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Radish, like other vegetables, you want to keep for the whole winter. Unfortunately, this root vegetable is not as unpretentious and stable as potatoes, carrots or beets. It is quite problematic to keep the radish for the whole winter - it quickly begins to deteriorate. Therefore, many housewives use, in addition to traditional harvesting methods, freezing, drying, pickling and other methods.
Features of radish storage
In order for the radish to be stored for a long time, preferably all winter, you need to start preparing it for this even at the stage of harvesting. Experienced summer residents in the evening (or 3 hours before harvesting) water the garden area where the radish grows. In the morning, harvesting begins, removing the tops with a knife 2 cm above the root crop itself.
Late varieties are more suitable for long-term storage:
- Dungan;
- Red giant.
Also, other factors are of no small importance, for example, the temperature and humidity of the room where the vegetables will be stored. The most favorable conditions will be as follows:
- temperature from 0 to +4 degrees Celsius;
- humidity from 75 to 90%;
- lack of sunlight.
Based on the above conditions, the most suitable place would be a cellar or refrigerator.
How much radish is stored
If you approach the harvest correctly, at a temperature of +2 - +4 degrees, the shelf life of radishes under normal conditions is 2-2.5 weeks. To save root crops until winter and longer, it is necessary to create optimal conditions.
How to store fresh radishes
For long-term preservation, it is better not to use large roots. If the crop was harvested correctly, the tasty and fresh vegetable can be enjoyed for a very long time. For this, various storage methods are used, which can be found in detail below.
How to store radishes in the basement
Fresh radishes are well suited to storage conditions in the basement. Root crops should be properly prepared for winter storage:
- cut roots, tops;
- dry the roots slightly;
- sort out the crop, remove rotten specimens.
Place vegetables in clean wooden containers such as crates. Sprinkle with slightly damp sand.
How to keep fresh radishes in the cellar for the winter
The storage temperature of radishes should not be higher than +2 - +5 degrees, humidity - about 90%. Place root vegetables in dry boxes (plastic, wooden) in clear rows, sprinkling them with slightly moistened sand or sawdust. Do this in layers - each new layer of root crops must be completely immersed in the sand. It is necessary to maintain the necessary moisture in the sand all the time during storage, remove spoiled fruits.
How to keep radishes in the refrigerator
To keep the radish fresh in the refrigerator for as long as possible, it should be placed in a glass container, on the bottom of which you should pour a little water - 1-2 tablespoons will be enough.Place some vegetables on top so that the upper layers do not press too hard on the lower ones. Otherwise, the radish underneath will crack and deteriorate. Be sure to cover with a lid.
For storage of radishes, it is allowed to use plastic bags. Cut off the tops of root crops (do not touch the roots), leaving a couple of centimeters, then dry and pack. To ensure ventilation, do not tie the bag or make additional holes in it. Store on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator.
Another way is to store your radishes in vegetable drawers that are in every refrigerator. Prepare the container, it must be dry and sterile. Lay the root vegetables in a neat layer, sprinkle with slightly damp and clean sand.
Method for storing radishes in water
The next method will increase the shelf life of fresh radishes up to several months. Do not wash the root vegetables, just wipe them lightly to remove the dirty plaque. Pour boiled (chilled) water into a jar, fill it with root vegetables. Pre-cut the green tops. Change the water every 5 days.
Is it possible to freeze radishes
It is not possible to freeze radishes for the winter in refrigerators of the old type, as well as those with the "nofrost" system. The water contained in the pulp of root vegetables crystallizes and spoils the taste and other properties of the product. Therefore, after thawing, the radish is not suitable for consumption.
To prevent root crops from losing their properties when freezing, powerful freezing equipment is required. Freezing should be done at -40. Only in this case, all the properties of the vegetable will be preserved, since the water will immediately go into a solid state, bypassing the crystallization phase.
How to freeze radish with cucumbers and herbs for okroshka
There is another option for freezing radishes - as part of vegetable mixtures for making okroshka. It is a cold summer dish (soup) that is usually not cooked in winter. But some people love this dish all year round.
Additional ingredients here are cucumbers and herbs (onions, dill, parsley). Wash all vegetables, dry, and then chop into strips. Finely chop the greens. Mix the ingredients together.
Divide the mixture into portioned bags, the volume of which must correspond to one-time use. Freeze the vegetable mixture in a thin layer. The slices can then be stacked more compactly.
When preparing okroshka, add the vegetable mixture without defrosting to a saucepan with water (kvass, mineral water) and other ingredients involved in cooking okroshka. The shelf life of vegetable mixtures ends around the beginning of February. Some of the properties of radish, of course, are lost as a result of freezing, but the taste and smell are still present.
How to dry radishes for the winter
Although it is not customary to dry radishes for the winter, some housewives are engaged in such preparations and claim that it is tasty and healthy. Some people question the ability to eat dried radishes because of its irritating effect on the digestive tract. Therefore, this question is not completely clear. To figure it out completely, it is better to try to do it yourself.
In the modern world, drying vegetables has ceased to be a long and laborious process. For a relatively small amount, you can purchase an electric dryer, which will greatly facilitate and speed up this task. Root crops should be chosen whole, not spoiled. Wash them well, dry them, cut them into strips or thin slices. Lay out on trays of an electric dryer, which should be periodically changed in places for more even drying.
You can also use an oven, gas or electric. The temperature regime should be no more than +40 - +60 degrees. The drying process will take about 5 hours.At first, the oven doors should be slightly open so that the moisture from the vegetables evaporates more intensively.
Drying radish chips
Daikon white radish is most often used for drying. Subsequently, it is ground into powder and used as a spice. You can make chips from radishes. Cut the root vegetables into thin slices, dry in any way possible.
Ingredients:
- pink radish - 6 pcs.;
- sunflower oil - 1 tbsp. l .;
- salt;
- pepper;
- powdered garlic;
- ground paprika.
Take spices either to taste, or a quarter of 1 tsp. Preheat the oven to +165 degrees. Cover the pallet with baking paper. Grate the radishes with thin slices, spread on a baking sheet in a thin layer. Grease the top of each piece with oil, sprinkle with the seasoning mixture. Place in the oven for a maximum of 10 minutes.
Carefully make sure that the chips do not burn, sometimes it takes much less time to cook them. Then remove the baking sheet, turn the chips over, grease with oil and sprinkle with seasonings. Bake for a few minutes, then remove and let cool. Only then can they be removed from the baking sheet and transferred to a suitable dish.
At home, the drying process can be carried out in conventional and electric dryers, ovens (gas, brick, electric), in the air, under the sun's rays. To preserve the beneficial properties, for the sake of which, in fact, the vegetable is harvested for the winter, the optimal temperature regime should be maintained - from + 40 to +50 degrees.
The readiness of root crops is determined by a uniformly wrinkled surface, as well as a non-solid, elastic consistency. When you press the pulp, no juice should come out.
How to store dried radishes
The shelf life of radishes is significantly increased if the roots are stored in a cool dry place. As a container, you can use wooden, glass containers, as well as paper, linen bags, cardboard boxes. From time to time, the drying of the radish needs to be sorted out.
If high humidity has accumulated in the room and the packaging is not tightly closed, dried roots can become damp and moldy. If found, they must be sent back to a cool oven for additional processing. The container in which the spoiled product was stored must also be dried.
Conclusion
You can save radishes for the winter in various ways. Drying and freezing are simple methods available. Both the one and the other method allows you to maximize the beneficial properties of the product for a long time, right up to winter.
