At what temperature should vegetables be stored to extend their shelf life? Conditions and terms of storage of fresh vegetables, fruits and berries

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There is nothing difficult in the proper storage of fruits, the main thing is to follow some basic rules. They are in the following points:

• fruit quality;
• suitable storage space;
• purity;
• separate content.

Quality fruits are one of the most important components of long-term fruit storage. The fruit must be picked by hand and must not be rotten or damaged.

An absolutely suitable place for fruit storage is a well-ventilated, cool, rodent- and insect-proof room. Ideal if it is a cellar, basement or garage.

In addition, humidity is of great importance, which ideally should be around 80%. The most suitable temperature in winter is from 1 to 4°C, in spring and summer it should not exceed 12°C. Fruits should not freeze, because in this case they will lose vitamins, as well as taste and smell.

The cleanliness of the premises is a matter of course. If this is a cellar or basement, then it is advisable to disinfect and whitewash the walls. Wash and dry shelves and containers in which food will be stored.

It is good if the fruit boxes are sealed, but do not forget about their need for regular airing.

Separate storage is very important for some types of fruit, especially apples and pears, as they easily take on other odors. Moreover, apples release ethylene, which leads to accelerated ripening of other fruits. Some fruits, such as bananas, can easily spoil other types of fruits.

Where can you store fresh fruit?

In the dry zone, room temperature reaches about 18-20°C with characteristic low humidity. At home, fruits are most often stored on shelves in kitchen cabinets or in the pantry. This is an ideal place for dried fruits, but fresh fruits will not lie here for a long time.

The cold zone is a room with a temperature of 12°C and slightly high humidity. It could be, for example, a basement. It is great for successfully storing both fruits and vegetables.

If you do not have a basement at home, then the fruits can be stored on the balcony.

The cooled zone is a refrigerator, the temperature in which should be in the range from 0 to 5°C. This is the best place for those fruits that you are going to process into compote or consume within a few days. The coldest fruit storage area is considered to be freezer. In it, frozen fruits can lie for a very long time, but to the detriment of their beneficial properties.

In a refrigerator

Today, almost every home has a refrigerator. With the advent of this unit, we have long forgotten that some products can be stored outside the refrigerator. Moreover, some types of fruits categorically do not tolerate cold. For example, citrus fruits, bananas and all tropical fruits cannot be stored in it.

It is best to put fruit there that you did not eat the day before and are going to do it in the near future. It is better to put too ripe fruits in the refrigerator, because only he can save them.

Of the frost-resistant fruits, strawberries can be noted, they are not afraid of frost and therefore the refrigerator will be the most comfortable place to store them. The berry can safely lie there for several days, packed in small baskets. It is best to divide the strawberries into several parts so that they do not spoil.

In addition to strawberries, fruits such as apples, grapes, ripe pears can be stored in the refrigerator. In this case, the lower temperature limit should not be lower than 8 ° C, and the upper one - above 13 ° C. Sweet cherries, cherries, raspberries, currants, blackberries, blueberries and other berries can lie on the topmost shelf for no more than two or three days.

In the kitchen

The most popular fruit today is the apple. It can be seen on the table in almost any home. This fruit is ideally stored on clean wooden shelves so that the fruits do not touch each other. Leave a little space between the containers for air. This will allow the apple to ripen faster.

The storage place should not be heavily ventilated, as the fruit will quickly begin to dry out.

Pears can be stored in the same way as apples. Citrus fruits - lemons, oranges, grapefruits and others stay relatively fresh for a long time if wrapped in newspaper, placed in a box and stored in a cool and dark place.

How to store fruits at home

How to keep unripe fruit at home

For many fruit growers and traders, the favorite fruit is often the one that is able to ripen outside of natural conditions without loss of taste and quality. These fruits include apples, bananas and pears. Some fruits can also be ripened at home, but their taste will be significantly different from those fruits that ripen on a tree. This applies to pineapples, apricots, peaches and nectarines.

It is advisable to buy plums exclusively ripe, since, most often, they do not ripen at home and remain unripe.

Unripe peaches should be stored at room temperature from 2 weeks to a month, depending on the degree of ripeness.

How long and at what temperature can exotic fruits be stored

Exotic fruits are usually bought unripe and left to ripen at home. How long it takes the fruit to ripen depends on the conditions under which they will be stored. Their ripening can be accelerated by an apple that releases a special substance.

Simply put an avocado or mango in a paper bag along with an apple and leave it for a few days at room temperature. Pineapple ripens within 2-3 days.

