15 tricks to help keep fruits and vegetables fresh for a long time

How to freeze radishes for the winter

Next, we will talk in detail about the most popular ways to preserve vegetables - we will present to your attention recipes for preparing radishes for the winter, including freezing in several ways.

In the package

The method is good for those who have access to an industrial freezer - it contains the temperature required for freezing, -40°C.

Freezing algorithm:

1. Cut the radishes in half.
2. Pack in a special freezer bag and tie it.
3. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
4. Remove the bag after 10 minutes.
5. Transfer to a regular freezer.

What is needed is stress freezing before long-term storage. If you do not have this opportunity, then it is better to preserve radishes in another way. Otherwise, when defrosting, you risk getting just a porridge-like mixture with no taste.

If for some reason you need to freeze radishes for only 4-5 days, then a regular freezer will do. Don't forget to release the air from the bag.

In a jar of water

This method is simpler and accessible to everyone. But you can save radishes only for 1-1.5 months:

1. Take a dry and clean 0.5 liter jar.
2. Fill it with boiled water at room temperature.
3. Trim the tops and stems of the radishes.
4. Add vegetables to a jar of water.
5. Put it in the refrigerator.
6. Renew the water every 4 days.

The method is not bad, but it will not preserve radishes for a long time. In addition, a significant part of the vitamins will be lost within a week.

Along with the tops

This way you can preserve radishes for a week:

Shake the dirt off the radishes and go over the fruits with a damp cloth. Gather vegetables into small bunches. Don't cut off the tails. Place the bundle in a container of water

It is important that the tops are constantly moistened. The vitamin composition will not change much in a week, the taste will remain the same if you do not dry the tops

But let us repeat that such vegetables will not last longer than a week.

The vitamin composition will not change much in a week, the taste will remain the same unless you dry the tops. But let us repeat that such vegetables will not last longer than a week.

Terms for collecting root crops for storage

Storing radishes for the winter begins after harvesting. Since it is better to use mid-ripening and late-ripening varieties, radishes are harvested in late summer or early autumn. In order to successfully preserve the harvest, it is recommended:

• Harvest gradually, setting aside several days for this. But it is important to do this on time - ripe root crops begin to flake in the soil.
• Water the crops several hours before harvesting.
• Cope with fall radishes before the first frost.
• Choose medium-sized fruits.

Well-stored radish varieties

How to store radishes

For radishes, after they have been harvested, there is no need to cut off the tops and roots, since after this the shelf life is noticeably reduced to only 6 hours, and after that it will wither and become unpalatable. If the tops of a radish that has just been collected from the garden are cut at a distance of 3 centimeters from the root crop, then it can be preserved for a week. If you pack the product in a plastic bag and place it in the refrigerator compartment, it will not change its taste for a long time.

Radishes of only such varieties as Red Giant and Dugansky can be stored for several months. The harvested crop can be stored in a cellar or refrigerator.

In many countries, when storing radishes, the method of canning is practiced. Vegetables are cut into thin circles, various spices and herbs are added, and marinade is poured over them.

And in Japan they make chips from radishes. Root vegetables are cut into thin strips and dried in the oven. In this form, they can be stored for a very long time, especially if they are packaged in paper bags or glass containers.

How to store radishes for the winter

Radishes that are planned to be stored for a long time are dug up in dry and sunny weather so that the fruits are free of contamination. When cleaning from soil and dirt, you must do this very carefully so as not to damage the skin of the root crop.

When collecting these vegetables, transporting and preparing for storage, it is necessary to handle them with care, due to the fact that they are easily damaged.

Do not store spoiled or frozen vegetables.

For winter storage, it is better to place radishes in a cold cellar or basement so that the temperature does not rise above +3 degrees and the humidity does not exceed 90%. Also, the room must be protected from rodents and pests, it must be dry to eliminate the risk of mold and mildew.

To prevent radishes from spoiling during storage, they need to be dried, tops and roots cut off, and sorted. Place in dry boxes and cover with a little sand or sawdust, which have antiseptic properties and protect vegetables during storage. The fruits must be whole, without cracks or foreign spots.

