Turnip is not considered a favorite vegetable of housewives, however, it has many useful qualities, and also contains substances and minerals important for the body. That is why in recent years, this root crop is gaining popularity and is becoming no less popular vegetable than potatoes. From this article you will learn how to save a turnip for the winter by creating optimal conditions.
Features of choosing turnips for storage
Turnip refers to a fairly simple and unpretentious plants that can grow and bear fruit in almost any environment. This also affected the safety of root crops: in the process of evolution, they acquired the ability to be preserved throughout the winter, regardless of the weather. However, in practice, many fail to create favorable conditions for the vegetable for a long winter, which leads to an early withering and decay of the fruit.
Did you know? Turnips have been cultivated since antiquity: the root crop was actively used as food by the ancient Romans and Egyptians. Thus, his cultivation history has about 4 thousand years, which makes the plant one of the oldest crops.
The first thing you should pay attention to is the ripening period of the root crop: for long-term storage in the basement or vegetable storehouse, the vegetable must be fully ripe. This is evidenced by the corresponding sizes and masses, which are mentioned in the characteristics of each individual variety. If you decide to preserve the crop grown by yourself, you can use the single rule - a mature turnip is always shown above the ground.
In addition, in order for the vegetable to meet all the technological and consumer requirements for storage, when choosing it, you must adhere to the following rules:
- Only a whole root crop is suitable for the tab, without any damage and scratches - they will certainly lead to putrefactive damage in a few weeks.
- Root crops should not have any inclusions or growths, including spotting - they indicate damage to the fungus.
- Turnip does not tolerate freezing, so if the vegetable has been at low temperatures for at least a short time, it is better to abandon it. To avoid this, with self-cultivation, it is recommended to harvest before the winter cold.
- An ideal root crop should be small, in diameter no more than 12 cm. Excessively large specimens often quickly lose their elasticity, as well as taste.
- White turnip varieties have the greatest retention, in addition, they are better absorbed by the body.
- If you purchase root crops in a store, be sure to opt for copies with uncut tops - you can easily determine the freshness of turnips by its state.
Did you know? In ancient Russia, turnip was so popular that its crop failures were officially recognized as a natural disaster. This is explained by the fact that the root crop, in addition to food purposes, was actively used as a universal medicine.
Preparation of root crops for storage
Careful preparation of the fruits for long-term storage makes it possible to gently enter the vegetable into the stage of natural rest, so that it can preserve its freshness throughout the winter. In addition, only in this case it is possible to rid the root crop of non-viable residues, in which, as you know, fungi and other pests of fruit crops are actively propagated.
The procedure consists in sequentially performing the following steps:
- Use a soft brush or a towel to clean the fruits of soil and other contaminants.
- Carefully inspect turnips - fruits with damage, putrefactive patches and traces of infection or pests should be discarded.
- Cut the green mass with a sharp knife so that a small stump about 1 cm high remains in its place.
- Carefully remove the lateral roots, if necessary, remove the central root, leaving the tail about 5-7 cm.
Important! If you harvest turnips from your own site, after collecting the fruits, you must definitely dry them. To do this, they are transferred to a dry, warm and well-ventilated room and kept for several days.
Terms and conditions of storage
Today, there are many ways to bookmark turnips for long-term storage, so it is successfully stored in almost any environment: on the street, in common trenches, on the balcony, in the basement, and even right in the kitchen. However, a well-insulated cellar with a well-developed ventilation system is best suited for this. In such rooms, the most efficient and fastest possible conditions can be created for the root crop, which will help to preserve it for at least 4-6 months.
For this turnip should create the following microclimate:
- temperature within 0 ... + 3 ° С;
- humidity not higher than 90%;
- lack of lighting;
- active air circulation.
Bookmark turnips in the cellar
In the cellar, the root crop can be stored in several ways (in bulk, in separate compartments, on top of other vegetables, in clay crust, etc.), however, the method of laying in boxes with loose substrate is considered the most effective and popular. In this case, even in a cold and unheated room, the crop will be protected from frost and waterlogging.
Important! Turnip is not able to absorb odors and aromas, but its aromatic substances can actively saturate other foods. Accordingly, when laying the root crop for the winter, it is necessary to observe the basic rules of the commodity neighborhood.
To bookmark turnips correctly, you must:
- sprinkle pre-prepared fruits with chopped chalk or wood ash;
- prepare containers for bookmarks (they can be small plastic or wooden boxes, barrels, etc.). To do this, they are cleaned of pollutants, and then 3 cm of dry and clean sand are poured onto the bottom. Sand plays the role of a natural moisture regulator, since it is able not only to absorb, but also to evaporate it instantly;
- put the fruits in the boxes so that they do not touch each other. In this case, you must use the golden rule - the greater the distance, the better. In this case, with the decay of one vegetable, the rest will not be susceptible to infection.
- fill the fruits with sand so that they completely cover them;
- if you use tall boxes, on top of the first layer of root crops you can lay the next one and just as densely fill it with sand. The procedure is carried out until the containers are completely full.
Useful Tips
Preparing turnips for long-term savings is a fairly simple, but at the same time effective procedure that prevents spoilage of fruits for several months. However, often many farmers manage to keep the root crop for no more than 4 months. There can be many reasons for this: from errors in the bookmarking method to the use of low-quality fruits.
The following recommendations will help prolong turnip savings terms:
- In the cellar, it is absolutely necessary to carry out deratization measures, otherwise the crop may be damaged by small rodents - this sharply reduces its durability.
- To avoid mass rotting of vegetables, root crops should be sorted periodically, and damaged specimens must be taken out.
- Sterilization will help protect against fungus on the crop. To do this, before drying, the roots are soaked for 1–2 hours in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate.
- If you do not have a cellar, you can create optimal conditions for the preservation of vegetables on a well-insulated balcony, while the room must be pritenen.
- In order to protect against heart rot, plantings must be fed with boron even during the formation period.
- If the air temperature drops to –20 ° С and below the container with fruits, it is necessary to cover it with a blanket or a dense cloth. Even a thick layer of sand will not be able to protect root crops from freezing.
With proper preparation and compliance with all recommendations, turnips can be stored in the cellar or basement for up to 6 months. This allows you to feast on its fruits until the onset of the spring thaw. However, for this, the vegetable must be well prepared, as well as creating optimal storage conditions for it, including by conducting a regular inspection - otherwise, even one spoiled root crop can cause the death of the entire crop.
