Leek since ancient times is the most valuable vegetable culture for Slavs. The people who are often eating leek have strong immunity and also have viral and catarrhal diseases less often. How it is necessary to store this useful product that it did not spoil and remained fresh throughout long time?
Advantage of leek
Leek, or pearl onions, is annual grassy plant which is cultivated on kitchen gardens and personal plots. It possesses excellent diuretic action at the expense of the salts of potassium which are contained in it. Besides, leek contains such vitamins as B1, B2, C, E, PP and carotene. It improves activity of gall bladder, liver, promotes improvement of appetite, helps at atherosclerosis, rheumatism, obesity, overfatigue and stones with kidneys.
All types of leek are famous for distinguished and gentle taste which is perfectly combined with vegetables and meat – as as garnish, so as independent dish.
According to data of clinical trials, leek significantly increases sekretorny function of glands of digestive tract, has anti-sclerous properties, is extremely useful at scurvy and mental overstrain. At the same time it is necessary to know that crude leek cannot be used at inflammatory diseases of digestive tract and duodenum.
In what conditions it is necessary to store leek
Some summer residents who are growing up leek on the kitchen gardens and sites are not informed of the basic rules of its storage which allow to keep all its vitamins and other useful substances. First of all, the crop of leek needs to be reaped in time – at the beginning of October or its middle.
The main thing to pick onions from beds before loss of snow which will not do this culture good in spite of the fact that she is not afraid of easy frosts.
Having dug out leek, having cut off roots and having removed the top leaf, plants it is necessary to wash up, spread out well them to fabric and to leave there to dry. Then onions it is necessary to crush, spread out it on plastic bags in the small portions, to hermetically tie them and to put in the freezing chamber. It is possible to use the necessary amount of the frozen leek at all seasons of the year, adding it to various dishes. One more practical place for storage of this culture are the cellar or the basement. After excavation of onions it is necessary to shake off the earth from its roots and to accurately put plants in buckets at the bottom of which there is a little damp sand. Leek for a long time will remain fresh and green if to prikopat it in this sand in vertical position, having completely submerged roots in the soil. The dark and dry atmosphere of cellar or the basement will complete your work.