruits are usually stored whole. If there is no extra space in the refrigerator, the fruit is peeled and placed in the freezer.
Where to store peeled pomegranate
Accidentally bought spoiled fruit, for example, with a small dent that was not noticed during inspection, or a crack formed on the way home, cannot be stored for a long time. If immediate consumption was not planned, the extracted grains will lie in a domestic refrigerator for only 3-4 days without loss of quality. The second option is to choose all the good, not spoiled slices, pick the grains, wrap them in a plastic bag and send them to the freezer with a quick freeze. Peeled pomegranate seeds in a home freezer are recommended to be stored for up to a year. The taste and quality of the juice will change slightly. But freezing a peeled pomegranate and storing it for a long time is possible only in this way.
Where is the best place to store unpeeled grenades?
Southern fruits purchased with a margin, after a thorough examination, are put aside for storage. Whole intact pomegranates with a dense skin are placed in the refrigerator or they look for a place at home where the constant temperature is not higher than 8-10 ° C:
- glazed balcony;
- basement or dry cellar;
- entrance unheated corridor in private houses.
The storage time of pomegranates in such conditions lasts from 2-3 to 5 months. If the temperature approaches 0 ° C, but keeps to the minimum heat indicators, not higher than 2 ° C, the fruit lies without signs of spoilage for up to 9 months. Varieties that accumulate more acids than sugars lie longer. Sweets can quickly become more caked, having lost their original level of juiciness, which depends on compliance with optimal storage conditions.
How to store pomegranates in an apartment
There are several methods for preserving healthy southern fruits for 3-5 months at home.
How to store pomegranate in the refrigerator
At home, it is more convenient to put pomegranates in the refrigerator in the lower compartments for vegetables and fruits. To protect the fruits from accidental compression or impact, they are placed in a container with solid walls. Avoid using plastic bags. Condensation forms on their airtight walls, which can provoke the onset of rotting processes. When pomegranates are stored in the refrigerator, they monitor its fullness and follow the recommendations of the manufacturer of household appliances for operation so as not to increase the humidity. Otherwise, the fruits spoil faster.
As a precaution, each pomegranate is wrapped in clean wrapping paper or laid out in sheets. Excess moisture will be absorbed by the porous material. It may be necessary to change the wrappers during long-term storage. You can use parchment paper. The optimal storage period in the home refrigerator for unpeeled pomegranates with a whole peel is 50-70 days.
How to store pomegranate in the freezer
A slightly spoiled fruit from those purchased or from those that are put for long-term storage can be stored in the freezer with high quality. Taste properties will change slightly, but in general, enough useful substances will be preserved. At home, it is desirable to use cameras with a quick freeze function. Pomegranates are prepared for freezing as follows:
- peeled;
- grains are selected from slices;
- put in portioned bags made of durable polyethylene or ready-made food containers of small volume.
Manufacturers of household freezers recommend keeping fruit under these storage conditions for no more than a year.
How to store pomegranate fruits at home
A cool place with moderate humidity, 75-80%, is suitable for preserving fruits from 2-2,5 months at a temperature of 7-10 ° C to 5-9 months at + 1 ° C. At room temperature, the pomegranate does not store well, it dries out after a week, since the humidity in the apartment is low. A stock of fruit is placed in a cellar or a closed balcony, if the thermometer does not drop below zero there. Each pomegranate is wrapped in paper and laid out on the bottom of the container in one layer. From above, you can throw a light but dense burlap or cardboard if the fruits lie in a bright room. The sun’s rays, falling on the peel, will dry the grains, and the juiciness will decrease. It is recommended to regularly check and sort out the fruits in order to notice those that begin to deteriorate in time.
Storing pomegranates in a clay shell
There is an interesting folk experience on how to preserve southern fruits longer in living quarters. Only whole fruits are selected, without cracks and damage on the peel, with a dry brown crown. A creamy mash is prepared from clay and water:
- dip pomegranate into clay;
- spread on a cloth or wooden surface until the clay dries;
- a day later, the procedure is repeated, making sure that the entire peel is covered with a clay shell, and the fruit is dried again;
- at the same time, the crown formed by the sepals is also poured with a mixture.
Packed in clay, pomegranates retain their taste properties for up to 5 months. Store fruit in a box in a dry place.
How long does a pomegranate keep
If you properly store pomegranates at home, they do not lose their properties. The shelf life of a juicy and healthy treat depends on the quality of the fruit, temperature and humidity:
- in an apartment with low humidity, 30-40%, – 7-9 days;
- in the basement or cool room – up to 4-5 months;
- “preserved” in a clay shell – 4-5 months;
- on the bottom shelf of a home refrigerator, a whole fruit lies without spoiling for 2 months, and peeled grains for 3-4 days;
- in refrigerated industrial or domestic cabinets for vegetables and fruits that maintain a temperature close to + 1 ° C – 9 months;
- freezing will allow you to eat grains even after a year, but at the same time 15-20% of the nutrients will evaporate.
Conclusion
You can store pomegranates at home from a week to a year. More often they put fruit in the refrigerator or basement. It is important to adhere to the recommended moderate humidity, cool temperature. They make stocks only from high-quality fruits.
