When to dig Jerusalem artichoke tubers for food and storage

You can store Jerusalem artichoke in winter in several ways. The main condition is the creation of the necessary microclimate for the tubers. If there is a high temperature and minimal humidity in the room, the root crop will dry out, lose its presentation and taste, and the shelf life will be significantly reduced.

When to dig Jerusalem artichoke

Jerusalem artichoke (“earthen pear”, “solar root”, “Jerusalem artichoke”) is a perennial plant with a high frost resistance index. Ripe tubers removed from the ground are not stored for a long time, their shell is very thin, as the root crop ripens, it does not coarsen, so the root crop is practically not protected from rotting and drying out. For food, Jerusalem artichoke is dug up in a small amount and immediately included in the diet, after 3 days the tubers are no longer suitable for food.

The accumulation of carbohydrates and nutrients occurs at the end of autumn, depending on the region of growth – in September or October. The tubers retain their chemical composition until spring. At the time of vegetation and the formation of new root crops, Jerusalem artichoke loses its taste and energy value. In the soil, the Jerusalem artichoke tolerates low temperatures well, without losing its composition and presentation. For storage, an earthen pear is harvested in the fall at the time of the first frost, and it is dug up for eating in spring or autumn.

14 days before harvesting, the stems of Jerusalem artichoke intended for digging are cut off for storage. Leave a shoot 25 centimeters long above the ground. Nutrients will go to the formation of the root crop, the earthen pear will quickly accumulate the necessary chemical composition and ripen.

Ways to store Jerusalem artichoke

Harvest the solar root in the amount necessary to feed the family. The product is whimsical in storage and requires compliance with certain conditions. Options for storing Jerusalem artichoke in winter:

• in a refrigerator;
• freezer:
• basement;
• by immersion in paraffin;
• on the balcony or loggia;
• in a trench on the site.

Preparation of Jerusalem artichoke for storage for the winter

To store Jerusalem artichoke in winter at home, you need to properly extract the vegetable from the ground. The technology is similar to harvesting potatoes. The root system of the earthen pear is superficial, the formation of root crops occurs at a depth of 20–25 cm, the growth width is about 30 cm. When extracting the root from the soil, mechanical damage to the tubers is avoided. A few fruits are left in the ground, they will become the beginning of the growth of a new bush.

You can dig up a solar root with a shovel, in this case there is no guarantee that the fruits will not be damaged during work. The best option is to use forks with wide tines. The bush is carefully dug up from all sides and removed from the soil by the remains of the stem.

Jerusalem artichoke is separated from the bush, it is not recommended to cut the stalk, such manipulation will shorten the shelf life. Leave a root 10-15 cm long, in this form the fruits will retain more trace elements and nutrients. If the storage area allows, the tubers are left on the bush, only the root ball of soil is removed. When separated from the root, Jerusalem artichoke is carefully cleaned from the ground, put in a container and placed in a room with good ventilation to dry. Vegetables are not left in a place open to sunlight, exposure to ultraviolet destroys most of the biological composition.

Jerusalem artichoke is inspected before storing, only high-quality fruits can lie until spring. Requirements for a vegetable:

1. The shape of the tubers of different sizes, rarely come across the same in appearance.
2. The color of the shell is yellow, dark red, brown, such a color scheme can be observed in one mother plant.
3. The consistency of the vegetable is firm, elastic, resembling potatoes; soft fruits are not suitable for storage.
4. The presence of growths and bumps is normal.
5. If there are mechanical damages, spots, lack of density, vegetables of poor quality on the surface, they are rejected.

A prerequisite in the preparatory work is that Jerusalem artichoke is not washed before storage.

How to store Jerusalem artichoke in winter in the cellar

It is better to dig Jerusalem artichoke in the fall, if the volume of the harvested crop is large, the easiest way to store it is to load it into the basement.

The room can easily maintain a constant temperature of +4⁰ C and air humidity 85%. These are optimal conditions for an earthen pear. The area allows you to place the tubers together with the bush, and not separately. There are several ways, each of them is productive, choose at will:

1. They put it in a container with sand along with carrots, they have the same requirements for conditions.
2. The tubers are covered with a layer of clay, put in wooden boxes or plastic containers, tightly covered with dark material on top.
3. The Jerusalem artichoke is distributed in containers, covered with moss, peat or sawdust on top.
4. The tubers are placed in a plastic bag, air is released, tightly tied. The bags are placed in a bag, sprinkled with soil.

Lighting has a detrimental effect on the solar root, the room should be dark. If this is not possible, then the container and packaging should not transmit light.

