How to store beets?

In Russia, beets have been known since ancient times, from time immemorial. Each Russian can name various dishes where this root vegetable is present, for example, a vinaigrette or a herring under a fur coat. All these dishes are known since childhood.Beets have a caloric content of 45 kcal per 100 grams, this diet product contains a huge amount of nutrients and trace elements.

Beetroot is directly related to the Amaranth family. It grows on all continents, even in areas that are located near the Arctic Circle. This vegetable was known in ancient Mesopotamia, the root crop was actively used as a healthy drug, and a tasty dish. Especially prized beets in ancient Greece. It was actively cultivated in Ancient Russia, and selection varieties appeared in Europe only in the 18th century in Holland and Germany.

There are such varieties of this vegetable as:

• table;
• fodder;
• sugar.

This root has a lot of useful properties, because it includes a large amount of fiber. With the growth of a beet slightly protrudes from the ground. Like carrots in the first year after planting, root leaves develop in beets. At the beginning of the second year, a stem of up to 0.9 meters in length appears. Small flowers are formed in the leaf axils. The beet contains a complex of organic acids and iron. It is actively used in the treatment of such illnesses as:

• cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure;
• kidney disease;
• total lack of vitamins;
• diabetes.

Beet seeds are planted seedlings and seedless method. This culture is not afraid of cold weather, so it can be planted at a temperature of about plus seven degrees Celsius. Only when the air temperature reaches +15 degrees does the normal development of the plant begin. Before planting, seeds are soaked in cold water for a day. When planting, they are slightly installed in the ground, about two centimeters.

The distance between plants mainly depends on the variety. It usually ranges from 6 to 36 cm. Between the plants themselves, the interval is usually kept around 12 cm. Many varieties of seeds are grouped in seedlings. Sprouts appear crowded, so you need to work with them in the early stages after planting.

This vegetable is cultivated on soils such as:

• peat bog;
• black earth

If the soil is too alkaline, the root shoot will be very weak. It is recommended to plant beets on the ground, where grain, tomatoes, onions or legumes were grown before. In the spring, the soil is surpassed by one square meter with the following elements:

• 35 g of superphosphate;
• 25 g of ammonium sulphate;
• 15 g of potassium chloride;
• 20 g of ammonium nitrate.

If the soil is too acidic, sometimes a little humus is added, and it is also possible to add lime. The thicker the root crop is planted, the smaller it is. It should be noted that large beets are not always easy to use and store. Large fruits also accumulate more nitrates. The optimal landing distance is 4.5 cm apart. The distance between the beds should be 26 cm.

After moving to the open ground, the seedlings are poured with a solution of humate. Direct sunlight should be covered with nonwoven fabric. The winter root crop is planted in early November, and the plot is treated with peat or humus. The plot should always be periodically cleaned of weeds. It is also worth thinning the beds and regularly watering.

Often, many homeowners have a question about how to properly store beets. In Russia, it is customary to store potatoes, beets, cabbage, apples, pears in basements. In a dry basement, there is an ideal atmosphere for long-term preservation of the above products. If the beets are soft, then this is the first sign that the product becomes unusable. It is worth considering in more detail how to protect the beets from this phenomenon.

To properly store the beets, you should follow a few rules. Beetroot refers to the roots, which are stored much better than potatoes or carrots. It is important that only among the fruits do not come across wormy or beaten. In order to avoid this phenomenon, before storage, beets must be carefully bruised. The highest quality product grows on sandy and clay soils.

Cultivation of the root in “acidic” soils provokes a disease like scab. In this case, the surface of the fruit is covered with wart marks and becomes excessively rough.

Beets that are saturated with excess moisture will be poorly stored in the winter. It is worth paying attention that the ripe vegetable has dry and yellow stalks. A few weeks before harvesting beets, it should not be watered. Root crops dig up and leave a shank in length one and a half centimeters. It is recommended to carefully dig the beets out of the soil, without causing the slightest mechanical damage. If a similar phenomenon occurs, the fetus will inevitably be infected with fungal or viral diseases, of which there are a great many.

