The girasol, or earth pear – perennial plant, is cultivated as food and fodder crop. Tubers on nutritiousness exceed many vegetables, contain fructose, microelements, vitamins B and C.
Girasol storage techniques
The agrotechnology of girasol simple, culture undemanding to growth conditions, winter-hardy, can grow many years (30−40) on one place. Average yield of 250 kg from 1 hundred part. But it is not enough to grow up harvest, it still should be kept. Tubers of autumn cleaning are stored badly therefore it is optional to remove all harvest at once. For use during the spring and summer period, it is possible to leave part kluny in the earth and to dig out in the early spring as soon as snow thaws until they have gone to growth. Earth pear perfectly remains in soil, transfers frosts to 40 °C, does not need the shelter. In it vitamins and useful substances completely remain.
Autumn cleaning is carried out at the end of October – the beginning of November, after the first frosts. For winter consumption small amount of girasol can be kept in the fridge. Wash tubers, dry, decompose on packages and place in box for vegetables. At such storage technique vegetables will not be spoiled within 2−3 weeks, no more. Reliable storage technique of product – frost. Freeze the whole tubers or semi-finished products: the washed-out, cleaned, grated girasol packaged a la carte in bags.
It is possible to dry earth pear. For this purpose touch it, healthy rhizomes, without damages and decay are good, clean, cut on thin plates, lay on baking sheet and put in well aired place, without allowing hit of direct sunshine at all. If you dry in oven, previously blanch raw materials within 10 minutes in the added some salt water. At temperature of oven of 50−60 degrees the drying will take 3 hours. You keep dried product in glass container in the fridge.
Storage of large volumes
If harvest rich, store it in cellar or the basement at temperature of +2 °C of +4 °C in plastic bags. The girasol in the boxes filled with damp sand is well preserved. The dug-out tubers dry during the day, then put on storage. When there is no basement, dig out pole or trench, tubers place in containers and put in the prepared place, from above close coniferous branches, sheets of roofing material and cover with earth. For the shelter it is impossible to use straw, in it field mice winter, they are capable to destroy all stock. For the best safety the bush is dug out entirely and without shaking off the earth place in bag or box, the girasol remains fresh till spring.