Useful tips on how to store leeks in the cellar

Leek is one of the valuable vegetable crops, which has a rich composition of nutrients. When properly stored, the vegetable retains its vitamins and all valuable properties.

One of the options for organizing winter storage is using a cellar. Read the article about whether it is possible to store leeks in a cellar or basement and how to properly organize the storage of vegetables for the winter.

Features and storage conditions for the winter

Storage in the cellar allows you to preserve onions throughout the winter. Advantages of this option:

• possibility of placing a large volume of vegetable products;
• the possibility of organizing optimal conditions.

Suitable conditions for long-term storage are the following:

• humidity – up to 80 or 85% maximum;
• temperature range – from -1?С to +1?С;
• presence of fresh air.

Maintaining a temperature no higher than +1? C allows the crop to be stored well and not rot. Find all the most important things about storing leeks in winter Here.

Harvest preparation

In order for the leek to be stored in the cellar long enough, should be prepared:

• premises;
• container;
• the onion itself.

Variety selection

Leeks have quite a lot of varieties:

For winter storage, it is preferable to leave late-ripening and mid-ripening varieties. The harvest time depends on the climate and weather conditions.

Vegetables that are lagging in growth should be used for food immediately after harvesting, without leaving them for storage during the winter.

Is treatment necessary?

Without preliminary preparation, the harvested vegetables and fruits should not be sent for storage. One of the main points before placing in the basement is sorting.

At this stage, damaged plants that are not subject to long-term storage are rejected.

The harvested vegetable should be prepared for storage:

• shake off so that no soil remains between the leaves;
• dry;
• trim.

Drying should be done in the shade. In this case, there should be no moisture left between the leaves. Also, do not allow the leaves to dry out excessively.

If the covering green mass has defects, it is removed in places of damage. The tops are shortened, leaving 1/3 of the original length. The roots also require pruning? length.

Preparing a basement or other room

Before placing the harvested leek harvest in the cellar, the room should be disinfected and the remains of last year's vegetables and fruits that remain in it should be removed.

You need to start preparing the basement before harvesting:

1. Sanitation is carried out after unloading supplies remaining from last year's harvest.
2. Garbage should also be taken out, as it can become a source of infection.
3. Drying equipment in the cellar and containers. If possible, it is better to do this in the fresh air.
4. Treating the room itself with disinfectants (whitewashing with fluff lime, using a solution of potassium permanganate, etc.).
5. If necessary, the cellar room is divided into separate compartments.

If the cellar freezes in winter, insulation will be needed.

Selection of containers

The peculiarity of leek storage is vertical placement in the selected container at a slight angle. Suitable containers that can be used are:

• plastic bucket;
• wooden box;
• other containers with sides 0.2-0.25 m high.

After laying the onion, you should also sprinkle its roots with damp sand. The layer should be about 0.15 m.

The presence of sand or peat at the bottom of the container allows you to cover the roots, which has a beneficial effect on the quality of vegetable storage.

How to increase the period?

The average storage time for leeks in the cellar is six months. In this case, all necessary room indicators (humidity, temperature, etc.) must be maintained.

The onions are inspected periodically. If signs of spoilage appear (unpleasant odor, uncharacteristic softness, formation of mucus), then the root crop should be discarded as unfit for food.

You can extend the shelf life by additional processing of the harvested vegetables. The following options are suitable for this:

• drying;
• freezing;
• canning.

• wash;
• dried;
• cut into circles.

What vegetables and fruits can it be combined with?

When placing onions in the cellar for storage, it should be taken into account that they require special conditions that are not suitable for most other vegetables and fruits. Low humidity is an obstacle for the rest of the harvested crop to remain in such conditions.

The only exceptions are 2 vegetables:

1. Pumpkin.
2. Garlic.

They can be stored along with onions. For garlic, conditions suitable for leeks and other onions are sufficient. Moreover, garlic can tolerate even lower temperatures.

Pumpkin requires maintaining a temperature between +4 and +12? C, and a humidity of about 80%.

Potatoes require similar storage conditions, with minor differences. But you shouldn’t combine them with onions in the same room - the leek will be saturated with moisture from its “neighbor,” which will significantly shorten its shelf life.

Recommendations

In order for the leek harvest to be stored better, You can use the following tips:

1. Periodically inspect the stored crop, discarding spoiled root crops and cleaning the upper wilted layers.
2. Ventilation of the room should be carried out every 2 weeks to prevent air stagnation, the formation of an unpleasant odor and the development of pathogenic organisms.
3. Large vegetables keep better than small ones. In this regard, it is advisable to eat them after substandard food, which will not last long.
4. If there are no conditions for storing large quantities of leeks fresh, they can be pickled or dried.
5. Unwashed vegetables are preserved better.

During long-term storage in the cellar, the concentration of vitamin C in the onion increases by 1.5 times.

You will find a lot of useful and important information about the methods and conditions for storing onions in this section.

Video on the topic

The video will show you how to store leeks after harvesting:

Conclusion

Leeks are not very demanding on the conditions in the cellar. With proper organization of the storage process, you can have fresh vegetables on the table for many months after harvest.