Uneaten fruit must be wrapped in cling film and refrigerated for a maximum of 2 days.

In no case should bananas be stored in the refrigerator; the temperature for their ripening and storage should not be lower than 14 ° C. If the fruit is stored at a low temperature, it will adversely affect its taste and texture. You will recognize a ripe banana by the characteristic brown spots on the peel, which indicates the presence of fructose. Unripe bananas are hard to digest and have a starchy taste.

Dried fruits

If you regularly consume dried fruits, you should know that they have special conditions for proper storage. The most important thing for this product is humidity and heat. Therefore, it is best to store dried fruits in a dry place at a temperature not exceeding 10-12°C.

If you have stocked up on a large amount of drying, then it must be washed and dried again in the oven. This will help to avoid the risk of mold, which mainly affects under-dried fruits. Choose a special container for storing the product. Best fit glass jars or cotton bags. Don't forget about expiration dates. Dried fruits cannot be stored for more than a year.

In autumn, it's time to think about how to save fruit and stock up on a dose of vitamins for the winter. The most common ways are:

• Freezing.

This method is widespread not only in our country, but also in the USA, where 20 million families resort to freezing fruits without fear of losing their nutritional value;

• Canning.

It's comfortable and not very difficult process. In order to preserve your favorite fruits with high quality and tasty, you just need to follow certain rules;

• Drying.

Although the fruit loses some vitamins, flavor, and color during this process, it is one of the most popular ways to preserve fruit.

• Do not wash fruits before putting them in the refrigerator.
• Remember that not all foods need to be stored in a cold place, so they will stay fresh longer.
• If fruits are wrapped in cling film, their shelf life will increase significantly.
• Healthy fruits such as grapes are best eaten immediately.

Storing fresh plant foods is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. If you want to preserve vegetables and fruits for as long as possible, then you need to consider that some foods should not be stored together, in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

To keep fruits and vegetables fresh, remember the simple rules below.

Where to store vegetables and fruits at home

In a refrigerator: artichokes, Brussels sprouts, grapes, cherries, blueberries, mushrooms, blackberries, green bean, zucchini, cabbage, strawberries, leeks, leafy vegetables, raspberries, beets, celery, plums, asparagus, herbs (except basil), black currants, spinach.

In the refrigerator in the package: broccoli, peas, green onion, corn, carrot, radish, lettuce, cauliflower .

In the refrigerator, separate from other vegetables and fruits(release ethylene): apricots, figs, apples (when stored for more than 7 days).

On the shelf / table: pineapple, oranges, watermelon, basil, eggplant, pomegranate, grapefruit, melon, ginger, potato, onion, mango, tangerine, lime, lemon, cucumber, papaya, pepper, tomato, pumpkin, garlic, persimmon.

On the table separately from other vegetables and fruits: bananas, tomatoes, apples (when stored for less than 7 days).

Let ripen on the shelf and then in the refrigerator (separate from other fruits and vegetables): avocados, kiwi (does not emit ethylene, can be stored with other fruits), pears, nectarines, peaches, plums.

To keep the greens (or any grass) fresh, cut off the ends and place the plants in water (like flowers in a vase).

Let's clarify some points.

Why store separately

As soon as fruits and vegetables are harvested from the harvest, they begin to emit an unpleasant and harmful gas - ethylene. All fruits produce it, but there are those that produce it in large quantities.

If ethylene-producing plants are kept together with vegetables or fruits sensitive to this gas in a closed container or bag, then the process of maturation of the products begins to accelerate significantly, and therefore they begin to deteriorate faster. True, this phenomenon can be used for good purposes. For example, if you put an apple with unripe bananas or avocados, they will ripen faster.

To keep food fresh for as long as possible, direct sunlight should be avoided.

You should not leave vegetables and fruits in sealed plastic bags, this leads to a slowdown in ripening, and even to rotting due to the lack of oxygen and the accumulation of carbon dioxide inside the bag. Always give preference to eco-friendly packaging and storage containers - boxes, paper bags, etc.

If you want to speed up the ripening of any vegetable or fruit, then add an apple to it in a bag (1 fruit for every 5 - 7 pieces of the product). Due to the ethylene released by apples, the ripening process will accelerate.

Most likely, many are surprised that, for example, watermelon or bananas cannot be stored in the refrigerator. The fact is that the skin of bananas turns black at low temperatures. Watermelons lose their flavor and color when stored for more than 3 days in a refrigerator. Pink tomatoes ripen faster at room temperature.

