Scientific approach: is it possible to store apples in the cellar along with potatoes?

Every gardener knows the value of square meters in the cellar. The harvested crop must be placed in such a way that there is enough space for each product.

At the same time, it is necessary to comply with the requirements of the crop so that it does not deteriorate during storage. A separate issue is the compatibility of vegetables and fruits.

Read the article about whether it is possible to store apples in the same cellar along with potatoes and how to organize this process correctly.

Product Compatibility

To ensure that vegetables and fruits do not spoil during storage, their compatibility must be taken into account.

Pay attention to parameters such as:

• thickness of fruit and vegetable skins;
• temperature requirements;
• substances released by products.

Potatoes can be stored with vegetables and fruits, which will not spoil them, will absorb excess moisture and will not begin to deteriorate due to its excess.

When lying in the cellar, the tubers sweat. Accumulated condensation should not harm food stored nearby. Apples are not one of them. They should not lie together with the potatoes. There are several reasons for this.

Why is it not recommended?

It is not recommended to store apples with potatoes due to the fact that they emit ethylene. This name hides a plant hormone that is designed for their rapid maturation. In picked fruits, its production increases due to moisture deficiency, so they ripen faster.

Therefore, lying next to apples, it begins to quickly sprout and deteriorate. Tubers become soft and rot from the inside.

However, ethylene has one peculiarity. At zero temperatures, its production is significantly reduced. Therefore, the ripening process of products is slowed down. As soon as the temperature in the cellar rises above zero, gas begins to be produced again with a vengeance.

Knowing this feature, it can be used to advantage. Therefore, in some cases, storing apples and potatoes together is still acceptable.

When exactly is it not possible?

There are situations in which you should store apples and potatoes It’s not clear.

1. Storage in one box. Under no circumstances should fruits and vegetables come into contact with each other. The ethylene released will cause the potatoes to quickly rot.
2. Storing early-ripening fruits with thin skins in the same container with potatoes or next to them. These fruits emit gas especially actively. They themselves quickly deteriorate and provoke rotting of nearby products.
3. High temperature in the cellar. If it exceeds 0...+1 degrees, then the crop will begin to rot.
4. Poor ventilation. The worse the room is ventilated, the more ethylene will accumulate in it.
5. Storing large quantities of apples. If the crop occupies the main part of the cellar, then the accumulation of ethylene will be significant. In this case, even the most powerful ventilation will not help.

When is it allowed?

Store apples and potatoes together possible in the following cases:

• ideal conditions have been created in the cellar - the air temperature does not exceed 0 degrees, the hood is working properly, or additional fans are installed;
• ceiling height in the cellar is at least 2.2 m;
• the room was disinfected, the walls were whitewashed with a mixture of lime and copper sulfate;
• it is possible to place vegetables and fruits far from each other;
• potatoes are young and dry - such tubers will not be exposed to ethylene for a long time;
• regular quality control of products - you will have to sort through and inspect them often.

If the apples have nevertheless absorbed the “basement” smell, it is not difficult to get rid of it. It is enough to keep them in the apartment for several days. Wrinkled fruits are soaked in cool water.

How to organize storage in the same basement with potatoes?

If there is very little storage space, then you can resort to some tricks, thanks to which you will be able to preserve both apples and potatoes in the same cellar.

These include:

1. Separate storage of products. Potatoes are placed in the cellar in open boxes. Fruits are laid out on racks that are located higher.

   They will be located closer to the ventilation, thereby avoiding the accumulation of ethylene in the room.

2. Storing apples in plastic bags. 2-4 kg of fruit are packed in them and left for 7 hours to cool. The bags are then tied tightly.

   For the fruit to “breathe”, a few small holes are enough, which are made with a match.After 7-14 days, the bag will have accumulated enough carbon dioxide to store the apples for a long time.

   This process can be speeded up by placing a cotton swab with alcohol inside. With this storage method, apples will not be able to harm the tubers.

3. Before sending them to the boxes, vegetables and fruits must be carefully sorted. All products that have even the slightest signs of rot, scratches or dents must be sorted.
4. To ensure that apples release less ethylene into the environment, they are wrapped in paper. Place the packaged fruits in durable wooden boxes or in clean cardboard boxes that are not susceptible to moisture. The gaps can be filled with straw.
5. If the room is very small, then Vaseline oil helps to “protect” the potatoes. They soak the paper in which each apple is wrapped. Only the best, medium-sized fruits are selected. Large and small fruits spoil faster.

The closer the spring period, the more often the check is carried out. Products that show signs of spoilage should be removed immediately.

Best Stored winter apples. They have a thick skin that protects them from drying out and penetration of harmful microorganisms. Such fruits will not rot and contribute to the spoilage of nearby products.

Glycerin helps improve the preservation of fruits. It is applied to a cloth, which is used to wipe each apple. You can learn about ways to process apples before storage Here.

Helpful information

To keep potatoes and apples longer, You can resort to the following tips:

1. Add radish or horseradish to the box with tubers. These root vegetables secrete special substances - phytoncides, which destroy fungus and prevent infection by rot.
2. Beets placed on top of the potatoes help retain moisture, thereby preventing them from rotting.
3. To improve the keeping quality of potatoes, you can sprinkle them with onion peels or mint leaves.
4. The stem of apples should not be picked.
5. Apples that have been picked up from the ground cannot be stored. Overripe defective fruits are used immediately. If they get into the basement, rot can destroy the entire crop.
6. Do not erase the natural matte coating from apples. He protects them from damage.
7. When growing apples, the proportion of nitrogen fertilizers is reduced. If there are too many of them in the soil, the fruits will quickly rot.

To do this, they are left in the garage, on the garden plot or on the balcony for 2-3 weeks. Only after re-sorting can they be sent for the winter. You will find all the most important things about storing apples here.

Conclusion

It is not recommended to store potatoes and apples together. If it is not possible to separate them, then place the products in the same room, but as far away from each other as possible.

The key to the safety of vegetables and fruits is a consistently low air temperature, high-quality ventilation and regular sorting.