Content
For many, potatoes are a staple food throughout the winter. This vegetable also occupies a leading place in the world in the food sector. There are more than one thousand of its varieties. This is explained by the fact that potatoes are adapted to different climatic conditions. However, growing potatoes is one thing; storing them correctly so that the vegetable does not wilt or spoil during the winter is a completely different matter. For this reason, it is important to know how to properly prepare potatoes before storing them. This article will consider the advice of many summer residents who have considerable experience in this area. Certainly a way potato storage will differ in different regions of the country. But we will look at the basic tips that relate specifically to preparatory work.
Preparation for storage
The process of preparing potatoes begins from the moment they are harvested. Immediately after cleaning, you must do the following:
- Leave the potatoes in the sun for several hours. This is necessary to dry it. This is important, because ultraviolet rays kill a large number of fungal and bacterial infections.
- Next, carefully shake off the tubers from the existing soil. Then they are sorted by size. For example, large for eating.The middle fraction is suitable for future reproduction, and the small fraction is suitable for feeding pets (if there are any on the farm).
- If you find diseased potatoes, set them aside separately. Especially if the vegetable is affected by late blight, fungus, cancer or other similar diseases, then it must be destroyed.
- At the next stage, all sorted potatoes are treated with an antifungal compound, for example, bactofit, phytosporin or another biological product. After this, the vegetable is dried in the shade.
- After drying, the potatoes are placed in a storage container.
Do I need to wash potatoes before storing?
Among gardeners, opinions differ on whether it is necessary to wash potatoes when preparing them for the winter. For example, some argue that preparing potatoes for storage should exclude this process, since the vegetable will rot very quickly. On the other hand, others claim that washing it will help the potatoes store better in the winter. And everyone has their own arguments.
However, it is important to understand one truth here. It doesn’t matter whether the potatoes have been washed or not, when preparing them for the winter it is important to ensure that they are completely dry. It is in a dry state that it will be stored for a very long time. Moreover, the quality of its preservation is directly affected by the storage temperature. For example, a temperature of no more than 5 degrees Celsius is allowed. Also, the room should be dark with a humidity level of up to 91%. Plus, ventilation of the room or place where the potatoes will be stored in winter must be organized.Moreover, the vegetable will spoil very quickly if its layer exceeds one meter. And with all this, it doesn’t matter at all whether you washed it beforehand or not. If you carefully prepare the chosen storage location for the winter, then everything will be fine.
So, let's look at the positive aspects of washed potatoes:
- When preparing for the winter, you can immediately assess the quality of the tubers. When the peel is clean, all existing defects are visible on it. As a result, at the preparation stage potatoes for the winter you will immediately weed out everything that is spoiled.
- If preparation for the winter is carried out for sale, then such a vegetable will have a much better presentation. Plus, working with such products is much more pleasant.
- After winter, cleaning a cellar or other storage area will be much faster.
For the sake of objectivity, let’s highlight the disadvantages of this idea:
- If you don't dry the potatoes well even at the preparation stage, they can quickly spoil.
- The process of preparing potatoes for the winter will be much longer. You may need to involve the whole family in this work.
- A lot of water is needed, especially if you have a good harvest.
- There must be enough drying space.
- It is advisable that the weather is sunny, so everything will dry quickly.
Storage conditions
An important role is played by the preparation not of the vegetable itself, but of the place where it will be stored all winter, and you can also add autumn. Therefore, the selection and preparation of premises should be approached responsibly.As already mentioned, the preferred temperature is up to 5°C, and to be specific, from +2°C to +4°C. This is the temperature that will ensure absolute peace of mind for the product. With it, potatoes do not sprout and do not freeze. If the area is not carefully prepared for winter and the temperature drops, this can lead to the process of formation of starch into sugar. If the temperature rises, it provokes the appearance of roots.
The bottom of the storage should be covered with sand or other material that absorbs moisture. The bottom must not be covered with the following materials:
- Smooth slate.
- Floor board.
- Linoleum.
- Cement and so on.
All this can provoke the formation of mold and fungi. When preparing a room for winter, you should also make sure that there will be no ultraviolet rays in it for a long time. Moreover, the presence of artificial light for a long time is not recommended.
So, the storage should be:
- Isolated from the penetration of various pests, such as slugs, mice and rats.
- It is necessary to treat for fungal and bacterial infections.
Storage method
It is equally important to carefully prepare the storage facility for storing potatoes in winter. It’s good if you have a cellar, cellar, vegetable garden prepared pit, underground or other storage. They must have shelves, and pallets can be placed on the floor to place food containers.
If you live in a city in an apartment, then the process of preparing potatoes for winter becomes more complicated. Storing in nets or bags is not the best solution. For this reason, it is necessary to prepare a special storage facility for winter. You can make a special box on the balcony. But here it is important to think everything through carefully.After all, even well-prepared potatoes for winter (processed, dried, etc.) will spoil if you have not prepared the chosen place. First of all, the box must have good ventilation. It is necessary to create conditions to maintain sufficient temperature.
What to store in
Preparing potatoes for winter also includes preparing containers for storing them. A large number of summer residents store it in wooden boxes. The only condition is that the planks in it are not knocked down completely, and that there are gaps between them. This will ensure good air circulation. The capacity of such containers can be up to 12 kilograms. This weight is enough, since if there is more, it will be difficult to move the boxes.
In the prepared storage, the installation of boxes must also be carried out correctly. For example, between the walls and the box itself there should be an empty space of at least 300 mm. So, the distance from the floor is up to 200 mm, from the ceiling up to 600 mm. If boxes are installed side by side, there should also be an interval between them, at least 150 mm.
There is also another option, for example, storing it in a metal barrel in which small holes are drilled for air exchange.
Preparation errors
So, as you can see, the process of preparing potatoes for winter is complex. It is necessary to prepare not only the product itself, but also the room where it will be stored all winter. It’s clear that no one wants to make mistakes that will ruin all your efforts. For this reason, we will now look at mistakes to avoid.
Thus, there are a number of recommendations that boil down to drying the tubers after digging at a temperature of +15°C in a dark and well-ventilated room. After this, the vegetable goes down to the basement and is brought to a temperature of +5°C. It's important to understand what's wrong with this.
So, many summer residents, heeding this advice, dry potatoes in the shade, on the veranda, under a canopy for a long time. However, all this does not give the desired result; moreover, it can be negative. The diffused light of the sun's rays will constantly penetrate the product. Because of this, it can begin to turn green and accumulate solanine. Solanine means a strong poison that is toxic in small doses. It is very easy to determine its presence. If a potato is bitter, it means it contains solanine, and this is dangerous to health.
For this reason, it is best to dry potatoes in total darkness and away from direct sunlight. Considering all this, a conclusion arises: does it make sense to take all these actions if the dug up potatoes can be immediately dried in the field, and then sent to a prepared place for storage in the winter? So, minimal labor costs will be required.
Conclusion
So, here we have looked at all the features of how to prepare potatoes well for storing them in the winter, as well as how to properly prepare the storage location. Of course, you know other ways and tips in this matter. You may even disagree with something. And this is not surprising, because the method of preparing for storage in winter may vary depending on the region where you live. You can share your experience and observations in this matter by leaving comments at the end of this article.Perhaps your method of preparation will be more effective, and our readers can use it. We also invite you to watch an interesting video about how the preparation process is carried out.