Storing fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator

It is not worth washing plant products before sending them to the refrigerator, as mold may appear on their surface. If you have already done this, then dry them thoroughly.

Storage conditions fresh vegetables, fruits and berries

It is not enough to grow and harvest a good harvest or buy high-quality inexpensive vegetables on the market. It is very important to store or process them correctly, i.e. so that they do not lose most of the vitamins and nutrients. The fact is that even after harvesting, vegetables and fruits continue to live, breathe, and spend nutrients; and the quality of products and their safety depend on how intensively these processes take place.

The main drawback in the storage of vegetables and fruits is associated with the loss of moisture, vitamins, organic acids and carbohydrates. Therefore, it is necessary to create conditions under which these losses will be minimal. However, not all vegetables, berries or fruits, even if properly stored, remain fresh until the next harvest. As a rule, the more tender the product (raspberry, peach), the shorter the shelf life. For example, when storing garden strawberries at a temperature of +1 °C for 2 weeks not only deteriorates sharply appearance berries, but the content of vitamins is also reduced. At the same time, onions, under suitable conditions, can be stored without much loss for 6-7 months.

All types of berries, vegetables and fruits can be divided into 3 groups according to the shelf life.

So, among the vegetables are:

1. Vegetables with a long shelf life are represented by 2-year-olds, i.e. plants that produce seeds in the 2nd year of life. These are, for example, such root crops as carrots, beets, radishes, turnips and others; they also include everyone's favorite potatoes, cabbage, garlic,. Being at rest during winter storage, these vegetables continue biological processes aimed at laying buds, which will grow in spring, so the main task of any housewife is to prevent, firstly, germination, and secondly, the development of diseases. Under optimal storage conditions, such vegetables are able to reach a new crop with minimal losses;
2. Vegetables with an average shelf life include fruit vegetables (, cucumbers,) and gourds (,). In vegetables of this group, keeping quality largely depends on the degree of maturity at the time of removal and on the storage mode. Moreover, for various types of vegetables in this group, the shelf life is in a fairly large range - from several weeks for pumpkins and zucchini to several months for cucumbers. Therefore, it is more reasonable to process most of these vegetables into canned vegetables;
3. Vegetables with a short shelf life are mainly green crops: lettuce, green onions, spinach, sorrel, dill, etc. Their shelf life is no more than a week, and even then, subject to proper storage.

The same gradation in terms of storage exists for fruits and berries:

1. Fruits with a long shelf life are apples and pears of winter varieties, as well as grapes of late ripening. In good storage, they can lie without loss of consumer qualities from 3 to 6 months. Cranberries, citrus fruits, pomegranates and nuts are well stored;
2. Fruits with an average shelf life are the same apples, pears and grapes, only of medium ripening or, as they are also called, autumn varieties. They can be stored for about 1 to 3 months, so you should not stock them in large quantities, or put some of them for processing by preparing juices or compotes. The same group includes quince, mountain ash, cranberries, etc.;
3. Fruits with a short shelf life are represented by stone fruits (cherries, plums, sweet cherries, apricots, etc.), summer apples, pears and grapes, as well as almost all types of berries (raspberries, blackberries, currants, gooseberries, etc.). The shelf life of these fresh fruits and berries is a maximum of 1-1.5 weeks, so it is better to process them in the first days after harvest.

The keeping quality of berries, vegetables and fruits during storage depends on several factors.

Let's consider the most important of them.

By observing the conditions and terms of storage of fruits and vegetables, you can have fresh stocks all winter.

Potato storage

Firstly, for laying fruits and vegetables for storage in storage, varieties must be optimally selected. Late varieties have better keeping quality, therefore, preparation for storage of your grown products begins long before the fruits ripen.

First, carefully select varieties, both in terms of ripening and according to the growing conditions that your land corresponds to. When purchasing vegetables on the market, do not rush, buy at the time when the mass collection of late vegetables begins; By the way, at this time and the price of them is much reduced.

Beet storage

Second, follow right conditions cultivation. When cultivating vegetables, do not try to apply large doses of fertilizers. After all, not only the lack of nutrients in the soil, but also their excess has a negative impact on the safety of plant products. So, with an excess of nitrogen fertilizers, vegetables become watery and quickly rot. The main task of any summer resident is to grow healthy vegetables that will feed you all winter.

Thirdly, in order to keep vegetables and fruits fresh for as long as possible, follow the correct mechanical composition of the soil. The best vegetables are known to be grown in light, structured soils containing a high percentage of oxygen. This is especially true of root crops such as potatoes, carrots and beets. In such soil, it is easier for vegetables to develop and accumulate nutrients.

