After harvesting of potatoes many gardeners ask question of its correct storage. How does it need to be done that vegetables were stored during all winter period?
Different grades of potatoes are stored differently. This indicator is called lezhkost. At each grade it significantly differs. Also potatoes lezhkost is strongly influenced by weather patterns of cultivation of these vegetables. If the summer was rainy and cool, then tubers will be stored much worse.
It is also necessary for few weeks before harvesting to mow tops of vegetable that tubers were not infected with phytophthora. In that case they quickly will begin to decay.
Right after cleaning of potatoes it is displayed thin layer in the dark dry room at temperature no more than 18 degrees. Within 3 weeks on tubers symptoms of all possible diseases have to be shown. Such potatoes are sorted and eaten first of all. And healthy tubers remove on permanent storage in cellar or the basement.
In storage the ventilation has to be equipped. Potatoes should breathe. If oxygen will be not enough, then tubers will begin to blacken with core and the most part of harvest will die.
It is the best of all to store potatoes in wooden boxes or baskets. So tubers are provided with necessary oxygen and well aired. Also for this purpose it is possible to use mesh bags.
Storage conditions of fresh potatoes
Air humidity has to be in any room where these vegetables will be stored, ranging from 85 up to 92%. At higher humidity the tubers begin to sprout, and at lower – fade.
Temperature condition at long storage within 7-9 months of vegetables has to be from +2 to +4 degrees. At smaller storage lives temperature can be 2-3 degrees higher.
If tubers were long stored at temperature close to zero degrees, then in them sugar accumulates and they lose the taste. Therefore before consumption potatoes need to be matured at temperature of +15 degrees during couple of days. It will help to restore tastes of potatoes, and sugar will pass into starch again.
At observance of all these basic rules of storage of potatoes, it will remain fresh still very long time.