Experienced gardeners know how to properly preserve a plentiful turnip crop for a long time. It is important to prepare it correctly and comply with the conditions. About all this - further.
Selection and preparation of turnips for storage
As a rule, early varieties of turnips are harvested as they mature and are eaten fresh during the summer. For storage, select late varieties that are optimal in bed.
Harvest late turnips strictly before the onset of frost. The best time to harvest the root crop is the end of September, October. With a strong delay of the culture in the soil, there is a possibility of softening, loss of taste and further poor storage.
Determine the willingness of turnips to harvest will help observing the appearance of a vegetable above the ground. When the root crop is ready for harvest, it is shown on the bed, so pulling it out is not a big deal.
With dry and hard soil, they turn out turnips with a pitchfork or a shovel, carefully choosing root crops from the ground. The tops are immediately cut with a sharp knife, leaving the greens no more than 1 cm, and the petiole that was in the ground is cut by 2-3 cm.
The fruits are laid out briefly for drying in the fresh air, choosing a well-ventilated shaded area for this. If they lie under the scorching sun, they will quickly fade.
If you leave turnips to dry in the garden along with greens, then nutrients and vitamins will go to the top.
After this turnip is sorted out. The sides cut by the tool or the damaged skin are a sign of turnip rejection for a long lying time because of the high probability of the beginning of decay. From whole root crops, small and medium-sized specimens are selected. Large ones are prone to damage from the inside and unsuitable for lying, they can be eaten immediately after collection.
Turnip storage conditions
The optimal conditions for storing fresh turnips are quite strict: a cool, dry place with a temperature of not more than 4 degrees and humidity not exceeding 90%. When exposed to sunlight, the root crop withers, and rots at high humidity.
Under proper conditions, turnips are stored fresh for no more than 10-14 days, if these are late varieties. In a refrigerator, the root crop lives up to 30 days, a freezer - up to 200 days.
Methods and shelf life of turnip fresh
To extend the shelf life of the root crop, it is placed in special conditions under which it feels acceptable and retains its useful qualities.
In the cellar
Happy cellar owners can store turnips for up to 5-6 months. In winter, in the underground, the temperature is around 1-3 degrees, the humidity is no more than 90-95% (similar conditions of wintering are possible in glazed unheated balconies and basements of apartment buildings).
There are several ways to lay the root crop for wintering:
- Fold in one layer on the shelves. Turnips are covered with fir branches to protect against rodents.
- Place in cardboard or wooden boxes. Sand 2-3 cm is poured to the bottom and a layer of vegetables is laid out so that they do not touch each other. They fill it with sand and root crops again. The top layer should be sand and completely cover the crop.
- Place in tarred barrels. The bottom layer is made of peat crumbs, then turnips are laid, sprinkled with peat.
When stored in a cellar, there are a number of conditions that must be considered when stacking a crop. Contact neighborhood is fraught with the spread of rot if at least one root crop has been subjected to it. It is necessary to lay out the crop, taking into account the fact that from time to time it will be necessary to sort out and look at the vegetables in order to sort out spoiled fruits. In severe winters, the bookmark is covered with old blankets to prevent freezing.
In a refrigerator
In the refrigerator store early and late varieties of turnips. Regardless of the variety and maturity at a temperature of 1-2 degrees, turnips will last up to 1 month.
Before placing the fruits in the vegetable compartment, they are washed, dried and wrapped in a protective material:
- cling film;
- package;
- newspaper or paper.
This method of packaging will prevent the spread of rot throughout the crop, even if one of the roots starts to deteriorate.
Periodically, the fruits are checked for integrity and removed dubious specimens from the general container.
In the freezer
In conditions of severe freezing, the root crop remains suitable for consumption until spring after harvest. Prepare the fruits like this:
- Wash and peel.
- Cut into cubes or bars 1-2 cm.
- Dip the cubes in boiling water for 4-5 minutes.
- Transfer blanched pieces into ice water.
- Tilt to a sieve and leave to drain water.
- Packed in bags and laid out in the freezer.
In a freezer, turnips must be laid out portionwise - repeated freezing of this semi-finished product is excluded.
Turnip harvesting methods
In addition to the fresh storage of turnips, there are many ways of harvesting the root crop, which extend its useful and gustatory qualities. If, after laying for long-term storage, a lot of crop remains, it is worth spending time processing it to enjoy the vegetable at any time.
Dried Turnip
An alternative way of storing turnips is drying. For this:
- Vegetables are washed, peeled and cut into bars of 4-5 mm.
- Boil turnips with boiling water and allow to dry on paper towels.
- Lay the bars in one layer in an oven or electric dryer for 9-10 hours when heated at 70-80 degrees.
- After cooling, dry vegetables are distributed in rag or paper bags and consumed for six months.