Such a factor as weather conditions, unfortunately, depends little on a person, but it must be taken into account when making supplies for the winter. Both damp cold and too hot dry summers have a negative effect on the state of vegetables and fruits. In the first case, grown products are susceptible to various diseases, in the second case, vegetables and fruits contain a low percentage of nutrients. Therefore, in the fall, think: maybe it is better to process most of the products (dry, ferment, salt or freeze) than to throw away in winter or early spring.

To store fruits, vegetables and berries in the winter, you need to create them optimal conditions, i.e. have a storage in which you can maintain the optimal mode. There are a large number of different designs of vegetable stores.

Before storing fruits and vegetables, first of all, the storage must be ventilated. Do not do this in hot summer weather, as the strong flow of warm air will cause a lot of condensation to form on the ceiling and walls. This work should be carried out in the autumn at lower temperatures, when it will not lead to the formation of excessive dampness.

Another important point on how to properly store vegetables and fruits is the mandatory disinfection of the vegetable store. Why can you burn a few sulfur blocks (1 block per 10 m3). It is necessary to work with them very carefully, adhering to all precautions. The saber is set on fire in the storage, placed on a metal stand away (no closer than 0.5 m) from flammable objects. Before ignition, vents, slots, etc. are tightly closed, and after ignition, the entrance is closed. After 2-3 days of treatment, the room is thoroughly ventilated. Sulfur checker will help get rid of not only various microorganisms, but also kill insects and rodents.

Also, the technology for storing vegetables, fruits and berries provides for whitewashing the ceiling and walls of the storage with lime mortar with the addition of a small amount of copper sulphate. Wooden shelves and drawers are best removed and dried in the sun, and then sprayed with a 5% solution of copper sulfate. If the vault has been frozen over in past winters, insulate it with Styrofoam sheets. This simple and inexpensive operation will have a positive effect on the keeping quality of the products put into storage, and first of all, potatoes, which, as you know, have an unpleasant taste and texture when frozen.

Temperature regime for proper storage of fruits and vegetables

Different types of vegetables and fruits require individually selected storage regimes, that is, the creation of conditions under which biochemical processes slow down in them, the activity of harmful microorganisms and bacteria decreases, which ultimately has a beneficial effect on the safety of products.

What does storage mode include? These are factors such as room temperature, air humidity, air exchange, air composition, light and product placement.

Under the conditions and terms, most vegetables and fruits are stored at low temperatures. Such a temperature regime provides slower breathing energy and, as a result, a lower consumption of nutrients and a decrease in moisture loss. However, in practice, this means constant temperature control, because lowering it even by a few degrees can lead to spoilage of vegetables and fruits. Best conditions storage is provided only at a constant temperature. Its sharp drops increase the intensity of respiration of plant products and cause various diseases.

In general, according to the temperature regime of storage, all vegetables and fruits can be divided into 3 groups:

• well preserved at a temperature of 0 ° C and a little lower: onion, garlic, white cabbage;
• well preserved at temperatures close to 0 ° C or slightly higher. This is the largest group of vegetables and fruits, which includes root crops, gourds, apples, pears, etc.;
• well preserved at temperatures from +2 to +10 ° C: potatoes, citrus fruits, tomatoes, etc.

Since the temperature regime for storing vegetables and fruits is one of the most important factors in the preservation of plant products, it is very important to choose the right temperature for each crop.

No less than the temperature, the humidity of the storage of fruits and vegetables is also important. This factor significantly affects the safety of plant products. On the one hand, in order to prevent the evaporation of moisture from vegetables and fruits, it would be good to keep them at 100% humidity, and on the other hand, such humidity is a favorable environment for the development of various microorganisms, including mold.

Thus, air humidity in the range of 70 to 95% is considered optimal for storing fruits and vegetables. Such a wide range of humidity levels is due to the fact that higher air humidity (90-95%) is required for storage of root crops and potatoes, but for onions and garlic it is much lower (75-77%).

The sources of moisture in the room are both vegetables and fruits themselves, as well as artificial sources that you can use if necessary, such as a bucket of water. On the other hand, if the humidity in the storage is very high, it is not difficult to lower it using a conventional table salt which is an excellent desiccant. You can pour about 10-15 kg of salt into any wide container or bring in a few red bricks, which will also absorb excess dampness.

