Longevity: 10 vegetables you can store for months

Carrots: 12 months

With proper storage and selection of a suitable variety, it can be stored, if not for years, then up to 12 months for sure. True, in order to preserve the harvest as long as possible, you will have to choose one of the laborious storage methods. Namely – in coniferous sawdust or clay solution.

In the first case carrots are poured in one layer into a wooden box on top of sawdust and sprinkled with sawdust on top. The number of such layers depends solely on the height of the container. The filled box must be tightly covered with a lid and placed on a balcony or loggia. If frost is expected, it is better to additionally cover the carrots with an old blanket, burlap or an old jacket.

In the second each root vegetable is dipped in a mud-mud, similar in consistency to sour cream, dried for 1,5-2 days, put in a basket or open box and put again on a balcony or loggia.

You can also store carrots in the refrigerator. True, the shelf life in this case is short. In the main compartment, the carrot will last at most two days, in the vegetable compartment – no longer than a month, and in the freezer it can last for six months.

Garlic: 8 months

It is always useful to have it on hand as a seasoning. And the healing properties of garlic are legendary. For long-term storage, it is better to choose whole, without damage, heads of spring garlic (it is harvested in August). Winter crops, which are harvested at the end of July, will remain until December at the most, and then germinate or dry out.

Store garlic at a temperature of 16-18 degrees and at moderate humidity. A dark kitchen cabinet is ideal. They also knit the heads of garlic in braids, put them in boxes or baskets, and put them in bags. Peeled cloves can be put in a jar, covered with vegetable oil and refrigerated.

Potatoes: 8 months

The most popular root vegetable is at the same time very capricious in terms of storage conditions. In a warm room, the tubers germinate, turn green in the light, and with excessive moisture, rotting begins. In the cellar, where the temperature remains about 5 degrees and the humidity is high enough – 85-90%, the potatoes can lie safe and sound for up to 7-8 months. The main thing is that there are no baskets with onions or apples standing nearby: the ethylene emitted by them accelerates the rotting of potatoes.

But beets in the same container with potatoes are only welcome – they will absorb excess moisture and will not wither themselves. Tubers are also perfectly stored on an unheated balcony until frost. You just need to put them in a box and wrap them up with a material that retains heat.

Bow: 6 months

Here, too, much depends on the variety. Red Yalta, for example, is stored for up to 5 months, yellow varieties – a little longer. Well-dried onions can be stored in boxes or baskets, sprinkled in a small layer to prevent the onions from rotting. You can just put it on the newspaper and slide it under the bed so that it doesn’t get in the way. Or weave the bow into braids, which you can then hang in the kitchen or pantry. But a refrigerator or a cellar is not the best place for storage, in the first it is too cold, in the second it is also humid.

Pumpkin: 6 months

A useful vegetable is very unpretentious in storage. All that is needed is a dark place with good air circulation. So you can safely put the pumpkin in a dark cabinet in the kitchen or under the bed – with the stalks up and at a distance, without piling the fruits on top of each other. Small pumpkins can also be stored in the refrigerator.

Daikon: 5 months

Retains presentation and taste up to 5 months. Store winter radishes in plastic bags in the refrigerator. Before this, the roots must be wrapped with a paper towel – it will absorb the condensation that forms. For storage on a balcony or loggia, wooden boxes with sawdust are suitable. To protect from the cold, the container must be covered with heat-insulating material.

Rutabaga: 5 months

This cabbage-turnip hybrid is rich in vitamins A and C, as well as potassium and fiber. It is also recommended for feeding babies with allergies. For long-term storage, choose large vegetables without flaws (for example, without many lateral roots – it is better to give these to animal feed right away).

You can store it in the basement or in the cellar. The main thing is to observe the temperature regime. For swede, it is ideal within 0-2 degrees above zero. Root vegetables can be placed in a drawer or laid out on shelves or on the floor. So they will survive the whole winter. Do you want to extend the life of a vegetable? Immerse the roots in a box of soil about 15 cm, and cover the top with straw, sand or sawdust.

Beetroot: 4 months

But on condition that you keep the roots in the cold, after cutting off the tops: it can draw moisture from the vegetable. The optimum temperature is +4 degrees. For storage, a basement, cellar, subfloor or refrigerator are suitable. In the latter case, the beets must be placed in a plastic bag on the lower shelf in the vegetable compartment.

Even in a city apartment, beets can be stored in a pantry or on a glassed-in balcony. Pour river sand or sawdust into a wooden box (they must be dry!), Put on top of the beets, then another layer of sand or sawdust. Experienced housewives advise putting beets on top of potatoes – so the tubers will not rot from excess moisture, and the roots will not wither.

White cabbage: 3 months

A vegetable that is quite capricious if stored in a city apartment. However, the head of cabbage can remain fresh for up to three months. To prevent cabbage leaves from spoiling ahead of time, wrap the cabbage in 2-3 layers of cling film or put it in a bag and send it to the refrigerator. Check the condition of the head from time to time. If suddenly the leaves start to deteriorate, remove a couple of layers and rewrap the head of cabbage in plastic. You can also wrap each head of cabbage in paper (but not newspaper) and put it on the balcony.

Tomatoes: 2-3 months

Only green tomatoes can be stored for a long time. At a temperature of 10-12 degrees, they will not deteriorate for several months. It is better to store them in wooden, cardboard or plastic boxes. Wicker baskets are fine too. If there are few tomatoes, you can wrap each one in paper and put it in a dark place.