Salted turnip
For salting root vegetables, you can use the old Russian recipe. Ingredients:
- 1 kg turnip;
- 1 kg of salt;
- 200 g of caraway seeds;
- some cabbage leaves.
Salt the root crop as follows:
- Washed and peeled turnips are cut into 0.5-1 cm slices.
- In a pan or jar with a wide throat, put a layer of prepared root vegetables and pour them with a mixture of salt and caraway seeds. In this way, all the components are laid.
- Cover the top with clean cabbage leaves.
- Pour boiled water into the container and put a heavy load on the cabbage layer.
- Salting is removed for 12-14 days in a dark place.
After the specified time, the turnip is ready to eat or as an additive in cooking.
Spicy pickled turnip
Savory lovers fermented turnips with carrots and chili. For this method, you need a minimum of components:
- turnip;
- carrot;
- chilli;
- salt.
They turn up like this:
- Strong brine is prepared simply - 2.5 liters of water and half a glass of salt are brought to a boil and left to cool.
- Turnips are thoroughly brushed and cut off petioles and roots under zero. Small and medium vegetables do not require cutting, and large ones are divided into 2 or 4 parts.
- Peel the carrots and cut them into large bars.
- Hot peppers are washed and freed from seeds, then cut into rings.
- In a large pan spread the carrots and turnips in layers, pouring pepper.
- After laying all the vegetables, pour the ingredients in cold brine.
- Put the load on the top layer and hide the pan in a dark place.
After 40-45 days, pickled root crops are ready for use.
Apple marinated turnip
If a lot of small turnips are collected, then this method of preparation will help to prepare the entire crop even after calibration. To prepare the product, ingredients are collected at the rate of 1 kg of turnip and 1 kg of apples.
Marinade is prepared in this way:
- 1 liter of water is poured into the pan and put on gas.
- The following components are gradually added to the water: half a glass of apple cider vinegar, 1 cup sugar, 10 g ground cinnamon and 2 tbsp. l salt. All slowly mix.
- The marinade is brought to a boil and removed from the heat.
- Cool to a cold state.
Turnip with apples is pickled as follows:
- Apples choose a tight dense variety, peeled.
- Fine turnips are thoroughly cleaned with a stiff brush, cutting off the tails.
- Put apples and turnips in a clean container and fill with marinade, covering with cargo. They put in a dark place.
After 2 weeks, the delicacy is ready.
Canned salad
Turnips can be rolled up under the lid and opened as necessary at any convenient time. For preservation of turnip salad with carrots, you will need the following components:
- 0.5 kg turnip;
- 200 g of sweet carrots;
- 1 medium onion;
- 80 g of bell pepper;
- a bunch of greenery;
- 2 cloves of garlic.
In addition, for each half-liter can of salad, it is necessary to prepare spices: salt and sugar per teaspoon, 1 tbsp. vinegar 4 things. peppercorns and bay leaf.
Preparation and preservation will not take much time. The process is performed step by step:
- Carrots and turnips are thoroughly washed and cut petioles. Cook vegetables on low heat until half cooked.
- Turnips and carrots are taken out of the water, cooled and cut into medium sized bars.
- Bell pepper blanched in a small amount of boiling water for 5-7 minutes. Chilled pepper is cut into small pieces.
- Garlic, onions and fresh herbs are peeled, washed and chopped.
- All ingredients are mixed in a large bowl.
- Half liter cans are sterilized. At the bottom of each jar put a bay leaf, peas and add vinegar. Arrange mixed vegetables.
- Salt and sugar are dissolved in water per 0.5 l of water, 1 teaspoon of each component. Such a composition is poured into a jar to the top of the salad.
- Capacities are put on sterilization. Each can is kept for a couple of 5 minutes.
- Glass containers are rolled up with sterilized iron lids, turned over and wrapped in blankets for 24 hours until completely cooled.
Honey Turnip Appetizer
Honey helps to give the root a new taste. To prepare such an exquisite dish for the winter, you will need the following components:
- 250 g of honey;
- 0.5 kg of small turnip;
- 0.1 l apple cider vinegar;
- cloves;
- 50 g of salt;
- 1 liter of water;
- 0.5 tbsp. nutmeg.
Preparing a snack according to this algorithm:
- Turnips are thoroughly washed with a brush. The top of the tops is cut off, and the tail is left on the vegetable. Lay the root crop in a container.
- Prepare the marinade. Water, salt, nutmeg and 3-4 cloves are added to the pan. The whole composition is brought to an active boil and honey is poured. The liquid is mixed and removed from the heat, left to cool.
- Vinegar is added to the cold marinade and the composition is filled with a pan with turnips. Leave the snack to infuse in a dark place for 2 weeks until tender.
Turnip is a useful and mouth-watering product that is used with pleasure both fresh and as an ingredient for cooking. Thanks to the seasoned storage conditions and a variety of recipes for the blanks, this root crop is able to please its unusual taste for a long time.