Harvesting is recommended when there is a steady positive temperature, there is no summer heat, but still far from frost. Before making a bookmark, you must sort the beets (you can not wash). The harvest must be laid out under a canopy, which is blown by the wind. In a few days the product dries normally. Then it is recommended to once again carefully study the samples after drying, cut the leaves with a sharp knife, leaving talc roots no more than one centimeter long. It is not recommended to manually cut off the tops in order not to damage the fruit. After the second sorting, the beets are placed in the utility room.

Important! Fruits should not be exposed to direct ultraviolet radiation. After a few days of drying, the products will be ready for long-term storage.

First, the beets are loaded in cardboard boxes, then transferred to the basement. In a private house, storing beets in the basement or cellar is the best option. If the size of the room allows, then without much hassle can be enough for the whole winter.

It is important to understand that at the very beginning of storage the beet roots are very sensitive, so the temperature should not be above +3 degrees. At higher temperatures, colonies of fungi will inevitably appear on the fruit.

The basement should have good ventilation. Boxes are placed on pallets that are at least 15 cm in height from the floor, in which case the lower part will be blown well. Between the boxes and the walls of the room must also certainly be a small gap of about 10-15 cm. Boards should be nailed at intervals of no more than 7 cm. Often it is customary to store potatoes with beets. And also, quite often, beets are sprinkled with seeded sand, sodium chloride, covered with ferns or vegetation rich in phytoncides. If all the above recommendations are observed, the vegetable in good condition will live to the next season.

Save the beets at home is easy if you follow a few rules. First of all, be sure to stock up plastic bags. In no case should not tie them, there should be a minimum air exchange.Packages are placed near the balcony door, where it is cool enough. If there is a loggia or a glazed balcony in the apartment, the beetroot bags can be placed directly there, carefully folded the contents into wooden boxes in layers, with each layer sprinkled with sand, sawdust or chips.

Beets have a rather thick skin that allows moisture to linger in the root for a long time. It is important to remember: keep the crop away from heating appliances. If the winter is very cold and the temperature on the closed balcony is not too high, it is recommended to cover the boxes with beets with old warm clothes or blankets. Beets in the refrigerator can also be stored, but not more than four weeks. You can put the fruit in plastic bags that must have openings for ventilation to be present. It is important that there is no condensate in the package, otherwise the product will quickly deteriorate.

After a long heat treatment, the vegetable loses vitamin C, but there are still many useful elements. After cooking, the root vegetable is much tastier. In the refrigerator, it will not spoil for three days. Be sure that the product must be in a deep saucepan covered with a lid, at a temperature of from zero to +5 degrees. If the boiled beets are wrapped in cling film, the shelf life can be extended by 2-3 times.

It is necessary to adhere to the following tips from experts:

• it is recommended to store beets of the same varieties that tolerate negative temperatures well, which will significantly increase the probability of preserving the crop;
• before the emergence of shoots for weed control, the soil is poured with a solution of kerosene (30 g per square meter), and sodium nitrate is also used;

Too much moisture can adversely affect yield. During the season, watering is not often 4 times - one meter is enough for three buckets of water. Before harvesting for two weeks, the culture is no longer watered, which significantly increases keeping quality and increases the amount of sugar in the roots. In the first phase of beet growth, nitrogen supplements are necessary, for example, bird droppings (1: 11) or mullein (1: 7). It is recommended to make a groove at a distance of 4 cm from plants and water them with a solution.

After the appearance of the tops, potash supplements are made. For example, wood ash is dissolved in one glass of water, this is enough for one square meter of land. The following pests and insects are dangerous for beets:

• formosis;
• corneum;
• fungus;

• aphid;
• shield beetles;
• beet flies.

Formoz beet leads to the fact that the fruit turns black inside, cavities appear, the leaves are covered with whitish spots, which occurs when boron deficiency. If the soil is excessively wet, then the disease may cause chalcosporosis. An excessive amount of nitrogen provokes a bitter taste. If there are obvious signs of lagging plants in development, you should do a comprehensive feeding. At first, herbal infusions and yeast fertilizers can serve as fertilizing. During the season, you can spray the culture with slightly salted water (1 tablespoon per bucket of water).

How to remove and save the beets in the winter, see the next video.