At the end of summer, onions are harvested, so the farmer must think in advance where and how he will store the products. If you select ripe and not damaged bulbs, they will be stored until April. You can also make various tasty preparations from this product that you can enjoy in the winter.
Preserving the onion crop
Preparation for storage of onions is carried out in the summer. 14 days before harvesting, stop watering. So the bulbs will be removed from the ground accurately, without loss of roots.
You also need to think in advance in which premises the crop will be stored. Depending on your choice, there are several storage options.
Harvesting onions on a turnip
Harvest the onion crop at the turnip when the plant gives a signal: at this moment, the leaves of the bush begin to lie on the surface of the soil. When more than 60% of the feather is loaded, you can get vegetables from the ground. The optimal period for harvesting is mid or late August. Until this moment, the fruits actively accumulate beneficial substances in themselves and stop growing.
Important! The high grades are characterized by late varieties. Sweet varieties have a shelf life of only 1–1.5 months.
You can’t harvest the turnip in June or July - at this time the fetal neck is thick and will dry for a long time, there is a risk of rotting of the bulbs. If, on the contrary, tighten with the cleaning process, it is possible overriding products. The part that is in the ground begins to crack, so such bulbs are suitable only for the preservation and preparation of salads. They are not suitable for winter storage.
Bulbs are carefully dug out of the soil so that the roots are not damaged. You can not knock fruits on each other, throw them in a heap or perform other similar manipulations. This can damage the outer shell of the product and reduce its shelf life.
Drying onions
After digging up the vegetables, they are dried in the sun. To do this, they are laid out on a surface covered with fabric in one layer.
It is necessary to withstand the fruits at a certain time of day:
- in the morning (from 7 to 10 hours);
- in the evening (from 16 to 19 hours).
If you dry onions at lunch, then the sun's rays can create burns on its surface. This will significantly reduce shelf life - up to 1 month
Onion storage
During storage of onions, it is necessary to maintain an optimal level of humidity and temperature. If the room is moist, then the shelf life of the products will be reduced. The optimum level of humidity should be 50-60%otherwise the bulbs will quickly become soft and rot.
Did you know? The name "onion" is due to external resemblance onions with another vegetable - turnip.
Low and too high temperatures negatively affect the condition of vegetables. Bulbs can freeze (if the room is below + 5 ° C), and after a week they will be unsuitable for consumption (soft flesh and unpleasant aroma). Due to high temperatures (more than + 30 ° С), onions dry out and lose their juiciness. In order for the products to remain usable until spring, it is necessary to maintain the optimum temperature regime: from + 7 ° C to + 22 ° C.
It's best to keep this crop in the basement.. If you live in the city, and you do not have such an opportunity, then you can leave the products on the glassed-in balcony.
Weaving “wreaths” of onions
Wreaths are often called braids. Our grandmothers also used this storage method. First you need to select the bulbs. The longer the tails are, the better the wreaths will be tied.
Before weaving braids, you need to prepare a rope. Choose the length depending on the number of fruits selected. Phased weaving process:
- Take the bulb with a long tops.
- The rope is folded in half and tied around the base of the fetus.
- The second bulb is braided with a rope.
- Weaving continues with the addition of fruit.
- You adjust the size of the wreath yourself.
Video: Braiding onions
If you will store such wreaths in a conspicuous place, it is recommended to decorate them. Dry flowers, satin ribbons and dry vegetables are used for this.
Crate storage
To store onions in boxes, you need to choose a good capacity. It should be tight, not damaged. Choose boxes made of plastic or wood. Some housewives use wicker baskets. Products are laid out in 1 or 2 layers. Strongly layering the fruits is not necessary, otherwise they may rot. The optimal weight of the filled box should be 10 kg.
Keep boxes with bulbs in a cool dark place. Best of all, products retain marketability in the basement. If this is not possible, you can place the containers in the kitchen drawer or under the bed.
Did you know? The first mention of onions dates back 4 thousand years BC. e. It was first grown in China and Iran.
