Radishes are probably the very first vegetable that appears in the garden beds. It has a lot of nutrients and vitamins, and it will help out when there are no cucumbers or tomatoes. Especially if you plant an early lettuce radish, which can be sown as early as January, of course, under safe shelter.
But if it is not possible to feast on young radishes in early spring, then these root crops can be harvested from autumn. If everything is done correctly, the radish can last until the very winter, or even successfully overwinter.
How to prepare radishes for storage
During growth, radishes are well watered, so that it is saturated with moisture and becomes juicy. After all, from bad watering radish becomes hard and tasteless.
Radishes are harvested in the morning, while the roots are not heated from the sun. Crop harvested during the day, is stored much worse, because the radish, lying on the sun, can become sluggish. Beginning to fade radish to the touch will be soft and pressed under the fingers.
For storage, only ripe radishes are suitable with no signs of rot, with whole skin. By the way, a cracked radish says that the fruit has overcooked, and then it will be empty inside, which means that it is not tasty.
The best time for sowing radish, which is to have a long wintering, from August 1 to 5 (this is for the middle zone). When the radish is grown at late sowing, it ripens in about 6-8 weeks. Radish is ready to harvest when it reaches 2 cm in diameter. At this time, the roots are strong and crunchy.
How to store radishes in storage (basement, cellar)
The varieties of radish are well preserved: Dungan, Virovsky white, Chinese, Red giant. Radish is sensitive to mechanical damage, so when harvesting, as well as during its laying on the storage you need to carefully handle it.
Also, you can not send for storage even slightly frozen root crops.
Dig a radish in dry weather, then it will be less polluted with soil.
In a dug radish, they immediately prune the tops, leaving their tails 2 cm. If this is not done, the leaves will quickly evaporate the water and the radish will fade.
It is impossible to actively clean the radish from the ground, otherwise you can damage its delicate skin, and such a radish will not be stored for a long time.
In no case should radishes be washed before laying for a long shelf life. Otherwise there will be rot and other diseases.
The best temperature for storing radish is from 0 ° to + 1 ° with air humidity of 90-95%. To maintain high humidity in the storage, it is recommended to spill water on the floor.
Radishes are stored in dense boxes up to 20 kg, falling asleep with moist sand or peat. The sand should not be wet, but when compressed in the hand should keep its shape.
A layer of dry chalk or ash is poured over the sand. Due to its alkaline environment, radish is less susceptible to disease.
You can also spread radishes in rows on shelves and sprinkle them with wet sand.
To prevent radishes from spoiling during storage, sand is mixed with chalk or lime (1 kg of lime 50 kg of sand), but the lime must be extinguished, otherwise the roots will be severely burned.
You can use wet sawdust instead of sand, which helps keep radishes healthy, because the essential oils that contain sawdust have disinfectant properties. Claying is the least used method. To do this, in a metal container dilute clay mash to a creamy state. In this talker put the roots, then they are laid in boxes with slots that replace the sieve. The excess mixture is poured out through the cracks, and a thin layer of clay remains on the roots, which dries out and forms a solid shell that prevents the radish from withering and spoilage.
If for some reason these storage methods are unacceptable, radishes can be stored in tight plastic bags of up to 50 kg.
Bags are not tied, and vertically mounted on the racks. Carbon dioxide accumulating in bags helps preserve radish.
Radishes are also stored in boxes that are pre-covered with film. Such boxes are one on the other in stacks.
During storage, it is necessary to periodically check the quality of the raw materials, removing the rotted and wilted fruit in time. And also monitor the temperature and humidity in the storage.
How to store radishes in the refrigerator
At the radish they cut the tops, leaving small tails, and the roots are washed in cold water.
Then the radish is laid out on a towel and dried well.
Dry radish folded in plastic bags and, without tying, put in the refrigerator. You can pack and tie, but then it is necessary to make holes in several places for air circulation.
Radishes of early varieties are stored in the refrigerator for about a week, and mid-season varieties can be stored for 10-14 days.