During storage, check the radishes from time to time for spoilage and promptly get rid of such elements.

How to store radishes in the refrigerator

In order to keep radishes in the refrigerator longer, you can place them in a glass container with a lid - pour 1-2 tablespoons of water into it and place a small amount of vegetables, and then cover with a lid. You can place the radishes in a plastic bag and place them in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf.

You can store radishes in the refrigerator under these conditions for 5-10 days.

How to store radishes in the freezer

To keep radishes as long as possible, they can be frozen. However, household refrigerators are not suitable for proper freezing, since the temperature in them does not drop below -25 degrees, and under the influence of moisture, radishes can deteriorate and lose their beneficial properties.

You can store radishes in the freezer for several months.

How to Store Radishes at Room Temperature

To store radishes at room temperature, you need to find a cool, dry place for them. Radishes whose roots and tops have been cut begin to deteriorate within 5-6 hours. In other cases, radishes may remain suitable for 3-4 days.

How to store sliced ​​radishes

A cut vegetable very quickly becomes unusable and dries out. Just 2-3 days are enough for radishes to become unfit for consumption. It is best to cut this fruit before preparing dishes so that it does not lose its appearance, taste and benefits.

Cultivation, harvesting, storage

The variety, cultivation method and harvest time affect the shelf life of radishes. To preserve root crops for a long time, they need to be grown in a special way: with different sowing dates, using special varieties, with abundant watering.

Late-planted fruits are best preserved. The optimal planting time is from mid-July. September radishes can be kept in the ground down to -5 degrees. This will be a natural storage for radishes.

Harvesting should be done after 2 - 3 days of heavy watering. Radishes are harvested in the morning, before the sun is at its zenith. This must be done so that it does not lose moisture. The tops must be removed immediately and small tails from 1 to 4 cm should be left.

Cellar storage

The cellar is the best place for fresh radishes, taking into account ventilation, temperature and darkness. One of the important conditions is to treat the room with burning sulfur, followed by thorough ventilation.

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For storage, medium-sized tubers are selected, about 2 cm in diameter, without damage or rot.

The variety and time of harvest play a big role in the duration of storage - late-ripening species last longer. Purchased radishes are stored for less time than those collected at home.

To preserve the harvest in the cellar, you need up to +1°C and humidity up to 95% with ventilation. If these conditions are met, the root crop can retain its taste for a long time, up to several months.

After the preparatory work, the harvest is placed in boxes, the bottom of which is covered with wet sand or peat. Each layer is also poured.

The material of the boxes does not matter; you can use plastic or wood

The top sand layer should be wet, you need to pay attention to this and sometimes spray it with water. The humidity in the cellar also needs to be maintained.

It is possible to save the harvest in bags with an untied top or in boxes with a lined bottom, which are placed on top of each other to save space. Root crops in storage are periodically inspected and vegetables showing signs of spoilage are removed.

There is a method of preservation that is rarely used today, when the root crop is dipped in a mixture of clay and water, allowed to drain and placed in boxes with holes for ventilation. In this form, the vegetable will be juicy and tasty until spring. Clay reduces the evaporation of moisture from the pulp and the lack of light.

Traditional methods of storing radishes

Housewives do not want to leave waste, so they either dry the radishes or freeze them.

You can make dried radishes into chips. They can be stored anywhere. Cook with them different dishes with meat, vegetables, soups.

How to do:

• Rinse the radishes.
• Cut into circles and blanch for 1 minute. Salt the water.
• Place on a paper towel and blot dry.
• Place in an electric dryer or oven.
• Place in prepared containers and store indoors.

You can also store radishes frozen. Root vegetables are cut into small pieces or grated. They are used in sauces, side dishes, soups, and gravies. Mushroom powder and sour cream go well with them.