Grid storage
There is the most popular method, which is to use grids. In the XX century. stored onions in stockings, but the net storage method is better, because the fruits receive more air.
The optimal weight of the net with onions is 20–25 kg. Strongly ramming is not necessary, t. In the grid should be air circulation. In winter, store a filled mesh bag in the basement or on the balcony.
Winter onion recipe
Some housewives prefer to use onion heads for preparing homemade preserves. In this state, they are stored for several years.
To prepare these snacks you will need the usual ingredients that are in the house. The blanks are simple, so they are prepared quickly and effortlessly.
Whole Small Heads (Pearl Bow)
2 l40 minutes
black peppercorns
16 pcs.
Nutritional value per 100 g:
- Peel the onions, rinse them and remove the film.
- Pour them with cold water and add salt.
- Leave to infuse for 30 minutes. This will remove the onion juice, which has a milky tint.
- At this time, put 4 pcs in each sterilized jar. pepper peas, 2 pcs. allspice, 1 clove, 1 cinnamon stick.
- Put the onions in jars, let it brew.
- Add 2 bay leaves to the jar.
- To prepare the marinade, you need to mix water and vinegar, sugar, salt. Put it on fire.
- After the marinade boils, you need to fill it with filled cans.
- Close with sterilized caps.
- Cover the jars with warm jackets. They should cool in such conditions for 8-10 hours.
- After 2-3 weeks, you can eat pearl onions. Store it in the refrigerator or in the basement.
Video recipe
Important! You can make the workpiece with whole small heads from onion sets. Just do not use Dutch varieties, as they are processed with chemicals.
Pickled red
1 l 20 minutes
Nutritional value per 100 g:
- Chop peeled onions on a grater with rings.
- Transfer the onions to a deep bowl.
- To prepare the brine, mix vinegar, boiled cold water, sugar and salt.
- Pour the chopped onion with brine.
- Put in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Salty onions (without sterilization)
1 l30 minutes
Nutritional value per 100 g:
- Clean the heads and divide each into 2 parts.
- Put in jars, filling to the brim.
- Pour 4 tbsp into each container. l salt and 2 tbsp. Sahara.
- After 20 minutes, add 25 ml of vinegar (9%) to the jar.
- Boiling water (temperature should be from + 90 ° С to + 95 ° С) fill the containers.
- Close the tin lids.
- Leave to cool for 10 hours in an upright position.
- After cooling, transfer to a permanent storage location.
In tomato sauce
1 can for 0.5 L40 minutes
sunflower oil
2 tbsp. l
Nutritional value per 100 g:
- Peel the bulbs and rinse.
- Cut them into rings 3-4 mm thick.
- Grind the parsley and add to the rings.
- In a pan, heat the oil mixed with tomato juice.
- Add sugar and salt to the mixture. Stir for 10-15 minutes.
- Pour in the vinegar, stir and remove from heat after 1 minute.
- Pour onion mixture and mix.
- Place the pickled onions in a sterilized jar and cover with a tin lid.
- Sterilize the jar with the contents for 10 minutes. To do this, put it in a container with boiling water, standing on low heat.
- Roll up the container and let it cool at room temperature.
Pickled onions (without sterilization)
3 cans of 1 l30 minutes
Nutritional value per 100 g:
- Peel the onions and split each head in half.
- Put the halves in a jar, fill with boiled cold water and add spices.
- Cover the can with a tin lid, but do not twist it.
- Place a small load (up to 200 g) on top.
- Place the container in a cold, dark storage room.
Features of storage of blanks
Billets should be stored in a cold place, which does not get sunlight. The best option is a basement. In such a room, the temperature is stable, so the products will not deteriorate.
City residents can store blanks in the pantry, under the bed or in the dark corner of the balcony. If you opened the jar, then the shelf life of the dish is reduced to 5-7 days.
So, now you know the basic principles of storing onion crops. There are several ways to store onions in the winter. You can save it both fresh and as blanks.