It must also be remembered that at low air temperature and high humidity, sweating of stored products can occur, which will inevitably lead to the germination of spores of microorganisms and spoilage of products. There is only one way to deal with this trouble - the temperature and humidity in the storage must be stable.

For the correct mode of storage of vegetables and fruits, proper air exchange is important. Ventilation of the storage is necessary to remove excess heat and moisture, which inevitably accumulate when storing a large amount of plant products. Air exchange contributes to maintaining the stability of the temperature and humidity regime and maintains the optimal composition of the air environment.

Ventilated storage room for vegetables

The ventilation used in vegetable stores can be either natural or forced - it all depends on your choice and conditions.

Storage of vegetables and fruits under normal conditions occurs at a normal content of oxygen in the atmosphere (21%), as well as carbon dioxide and other gases. However, it must be remembered that vegetables and fruits during respiration, like all living organisms, absorb oxygen and release carbon dioxide.

With the accumulation of a large amount of CO2 in the storage (more than 10%), the quality of the stored products deteriorates, therefore, fresh air supply or regular ventilation is necessary.

There are several ways to store fruits in a controlled atmosphere, and one of the simplest is the use of synthetic polymer films (polyethylene, etc.). In bags made of such materials, in which the fruits are placed, a certain gaseous environment is naturally created, the concentration of CO2 increases and the oxygen content decreases due to the breathing of the fruits themselves.

To keep vegetables and fruits as long as possible, it is important to provide the right lighting. Storage of fruits, berries and vegetables should take place in a dark room, since biologically active substances, such as vitamins, are destroyed in the light. In addition, in the light, vegetables such as potatoes or carrots, when greening, accumulate a toxic substance - solanine.

How to properly store vegetables and fruits: preparation for storage

In the process of how to properly store vegetables and fruits, it is necessary to protect them from infection. Since various diseases can occur during storage of fruits, some preventive measures should be taken before laying them for the winter. First of all, you need to harvest in dry weather, then dry the harvested products in the sun and carefully sort out, setting aside damaged specimens that should be consumed in the near future.

Preparing for storage
Vegetable storage

It is impossible to lay products in cold storage immediately after these procedures. For proper storage of fruits and vegetables, the temperature should be reduced gradually to avoid temperature shock. Only around mid-October, when hidden diseases of the product will be revealed, and its temperature will be approximately equal to 8-9 ° C, it needs to be sorted out again and put into storage. Of course, these are average periods that depend on the weather and the climate in your region, but vegetables and fruits should be cooled for about 1-2 months.

When preparing vegetables and fruits for storage, the harvested crop must be properly dried and treated with protective fungicides to prevent fungal diseases. You can do this with an infusion of ordinary nettle. Why its stems are poured with cold water and insisted for a day.

Carrots are a rare exception among vegetables because they contain more useful substances than in cheese. According to Western experts, immediately after cooking, the level of antioxidants in root crops increases by 34%.

For high preservation of vegetables, it is also necessary to remove them in time, i.e., firstly, let them ripen completely, and secondly, prevent frost damage. In immature vegetables, a sufficiently strong shell has not yet formed, which is easily damaged during cleaning and transportation. As a result, they are poorly stored. Overripe products lose a lot of nutrients, often crack, especially White cabbage, which also negatively affects the shelf life. When harvesting, try to handle vegetables and fruits that you will store for long-term storage as carefully as possible. Be sure to sort them by selecting broken, cut, diseased, non-standard, etc. for processing or eating first. Subject to all storage conditions, you can get good results, in which the safety of the main vegetables (potatoes, cabbage, carrots and beets) will be approximately 90-95%.

According to the rules for the storage of fruits and vegetables, the placement of plant products in the storage should be carried out taking into account the specifics of storage of each type.

In addition, many types of products affect each other, which sometimes leads to a deterioration in their consumer properties. So, it is well known that keeping apples and potatoes side by side leads to the fact that the taste and aroma of apples become earthy, and therefore it is unpleasant to eat them.

Also, onions and carrots should not be stored side by side, as they have different requirements for air humidity. Potatoes and cabbage “do not get along” nearby, as they need a different temperature regime.

How to store fresh fruits and berries

Mostly only winter varieties of apples and pears are stored for storage. In this case, the fruits must be ripe, and this can be determined by the following signs:

• fruits have a characteristic color for the variety;
• fruits acquire aroma;
• the stones in the fruits are brown;
• the fruits on the tree do not hold firmly.