You can save Jerusalem artichoke for the winter by paraffin waxing:

• the vegetable is carefully cleaned of the soil;
• melt food or candle paraffin;
• each fruit is dipped into the substance for a few seconds, removed;
• put in boxes and lowered into the cellar.

The procedure is carried out in a cold room so that the tubers cool quickly. Jerusalem artichoke undesirable prolonged thermal exposure. The method is laborious, but the most effective. In this state, the vegetable is stored for more than 3 months.

After laying, the tubers are periodically inspected for decay. Spoiled vegetables are removed so that a bacterial infection does not affect nearby tubers.

How to store Jerusalem artichoke in winter at home

In autumn, the crop harvested in the country, which is not equipped with a basement, is transported to the living quarters. In winter, to store Jerusalem artichoke at home, you can hang a bag of tubers outside the window to the street. This method is used before the onset of severe frosts. If possible, the tubers in the box are sprinkled with sand and put on the site, covered with a board and spruce branches on top. In winter, they throw snow in the form of a snowdrift. The design is convenient in that at any time you can get vegetables from the box.

How to store Jerusalem artichoke in the apartment

Jerusalem artichoke is harvested in autumn, Jerusalem artichoke is stored in winter in an apartment on a balcony or loggia. Vegetables must be freshly dug and not purchased from a retail chain. Purchased tubers are poorly stored.

On the glazed and open balcony storage is different. Vegetables are placed on a closed loggia according to the following scheme:

• a layer of peat is placed at the bottom of the box or container;
• an earthen pear is laid on top;
• add peat, the tubers should be completely closed;
• completes the shelter with a layer of sawdust;
• cover the container with an opaque material;
• removed to the balcony.

If the loggia is not glazed, the tubers are placed in a bag, let out air, and tightly tied. The bags are placed in a canvas bag according to the scheme: a layer of soil, vegetables, covered with earth on top. The bag is tied up, covered with a blanket or old jackets. If the fruits freeze, it’s not scary, they completely retain their taste and nutrients. In its natural environment, Jerusalem artichoke safely winters at -45 ⁰C.

How to store Jerusalem artichoke in the refrigerator

If the earthen pear crop is insignificant or purchased for the winter in small quantities and takes up little space, store it in the refrigerator. Vegetables from the refrigerator are good for consumption no more than 25 days. Action algorithm:

1. Separate the fruits from the bush.
2. Remove soil fragments from the surface.
3. Wipe without pressure with a dry cloth.
4. Moisten the cloth, wrap the fruits in it, you can use a container with a lid.
5. Put in the lower vegetable section.
6. Make sure the fabric is damp.

Is it possible to freeze Jerusalem artichoke

A cold-resistant plant retains its biological composition and energy qualities well for 2,5 months after freezing. This is a guaranteed way to save Jerusalem artichoke for the winter, in which the fruits do not deteriorate. No need to worry about the integrity of the peel. The method is clean and not laborious, before laying the solar root is well washed under running water. The downside of freezing is the small volume of the freezer, which does not allow storing a large amount of product.

How to freeze Jerusalem artichoke

For freezing an earthen pear, fruits damaged during digging, on the surface of which there are minor spots, are suitable. The main condition is that the vegetables must be fresh. It is recommended to freeze in portions, not in bulk. Work sequence:

1. Stems and damaged areas are removed from clean tubers.
2. Cut into cubes or plates, the shape of the cut is irrelevant.
3. Put in packing bags, release air, tightly tied.

Placed in the freezer. Instead of bags, small containers can be used. The product is defrosted gradually, first a portion is taken out and placed on the shelf of the refrigerator for 2 hours, then in cold water.

How to store Jerusalem artichoke before planting

There is no need to specially dig Jerusalem artichoke in the fall to plant in the spring. The culture is bred in October by dividing the mother bush, this method is also suitable for May planting. The material retains the possibility of vegetation for only 14 days, after the expiration of the period, the ground pear will not sprout. If the tubers were purchased on the market or from friends, and the planting date did not fit, the best way to maintain germination is to place the material in a wet cloth and put it in the refrigerator (not in the freezer).

Conclusion

 You can store Jerusalem artichoke in winter in several ways, the main thing is to create the microclimate necessary for tubers. Important factors: humidity and lack of lighting. The temperature regime should not exceed +4⁰ C. The longest shelf life in the freezer is 3 months, on the refrigerator shelf is 25 days. In the basement and on the balcony, vegetables are stored within 60 days.