Rules for storing potatoes in a cellar or basement: temperature, light and other parameters
Potatoes belong to food products suitable for long-term storage.
Healthy, properly grown tubers, in suitable conditions, do not spoil for more than 10 months.
How to properly prepare the storage and the potatoes themselves for storage in the cellar, under what conditions the root crop will retain its beneficial properties, is described in this article.
Content
Optimal conditions
The main parameters affecting the preservation of root crops for a long time are temperature and air humidity.
Temperature
The storage area where the potatoes are placed must be maintained at a constant temperature. +4-+6 degrees. With such indicators, metabolic processes in the tissues of the root crop proceed slowly, the tuber retains its freshness and rigidity for a long time.
At what humidity?
Optimal air humidity is 80%. If the humidity is high, the tubers will begin to rot, and if the dampness is low, they will dry out.
Lack of light
When exposed to light, potato tubers begin to form a toxic substance, solanine., causing the root vegetable to turn green and become bitter.
Warehouse potatoes are stored only in a dark room.If root vegetables are forced to be stored in a bright room, it is enough to cover the boxes with potatoes with an opaque cloth.
How to properly store potatoes in winter until spring?
Preparation for storage begins at the growing stage (selecting tubers on the market). Ripened potatoes last a long time, when growing them large doses of organic fertilizers were not used.
During storage, it is important to monitor the consistency of temperature and humidity, protecting vegetables from changes. It’s a good idea to sort through the root crops a couple of times during the winter, removing those that have begun to spoil..
Tuber preparation
After removing the root crops from the soil, the potatoes are air dried. It is scattered on warm ground or wooden flooring under canopies. Drying takes several hours. During this time, the soil falls off the tubers, and all the shortcomings of the potato become clearly visible. The dried potatoes are sorted out.
For long-term storage Tubers that meet the following parameters are suitable:
- weight from 80 to 400 g (optimally 100-200 g);
- the fruit is ripe (the peel is homogeneous and completely covers the pulp);
- absence of wounds, signs of rot, or dents on the skin;
- there are no green spots on the surface of the tuber.
After drying and sorting, the potatoes are loaded into a clean storage facility pre-cooled to +10 +12 degrees. The temperature is reduced to the recommended value gradually, no more than 1 degree per day. If warm potatoes are immediately put into a cold cellar, condensation will form on the tubers, which can lead to mold.
Putting the potatoes in the cellar, it is sorted by size, putting small tubers with small ones, and large ones with large ones. Medium-sized root vegetables will last longer than small and large ones.
Potatoes intended for planting next season are kept in the light for up to 6 hours for better preservation. Green tubers are practically not spoiled.
How to prepare the room?
Before filling the storage, it must be thoroughly cleaned. To do this, all shelves, drawers and pallets are removed from the cellar. They are washed, coated with paint (whitewash), and dried in the sun.
The walls of a cellar or basement are washed with a solution of caustic soda or bleach, then whitened with lime mortar. All this helps to destroy fungal spores that cause the development of mold and rot.
Sulfur bomb (FAS) has a good disinfectant effect. The checker is burned indoors before it is loaded with vegetables. Sulfur vapor penetrates into all crevices, effectively destroying microbes. Filling the storage with vegetables begins after ventilation.
In what container?
Large volumes of potatoes are usually stored “in bulk” or in bulk, directly on the basement floor, fenced off in the corner with a wooden shield.
Sometimes the tubers are scattered on a wooden floor or sand cushion. The height of such a pile should not exceed 1 m, otherwise the lower layers of potatoes may suffocate.
Distributed storage of ware potatoes:
- in wooden or plastic boxes with lattice walls;
- in nets or linen bags;
- in baskets and clay pots.
Typically, the container capacity is 10-20 kg of tubers, which makes it easier to inspect potatoes and select diseased tubers.
What varieties are suitable?
When developing modern potato varieties, special attention is paid to the keeping quality of tubers.Almost all of them are suitable for long-term storage.
Of the old varieties, they are good:
- Gala;
- Nevsky;
- Arosa;
- Luck;
- Bryansk;
- Red Scarlett;
- Rosara;
- Crane.
Mid-season and late varieties lie better than early ones. Early ripening (especially the old Sorokodnevka) varieties lie worse than others. It is recommended to keep them in sand to preserve moisture in the tubers.
Common Mistakes
The most common causes of spoilage potatoes during storage are:
- Storing tubers of different sizes in storage (small potatoes spoil faster).
- Washing tubers.
- Neglecting to clear the cellar of debris.
- Burning a sulfur bomb after loading the cellar with potatoes (sulfur vapors cause damage to root crops).
- Keeping potatoes and apples in the same basement (fruits emit ethylene gas, which contributes to the rapid overripening and spoilage of vegetables).
- Changes in temperature and humidity in the room.
In winter, free-standing cellars are additionally insulated with snow. The potatoes inside the storage facility are covered with hay, straw, and blankets.
Video on the topic of the article
How to store potatoes in the cellar, video tip:
Conclusion
Properly prepared potatoes can remain juicy and tasty for 8-10 months. In the cellar or basement it is necessary to maintain a constant temperature of +4 degrees and air humidity of 80%.