How to keep fruits and berries fresh for as long as possible? Remove fruits from a tree or bush in dry weather. They do this very carefully, removing the fruits along with the stalks and injuring them as little as possible. Usually, winter varieties have a wax coating, which is a natural protection against moisture and pests, so in order not to disturb it, it is best to pick the fruits with gloves.

There is an opinion, however, not confirmed by any research, that an apple eaten in the morning helps to wake up. Maybe this is not so, but the benefits of an apple for the body will be undeniable.

During winter storage of apples and pears, the transformation of pectin, the adhesive substance contained in these fruits, is of great importance. For our body, it is an orderly, because it has the ability to bind and remove various harmful and toxic substances, such as pesticides or radioactive elements. So, during the storage of fruits, the secondary structure of pectin is destroyed, the fruits become softer and tastier. Unfortunately, in the process of lying down, vitamins also begin to break down; the least stable of them is vitamin C, so that by the beginning of summer in apples and pears it is contained in 100 g of the product less than 1 mg%, while immediately after harvest it reaches (depending on the variety) up to 16 mg%.

What else must be remembered is that it is strictly forbidden to store apples and pears in 1 room with garlic, onions and potatoes. The specific odor emitted by these herbal products, it is very easily absorbed, which means that the taste of fruits will be hopelessly spoiled.

apple storage

Apples. Before storage, apples must be sorted by size and damaged by diseases and pests, as well as those that have mechanical damage, should be selected. Medium-sized fruits are stored longer, it is preferable to process small ones, as they fade quickly enough; but large apples, since they are more often affected by diseases, it is advisable to eat them in the 1st turn.

Fruits selected for storage are best stored in wooden or cardboard boxes. This will not only protect them from mechanical damage, but also create the most stable temperature regime. It is advisable to isolate the apples from each other by wrapping them in paper or by sprinkling them with any suitable material, such as husks, buckwheat husks, moss, washed and thoroughly dried sand, soft hardwood shavings, etc.

Sometimes apples are stored in straw, but this is somewhat worse, since when moisture condenses, it can begin to rot, which will inevitably lead to damage to the fruit. Small volumes of fruit can be stored in plastic bags, which are tied with twine and hung from the ceiling.

Before laying in storage, each fruit can be pre-treated with a 2% solution of calcium chloride or an alcohol solution of propolis.

Packed boxes with fruits are transferred overnight to a cool room so that the fruits are pre-cooled, and then placed in a permanent place in storage. The optimum temperature for storing apples is 0- +1 ° C, air humidity should be 85-95%. Stored products should be inspected from time to time.

storage of pears

Pears. Pears are stored in almost the same way as apples, taking into account only the fact that these are more tender fruits and they should be injured as little as possible. Therefore, pears are harvested only with gloves, immediately sorting them, wrapping them in thin soft paper and putting them in boxes. The layout is carried out diagonally, placing the fruits in such a way that the peduncle is in the gap between the fruits of the next row.

Pears are stored at a temperature of -1-0 ° C and relative humidity in a storehouse of 85-90% with good ventilation.

You can store pears in sealed plastic bags measuring 65x18 cm, just pay attention to the fact that you can fill them with fruits only after they have cooled to storage temperature. Otherwise, condensation will appear in the bags and the pears will simply rot.

Grape storage

Grape. Under all conditions, even such a delicate culture as grapes can be kept fresh. Particularly great damage to stored products is caused by mold, which affects both the berries and the comb.

How to store fresh berries, what to do to solve this problem? Let's describe it from the beginning. First of all, the grapes must ripen. They clean it in dry sunny weather, cutting off a brush with a piece of vine.

When laying the crop for storage, carefully inspect each brush, remove damaged berries. On the rest of the berries, try to keep the wax coating, as it performs a protective function. The grapes should be completely dry, so blot them gently with a soft cloth if necessary.

Before harvesting fresh berries, ensure the temperature is at 0 - +2 ° C at an air humidity of 90-95%. In this case, the storage should be well ventilated.

You can store grapes in several ways:

1. The brushes are put in clean (you need to fumigate them with sulfur) boxes or barrels, sprinkle with wood (preferably lime or poplar) sawdust and cover with lids. The sawdust must also be clean. It is advisable not to store more than 8-12 kg of grapes in 1 container. Instead of sawdust, it is permissible to take straw ash, just make sure that there is no admixture of earth or peat in it;
2. The brushes are tied in pairs by the legs and hung on poles so that they do not touch each other;
3. The brushes are laid out on the shelves, laying a 2-3-centimeter layer of straw under them. Clusters are laid out in rows one to one;
4. If you need to save small amounts of products, the grapes are stored in jars of water, lowering the brushes with their legs down like bouquets. A pinch of salt is added to the water or pieces of charcoal are placed.

watermelon storage

Melons and watermelons. This problem is relevant in the southern regions, where large crops of gourds are harvested. For storage choose freshly plucked ripe watermelons and coat them with clay mash with the addition of finely chopped hay. Then the fruits are dried in the sun and inspected. In the presence of cracks, the coating is repeated until the crust becomes whole.