Preparation methods for preserving greenery in winter

Greenery is harvested during the period of active plant growth. Overripe and yellowed parts of them are of little use for this. It is better to choose young grass that has not reached its full biological maturity. It contains the maximum amount of useful substances. There are several ways to store herbs and salad vegetables.

These include:

• Freezing,
• drying,
• pickling,
• pickling,
• pouring oil.

Each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages, but not all of them are suitable for all types of green plants.

Freezing in the freezer

This is perhaps the most popular way of harvesting and storing greens for the winter. It requires the product itself and a good freezer. This way you can preserve not only herbs, but also spinach, sorrel, and wild garlic. At the same time, they retain not only vitamins, but also their natural color. Cut the washed and dried grass into pieces. Some housewives grind it with a blender. Place the prepared product in plastic containers. In their absence, we use cling film, in which we wrap the chopped herbs in portions (depending on the future purpose of the greens in the dish). When using the product directly frozen, throw it into the future dish before finishing its preparation.

Drying greens in different ways

This is one of the old and common ways of harvesting and storing greens for the winter. Its main advantage is that it harvests a large volume of plants and does not require any additional conditions for their storage. Dried herbs also take up little space. The disadvantage of this method is that the greens lose a little of their taste and color.

Drying is suitable for harvesting dill, parsley, cilantro, and basil. Selected, washed and dried greens can be dried in special dryers, which are now often sold in hardware stores. They significantly speed up the drying process. You can prepare plants using the old fashioned method. Chop the grass with a knife and place it on a dry tray or baking sheet and cover with gauze. Dry it in a dry and shaded place, stirring occasionally. Store dry herbs in a linen bag or jar with a lid.

Pickling greens in jars

This method of harvesting and storing plants is applicable to almost any greenery, including spinach, sorrel and wild garlic. Its disadvantage: the product changes color over time. When preparing a dish, you should salt it after using the herbs, otherwise it may be too salty. We prepare the plants as described above. Place the greens in a bowl and sprinkle with coarse salt, thoroughly mixing the whole mass. Place the prepared product in glass jars, carefully compacting the mass. Cover the jars with plastic lids. We store the preparations for the winter in the refrigerator or in cool basements.

Marinating in jars

Pickling herbs for the winter is not so popular, since it causes the preparations to lose vitamins. When used, such a product can slightly change the taste of the finished dish. We store jars of the finished product in winter in any pantry, and not in the refrigerator.

We place the properly prepared greens tightly in glass jars, sterilizing the latter. For the marinade we use (per 1 liter of water): a couple of tbsp. l. table vinegar (9%) and salt and sugar - 1 tbsp. l. We dilute these ingredients in clean water and bring it to a boil. Fill the jars with marinade. We sterilize the jars with the product and seal them with metal lids.

Filling with oil

This method is not so popular because it requires a lot of refined vegetable oil. When using such preparations for the winter, the most important thing is to remove excess vegetable oil in time, otherwise the dish in which they will be used may turn out to be very greasy. Place the prepared greens tightly in a clean glass container and fill them with oil. We seal the jars with plastic lids and put them in the refrigerator. In order for the vegetable oil to retain its quality for a very long time during storage, add 2-3 pieces of dried beans to the jars.

Storage tips

1. Fruits can be stored longer if the tops are not cut off with a knife, but broken off by hand so that a portion of at least 2 cm remains.
2. When radishes are stored for a very long time, they become too hard with a fibrous structure.
3. It is advisable not to leave very large fruits for storage, but to use them immediately. They may be overripe and have poor taste.
4. Trying to preserve radishes that have been frozen or begun to rot is useless.
5. You should not rub the radishes vigorously to remove stuck soil. This can damage the skin, which will significantly reduce its freshness time.
6. Do not wash this vegetable before storing so that moisture does not cause the formation of rot and mold.

To be able to eat salads with fresh radishes throughout the winter, you should choose the right variety and follow the recommendations given in this article.

