Fruit storage - harvesting, preparation and storage conditions.
The end of summer and autumn, this is the time of harvesting from fruit trees and their preparation for storage. At first glance, preparation for storage does not require special knowledge, however, there are rules. You should be aware that picking fruits for preservation for the winter should be phased. Fruits on the trees do not ripen at one time, for the preparation of compotes and jam, the fruits are ripe, and for fresh storage, they are picked a week before ripening.
Content
- Harvesting video
- Storage preparation
- At what temperature should fruits be stored
- How to store fruits video
Harvesting
If long-term storage of fruits is planned, it is important not to miss the moment, since it is better to start harvesting a week or two before the fruits fully ripen. Depending on the variety, fruits ripen in a certain period from July to late autumn.
Ripening does not occur simultaneously, it depends on the location of the tree, it is clear that apples on the south side will ripen faster than on the north side on the same tree. To conserve apples and pears, later varieties are selected, for example, Dekanka Zimnaya pear, Williams winter and apple trees of Antonovka, Aromatnoye, Moscow varieties.
Fruit to be stored must be undamaged. Fruit blanks for the winter will turn out to be unusually tasty from varieties of early and medium ripening, these are apples: White filling, Melba and pears: Juicy Kuban, Severyanka, Duchess. Autumn fruit varieties reach maturity approximately 2–3 weeks after harvest. The plum is collected for storage when it is almost ripe, keep in mind the fact that the plum can be frozen, it is fully ripened to freeze it.
Storage preparation
A room (usually a cellar) for storing fruits is prepared even before the harvest. About three weeks before storage, the premises are treated with an agent against fungal diseases and it is desirable to whiten the walls. These actions will prevent the development of mold.
It is advisable to choose a wooden box for storing fruits without painting and any other coating; in experience, natural wood preserves the crop better. When choosing a box, pay attention to its design, the main thing is that there are gaps between the lower and side rails. If you are going to store plums, choose boxes for these fruits with the required hole width in cm. Before laying the fruit, the container is cleaned of contaminants and disinfected with hot water or steam.
At what temperature should fruits be stored
How to store vegetables and fruits, at what temperature? Many gardeners face this question, try to answer this question. In the room for storing fruits and vegetables, a window opening with a window leaf or a ventilation system is needed, but it is better not to store fruits and vegetables in the winter, they have different temperature requirements. The ideal temperature for storing apples is from 0 to +4 C, for pears from -1 to +1 C. Therefore, it is better to store pears near an ajar window, especially during the warm winter.
If the thermometer shows a temperature of more than 5C, provide enhanced ventilation of the room, but in general, the air temperature can not be less than 0.5C. Basement ventilation not only helps to keep the crop longer, but also purifies the air of ethylene, which is secreted by fruits and accelerates their ripening. We also note that ventilation can also damage, an excessive flow of air dries fruits, they fade, and storage time is reduced.
The average frost resistance of fruits is -2 ° C, temperatures below -3 ° C lead to their destruction. Recommended room humidity is from 85 to 90%, with average temperature and humidity, apples are stored for 4-7 months, pears 3-5 months. (depending on grade). Low frost resistance of fruits significantly reduces the shelf life of fruits on the balcony of a city apartment.
How to store fruits
You can wrap a small amount of apples before putting them in a box with paper, or put a newspaper in two layers on the bottom and on top of the fruit. Crates of fruit are placed one on top of the other, but the very first crate is placed on a wooden floor to prevent apples from touching the floor.
Wrap fruit boxes with PE oilcloth, it will prevent moisture loss, slow down the aging process and protect against dust. Regularly check the humidity, it is possible to correct its lack with the help of barrels filled with water. Infectious diseases of apple trees and pears may not manifest themselves for some time, so do not forget to inspect the crop every month. Be sure to remove even fruits slightly damaged by rot or mold and do not eat them.
When it is not possible to store fruits in the winter in a special room, you can apply another method. Put the fruits (2-5 kg \u200b\u200bof apples or pears) in a 0.05 mm thick PE bag. seal tightly with an elastic band. Thus, a special composition of gases and vapors is created, they will prevent the ripening of fruits. The air formed in the bag contains high humidity, 10% oxygen and up to 8% carbon dioxide.
With such storage, it is important to try to keep the room temperature no higher than 8C, otherwise the humidity in the bag will increase, which will cause the development of fungi and bacteria. The first sign of increased humidity is water droplets on the walls of the bag. This storage method is ideal for private houses with a veranda, and the question of where to store the fruit remains resolved.
