At what temperature should potatoes be stored?

Potatoes are one of the main vegetables that are used to prepare a variety of dishes. Every housewife has many recipes that use this ingredient. This delicacy contains vitamins and nutrients. In order to enjoy this vegetable for a long time, it must be provided with the necessary storage conditions. At what temperature should it be stored? potato? What should the conditions be?

Content:

• What do you need to know before storing potatoes?
• How to prepare a cellar?
• Preparing Potatoes
• How to store potatoes on the balcony?

What do you need to know before storing potatoes?

Potatoes are not a product that spoils quickly. But if certain standards are not followed, then this will lead to early damage. One of the basic rules relates to storage location. The room where potatoes are stored should be cool and dark. The sun's rays have a bad effect on tubers.

From them they acquire a greenish tint and secrete a toxic substance. The ideal temperature for storing potatoes is in the range of 2 to 3 degrees Celsius. This is the only way the vegetable will lie for a long time without losing its beneficial composition and properties. The room should be fairly humid - 87-91%.

How to prepare a cellar?

Often potatoes are left for storage in the cellar. But this is far from the easiest method, since this vegetable contains a lot of starch and water. This composition makes the task more difficult.Experienced gardeners give the following recommendations:

• It is worth taking care that the cellar does not overcool or overheat. You need to think about this even before the harvest. If the storage room is built separately from the house, then it is not afraid of overheating. But it’s worth protecting it from frost.
• Experienced gardeners advise building a cellar over the cellar. This is the kind of building that creates protection from the environment.
• To insulate the hatch, foam plastic or other thermal insulation material is used. If the cellar is deep enough, then it is recommended to build another hatch not far from the first. A cushion of air will be created between them, which will serve as protection from the cold.
• Foam plastic is also used to insulate the ceiling.

To create additional warmth, the cellar is supplemented with several lamps, which are placed in different corners. The owners will be able to turn them on themselves if they notice a drop in temperature. The purpose of such lamps is heating, so they are painted over with black varnish.

If the location of the cellar is under the house, then the main problem becomes excessive heat. In this case, the owners should build a split system. But this is an expensive pleasure. Therefore, it is recommended to lean towards a less expensive option - this is a compressor that is taken from an old refrigerator. A good ventilation system has a beneficial effect on the harvest. It will prevent early germination of potatoes.

Video on how to store potatoes:

To protect against excessive moisture, waterproofing treatment is done. It is also recommended to place containers filled with lime in the corners.Before leaving the harvest in the cellar, it is worth ventilating the room, cleaning it, treating the walls, removing rot and harmful insects. To disinfect the cellar, use lime whitewash.

Preparing Potatoes

Preparing potatoes for storage must begin from the moment the crop was harvested. Harvesting must take place in a timely manner, root crops should not lie for a long time in the ground. If you keep potatoes in the ground, then it will become saturated with moisture, which will accelerate its deterioration in the future.

After the harvest has been harvested, it is necessary to prepare the vegetables for storage. To do this, you should adhere to the following sequence:

1. Root crops are cleared of soil. This must be done carefully with your hands. Do not wash potatoes.
2. Drying. Tubers that have been dug up should be laid out indoors or under a canopy to dry. But it is necessary to ensure that the crop is not exposed to sunlight.
3. Sorting. All root vegetables must be sorted: put large and small potatoes separately. It is also worth postponing crops that have been damaged by pests. If the owners do not buy seed material, then it is necessary to separate the required amount of potatoes for further landings.
4. Collection. The sorted potatoes are moved into bags.

How to store potatoes on the balcony?

But not all people have cellars to store potatoes. What to do in such a situation? A balcony or loggia is suitable for this purpose. Their size plays an important role, since it is impossible to store a lot of potatoes in a small area. Boxes are ideal for storing crops. They must be made from natural materials.

You can construct such boxes yourself from boards and plywood.All walls must be double, and the space between the structure must be filled with foam plastic or sawdust. This method will retain heat.

If it’s too cold on the balcony, then you should put a couple of lamps near the drawers. The potatoes are covered with black cloth so that they do not acquire a green tint from the light. Specialized stores today sell boxes that are ideal for storing potatoes.

They already have a thermostat installed. Such containers will protect the crop from severe frosts. So, many owners grow potatoes. But in order to be able to enjoy this vegetable all winter, it’s worth knowing how to properly keep.