Where and how to store

The place and storage conditions depend on the expected duration. You can keep fresh radishes on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for several days; they will remain fresh and will not lose their qualities, either taste or health. Usually, to store it in the refrigerator, it is washed, after cutting off the leaves and roots, then dried with a towel, and placed in a plastic bag. Root vegetables will evaporate moisture; if it collects inside the bag, they will rot. To prevent this from happening, use a bag with holes for air circulation. There is another way: close the bag tightly and put paper napkins inside. The napkins absorb excess moisture and are changed periodically. The harvest of early varieties is stored this way for a week, of later varieties – two or even three weeks.

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You can store peeled radishes on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for several weeks using a jar of boiled water. This will prevent drying out and will not make the root vegetables sluggish, but the water (it will have to be changed) will take away many useful substances, and the taste will fade somewhat and become less distinct. For better preservation, salt or vinegar is added to the water, but this also affects the taste.

We are used to freezing many vegetables, but this method is unlikely to work for radishes. This is explained by the fact that the moisture inside the turnips freezes quite slowly in our household freezers, it crystallizes and breaks the fibers. After defrosting, such radishes will no longer be crispy and tasty; they will lose not only their appetizing texture, but also their unique taste. With industrial fast freezing, this does not happen because air is used, cooled to -40 degrees. This method cannot be used for storing country produce.

Many summer residents do conservation. This method is very popular in other countries. In Mexico, China, and Japan, radishes are pickled and preserved with the addition of various spices. Root vegetables are cut into circles, slices, or simply cut on one side to create a half-opened bud and placed in the marinade. The simplest marinade consists of water, salt, sugar and vinegar. The chopped radishes are poured with the prepared liquid, and the jars are sterilized.

The Japanese turn their giant “Daikon” into dry kiriboshi with a sweet-spicy taste, that is, they cut the vegetable into thin long strips and dry it in the oven. They taught the world how to make radish chips. Chips and kiriboshi can be stored for many months by storing them in glass jars or double paper bags.

The air temperature in the room should be kept between 0 and +3 degrees, and humidity – 90–95%. Of course, the basement or cellar must be clean, disinfected, and free from fungus and rodents.

Root vegetables can be placed in rows in a wooden box, filling each row with sand. The sand should be slightly damp, which means if you take a handful of sand in your hand, squeeze it, and then open your palm, the sand will retain its shape. Finally, chalk or slaked lime is sometimes poured on top of the sand. Some people recommend adding chalk, wood ash or slaked lime to the sand - an alkaline environment will help preserve the harvest. Up to 20 kg of radishes are placed in each box, so they will be perfectly preserved until mid-winter, or even longer.

Instead of sand, radishes are perfectly stored in sawdust. Phytoncides, which are present in the essential oils of wood, prevent rot from developing, and if you maintain the general humidity of the room, the root crops will not lose moisture.

You can scatter radishes on the cellar shelves, covering them with sand or sawdust on top - this is the same method, only without boxes. As a last resort, the entire harvest can be placed in large plastic bags and closed tightly. Of course, bags will not help preserve vegetables all winter, but in a couple of months the turnips will not become completely flabby.

The harvest stored in the cellar must be closely monitored, checked and removed those turnips that have begun to rot or wither. To maintain humidity, you should keep water there in an open container or simply pour it on the floor frequently. The harvest of late varieties of radish can be preserved until mid-winter.

Radish storage conditions

Moisture. If you use water, your radishes will stay juicy, crisp, and delicious for 3 to 4 weeks.

Dry places (refrigerators, cellars). They have a suitable microclimate. The shelf life of early root crops will be from 10 to 15 days. Late ripening - up to 60 days.

Temperature conditions. Radishes will lie at 20 - 25 degrees for 2 to 4 days. Late-ripening root vegetables are stored for several weeks and even six months at +3 - +5 degrees. In cellars with forced air hoods, radishes will do well for several months at 0 - +2 degrees.

Important! At -10 degrees and below, root vegetables lose their structure, taste, and become fibrous.