Watermelons processed in this way are stored in a cool, dry place, shifting them with hay. Experiments have shown that in this case the fruits are well preserved until March. You can also treat watermelons with paraffin or alabaster and then hang them in nets from the ceiling.

Watermelons are stored well, laid out on the shelves with tails up, it is only necessary to leave a distance between them so that they do not in any case touch their sides. The duration of storage in this case will be approximately 2-3 months at a temperature of + 3-4 ° C and an air humidity of 80%.

Note: watermelons do not ripen during maturation, so only ripe fruits should be stored for storage. Melons, on the other hand, are just the opposite: they are harvested in a state of milky-wax maturity, put into barrels and sprinkled with dry wood ash. The main condition is that they should not touch each other and the walls of the barrel. A thick layer of ash is poured on top and hermetically sealed. The barrel is left in a cool, dry place. Thus, melons remain fresh for 3-4 months.

Melons of winter varieties are well stored in nets suspended from the ceiling, at a room temperature of + 2-4 ° C and an air humidity of 70-80%. However, you will need to constantly inspect the fruit, since even the smallest speck that appears on the peel can lead to rotting of the entire melon or make it taste unbearably bitter. The main condition: when storing melons, make sure that they do not have even minimal mechanical damage.

In stores selling fruits and vegetables, favorable conditions have been created for storing fruits, because they quickly disappear, which means that the director may lose a significant share of the proceeds. Such care for products is beneficial for the consumer, because only properly preserved fruit and vegetable crops are enriched with a large amount of vitamins and useful nutrients.

Technologists are constantly studying how to slow down the processes of decay and spoilage of fruits. Storage technology primarily depends on the present state of the products. For example, if they are not ripe, it is necessary to ensure a ripening process similar to that in gardens and fields.

Modern methods of storing fruits and vegetables

Technologists who are well acquainted with the methods of effective, long-term storage of vegetables and fruits can offer one of the existing options:

• build high-quality ventilation of increased power in the warehouse, then the fruits will not rot and rot;
• perhaps there is not enough refrigeration equipment in the room, designed for large square meters;
• the microbiological purification and air disinfection system has a good effect on fruit and vegetable crops.

The solution of issues related to the long-term storage of horticultural products requires further study and fundamental research. Methods and processes are constantly being improved, but so far mankind has not learned how to do without constant air circulation and refrigeration equipment.

By the way, we adopted the desire to stock up from our four-legged friends, only they bury the bones in the ground, and we bring food home and place it on the shelves of the refrigerator. Almost nothing changes from year to year. A certain breakthrough in storage technology can be considered wireless cooler bags, which are designed to keep cold temperatures inside the structure like a thermos.

Modern refrigerators also do not stand aside - now different systems offer several levels of food cooling. Technologists note the importance of keeping products in the best condition for 2 reasons:

1. Improving the technology minimizes cases of poisoning by missing dishes.
2. Fruits and vegetables are the foundation healthy eating, so you need to eat them every day, which means that purchase and storage for a long period remain almost the most necessary. For entrepreneurs, this approach is beneficial in that they do not have to travel for fruit and vegetable crops too often, which means they can save on transport costs and earn more.

Storage temperature of fruits and vegetables

Even when storing vegetables and fruits at home, it is important to know what temperature is optimal for each type of food. There are 2 benchmarks:

• relative humidity;
• temperature.

We asked technologists for data on how to preserve the most common fruits and vegetables for a long time. At the same time, a new crop is taken into account, properly packed, sorted and placed in the necessary warehouse storage, which can be a cold storage facility, storage for fruits, or a chamber for vegetables.

For ease of use of information, the information is placed in a tabular form. The recommended temperature values ​​are taken from the textbooks of American universities that train and graduate qualified young professionals. The times of the USSR are famous for the high standard of GOSTs, which determine the optimal storage conditions for fruits and vegetables, which is also indicated in the table below.

