How and where to properly store potatoes at home in an apartment

Potatoes are considered a unique garden culture, there are hundreds of dishes and folk recipes with its use. The main problem after harvesting is the question of ensuring its safety. In some summer residents, despite the long storage period, the tubers do not lose their quality characteristics, taste and external qualities. To get the result, it is important to know how to properly store potatoes in an apartment.

How to prepare potatoes for storage

To store potatoes at home, you need to prepare the tubers well for wintering. For collection choose sunny weather without precipitation. Half of the storage success depends on the quality of drying and selection, in which damaged and defective tubers are removed. To reduce the moisture level after backfilling, the potatoes are sprinkled on top with a slight layer of ash.

5 surefire ways to keep the potato crop in your apartment

Potatoes are stored not only in a cellar, but also in an apartment, which does not require spending time on the road to the garage. Today, there are several options, each of which allows you to save the harvest until the next harvest season.

Storing potatoes in the cellar

Storing harvested potatoes in a cellar is the most common for Russian citizens. The advantage of this method is the ability to provide a constant temperature regime in the room in the region of 2-4 C. This temperature in the storage room is considered optimal for the tubers. The humidity in the cellar should vary from 70% to 85%.

It is necessary to exclude the ingress of light, otherwise corned beef, harmful to humans, will be produced.

Before laying the tubers, it is recommended to treat the room 2 times with an interval of 1 week with a solution of salt or lime. Purchased plastic boxes are used for storage, or potatoes are laid with their own hands in a box made by themselves. At the base of the container, it is necessary to provide small slots ranging from 4 to 6 cm in order to facilitate better ventilation. Before reuse, boxes must be treated with a manganese solution and dried thoroughly.

A widespread variant of placing tubers in boxes without a lid. In this case, it is necessary to fill the tubers to a depth of no more than 1.5 m. In case of a problem of high humidity, it is recommended to lay out the floor in the cellar with sawdust, if desired, cover it with beams or a floorboard.

In the corridor or entrance

The crop stored in this way does not take up space in the apartment and is always in the availability zone. For this, a box is made into which potatoes are poured. The temperature at the entrance is always cooler than the house and warmer compared to the outside temperature, which improves the quality of the tubers and the duration of their use.

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The disadvantages of this method are the following points:

• inconstancy of temperature, which periodically rises and falls;
• short duration of time;
• the likelihood of theft;
• possible conflicts with neighbors.

This method is used if you need to leave the crop until early spring. Appearance and taste remain unchanged until the end of February or mid-March. Optimal for gardeners who do not have a cellar and are considering the option of organizing a place for potatoes in the entrance as an alternative.

In a drawer on the balcony

A box for storing potatoes on the balcony with your own hands can be made from ordinary boards, which are attached closely. Two items "matryoshka" are made, with a difference in the distance of the walls of about 5 cm. The resulting cavity is insulated with foam, sawdust or other material with similar properties. The lid for the container is also made double and insulated.

This method is suitable for storage in a glazed loggia and allows you not to lose the harvested crop even in cold winters.

Often they use a special household cellar purchased in a store. It is a thermal container made of modern materials and has an electric heating. What temperature potatoes withstand depends on the model and manufacturer, there are options for ambient temperatures up to -40 C. Stores sell cellars with a volume of 100, 180 and 300 liters, which corresponds to the number of 1 to 3 bags.

Small stock in the refrigerator

Storing potatoes at home in the refrigerator is suitable for a small number of tubers, and the correct storage temperature should be between 3 and 5 C. Convenience and simplicity of the method are associated with several pitfalls. The following factors are considered to be the main points:

• it is not clear in which container it is better to choose storage: in a plastic bag, it does not give oxygen access to the tubers, they begin to fog up and rot, and dirt spills out in the net;
• it is impossible to store a large volume of potatoes;
• with prolonged storage in the refrigerator, the process of converting starch into sugar begins, which negatively affects the taste and appearance of the potato.

Due to these features, several kilograms of potatoes can be stored in the refrigerator. It is recommended to make a stock for no more than a week, and during this period you need to eat it.

Storing potatoes in an apartment

The houses store supplies that are planned to be consumed in the near future. The average temperature in a standard apartment varies from 20 to 25 C, which is not suitable for storing potatoes. It is important to place it in a well-ventilated place, otherwise it will rot and cause flies to appear. The most common options are:

• pantry;
• kitchen elements, furniture;
• built-in wardrobes.

Often people strive to develop the interior design of the hallway in such a way as to provide storage space for crops and other items in everyday life.

Which varieties of potatoes are best stored

Early ripening potatoes spoil quickly, so these varieties are not used for long-term storage. For these purposes, species with a medium or late harvest are used.

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Potato varieties description and characteristics:

• Asterix is ​​a premium European variety, has a medium late ripening period and belongs to the category of table, has a red skin and yellow pulp, the average weight of tubers varies from 65 to 110 g;
• Atlant is a late ripening variety, has a coarse yellow skin and light yellow pulp, the average tuber weight is from 90 to 199 g;
• Scarb is a variety of Belarusian potatoes, has a yellow skin and pulp, average weight from 150 to 200 g.

The storage time of potatoes depends on many factors, and the same potato variety is able to feel great on the balcony and does not deteriorate at home. It is recommended that you try different options and experiment with different methods, temperatures and the most optimal method.

Common mistakes

Storing potatoes requires compliance with a number of rules, ignorance of which will nullify all efforts to grow the crop to nothing. Choosing the right potato variety is fundamental to successful storage. Tubers with an early ripening period cannot be chosen for long-term storage, even if all the rules are followed and "ideal" conditions are created, the harvest will remain at its greatest until November, significantly losing its original qualities.

Some of the most common mistakes when working with potatoes include:

• selection of low-quality raw materials - only healthy and selected potatoes have a chance to survive for a long time;
• placement separately from other vegetables - during storage with beets, moisture is naturally absorbed and the prevention of rotting of tubers, which has a positive effect on the result;
• use of natural conditions - potatoes require a special temperature regime and humidity, so the conditions of the apartment do not suit him;
• neglect of the bulkhead procedure - as a result of storage, the tubers rot, the manifestations of infectious diseases are possible, which ultimately increases the risk of contamination of healthy potatoes, only mechanical overkill can get rid of such a problem;
• content in bags - the method does not allow to sort the tubers qualitatively and does not imply air access, which inevitably leads to their spoilage.

During control sorting, not only infected tubers are removed from the storage area, but also those in contact with them. The appearance of a putrefactive odor and small flies indicates the onset of rotting and the need to sort out the crop.

Potatoes are always placed in a cool place, otherwise they will sprout quickly. The state of the environment is of great importance. High humidity and air temperature are the main threat, as the fruits begin to deteriorate, germinate or rot.