Cleanliness in the refrigerator

The main rule that not only the housewife herself, but also all household members must follow is keeping the refrigerator clean. Proper care using special products will extend the life of the refrigerator, provide a pleasant smell inside it, and also keep food fresh for a longer time.

A clean refrigerator is not only beautiful, but also very useful. It is recommended to wash all shelves once a month and wipe them dry, as well as defrost the device itself (if indicated in the instructions).

The recommendations given in the article will help every family learn how to properly place food in the refrigerator, what storage rules exist that allow you to maximize the freshness of products and preserve their taste and beneficial properties.

Selection and preparation of ingredients

For preservation, large, unripe fruits with thick skin without damage, spots, or dents should be selected. If the radishes are soft when pressed, this means that there are voids in them. An old vegetable will be bitter and ruin the taste of the roll. Before proceeding to harvesting, the fruits must be prepared: wash thoroughly, soak in cold water for 1–2 hours, dry completely and remove the tails.

Did you know? Radish is one of the plants that was grown in space in order to study its genetic characteristics when cultivated outside of Earth. Scientists believe that this vegetable can be useful during long interplanetary flights.

• Radishes rolled into jars can have the following beneficial effects on the human body:
• normalizes blood sugar levels;
• prevents the development of colds;
• produces a urinary and biliary effect;
• cleanses blood vessels and eliminates cholesterol;
• cleanses the body of toxins;
• improves appetite;
• has a positive effect on the activity of the gastrointestinal tract;
• fights vitamin deficiency.

Radishes are useful to use to prevent the development of problems with the heart and blood vessels, cancer, urinary and cholelithiasis, constipation, obesity, gout, diabetes, and anemia.

Such beneficial properties of the vegetable are due to its rich vitamin and mineral composition. It contains vitamins B, K, E, beta-carotene, ascorbic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, iodine, manganese, copper, chromium. When eating 100 g of radish, a person meets one third of his daily requirement for cobalt.

Important! To satisfy the daily requirement of the human body for ascorbic acid, you will need to eat 250 g of radish.

This is a low-calorie product - 100 g of fresh root vegetables contain 20 kcal. The calorie content of a canned dish will depend on the additional ingredients. We should not forget about the dangers of conservation.

• It should not be used by the following categories of persons:
• having problems with the thyroid gland;
• with diagnoses of “ulcer”, “gastritis”, “pancreatitis”;
• suffering from colitis and flatulence.

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Is it possible to eat radishes if you have other serious health problems? You should consult your doctor.

Which radish to choose

In order for radishes to last a long time, you need to choose high-quality fruits. To do this, pay attention to the following points:

• On the skin. In healthy fruits it will be smooth, without cracks or peeling.
• Make sure there are no black spots on the surface. If there are any, then this indicates that the radishes have begun to rot.
• Buy vegetables with tops. It can be used to determine whether the crop is fresh or not. If it is a rich green color and elastic, then everything is fine, you can buy it.
• Feel the specimens. If you feel that the fruits are a little soft, then most likely they are either overripe or have been collected a long time ago.
• In terms of size, give preference to medium-sized fruits. If they are too large, this indicates that chemicals were used during cultivation.
• Do not purchase radishes that have burst at the base; they will be very bitter.

Watch the video about the beneficial and harmful properties of radishes:

Don't want to be fooled by choosing fruits? Read how to grow radishes yourself. Then you will control the quality of the harvest yourself.

Beneficial features

The plant is a source of useful components that help the body resist diseases and help strengthen the immune system. Those who care about their health know that dill, green onions, spinach, and basil are very rich in vitamins. They choose for themselves a convenient way to preserve the beneficial substances of these products throughout the winter.

Preparing healing and tasty basil for the winter is a responsible task. The herb is used to prepare food and make infusions used as an expectorant and antipyretic.

For those who have experience growing plants on a windowsill, plant basil in pots for the winter. Recommendations on how to stock up on “green vitamins” and how to preserve them will be of interest to those who prefer simple and reliable options. Harvesting basil is possible in the following ways:

• freezing;
• drying;
• pickling;
• canning.