Approximate temperature for storing vegetables and fruits - table

What fruits and vegetables can not be combined with each other

Not all fruits can be stored nearby. There are completely incompatible vegetables and fruits, which, on the contrary, contribute to the emergence of negative factors that cause:

• speedy damage to each other;
• release of nutrients;
• loss of vitamins;
• odor absorption.

On the basis of compatibility, fruits and vegetables are placed according to the following rules:

• you can not put an avocado next to an apricot, otherwise the latter will kill the pleasant aroma of the first;
• it is unacceptable to spread onions along with figs, grapes, mushrooms, corn;
• most fruits and vegetables do not tolerate the neighborhood with polyethylene, not to mention the storage of food in plastic bags.

How to lower the storage temperature of fruits and vegetables

Even if fruits and vegetables are kept in refrigeration equipment, this does not mean that the temperature cannot be influenced. The cooling efficiency increases many times if you increase the air circulation blowing over the products. This method became the basis for forced air cooling, which is used by many cold stores today.

The essence of the principle is to make the cooled air masses move faster due to a high power rotating fan. In this case, it is important to follow the rule of the sequence of laying fruits.

Sometimes the refrigerator needs to be refurbished to be efficient, but if the refurbishment is not economically viable for the owner, cheaper cooling options are used. They can be portable and mobile forced air cooling devices. What needs to be done is to minimize water loss from fruits and vegetables.

How the cooling system works:

1. Drying of cold air in the equipment.
2. At this time, water vapor condenses on the evaporator, which reduces the humidity in the room. As a result, the product loses a certain percentage of moisture.

Another option for cooling fruits and vegetables is by hydrocooling, where the heat is released faster than with the forced method.

Let's start with a little chemistry lesson. Ethylene is an odorless and colorless gas that helps some fruits ripen. In some fruits there is a lot of it (for example, apples and pears), and in some it is negligible.

• apples,
• apricots,
• avocado,
• bananas,
• melon,
• fig,
• nectarine,
• peaches,
• pears,
• plums,
• tomatoes.

They should not be stored with other fruits and vegetables. Unless you want them to ripen faster.

For example, if you put a banana in a paper bag, it will ripen faster because the ethylene will be trapped in the paper. Or you can put an apple or a pear with a banana.

It is also worth considering the fact that ethylene comes out of the damaged fetus faster. As a result, one cracked apple can make the whole package go bad faster than usual.

What and where to store

After going to the market or to the store, you need to put what you bought in the right place. Otherwise, all efforts and money will be wasted.

Stored in the refrigerator:

• artichokes
• Beet
• Brussels sprouts
• Celery
• Cherry
• Grape
• Green bean
• Lima beans
• leafy vegetables
• Leek
• Spinach
• sprouts
• Zucchini

For refrigeration storage, you have three options: store unpackaged, in a plastic bag, or in a paper bag. The plastic bag keeps moisture inside, so it's best not to overtighten it or poke a few holes in it.

It is advisable not to wash vegetables and fruits before sending them to the refrigerator. If you wash them, dry them well, otherwise mold may appear, and this is not very good for other products and your health.

After maturation are stored:

• Avocado
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• plums

Store in water:

• asparagus
• greens

You need to store it in the same way as you would store flowers: cut off the tips and put in a glass with a little water.

Store in a paper bag:

• mushrooms

Do not wash and store in a plastic bag:

• Broccoli
• Carrot
• Cauliflower
• Corn
• Cranberry
• green onion
• lettuce
• Peas
• Radish

Do not wash and store, laying out in one layer:

• Blackberry
• Blueberry
• Strawberry
• Raspberry

The listed berries cannot be washed and put a large amount in one tray. The berries are very tender, and their skin is also soft. When washing, you damage them, the juice flows out and they simply turn sour. If you store them in small trays in one layer, they will last much longer.

Stored on the kitchen table:

• Apples
• Bananas
• tomatoes
• Basil
• cucumbers
• eggplant
• Ginger
• Grapefruit
• Lemon
• oranges
• Mango
• Papaya
• Pepper
• Persimmon
• A pineapple
• Bananas
• Watermelon
• Pomegranate

The listed vegetables and fruits should not be placed in direct sunlight or near the stove. From time to time you need to shift them from place to place so that the fetus does not lie on the same side for a long time. This is especially true for tomatoes.

Store in a dark cool place:

• Garlic
• Potato
• Pumpkin
• Leek

No wonder cellars are so popular in the villages. After all, it is in them that not only pickles and jams are stored all winter, but also potatoes, onions, pumpkins and garlic.