Thrifty housewives note: how to store leeks at home?

Leeks are one of the most valuable vegetables grown all over the world. It is rich in B vitamins, ascorbic acid, iron, phosphorus and calcium.

To get the most out of it, you need to eat it fresh.

How to properly store leeks at home in winter so that it does not deteriorate, how to prepare a vegetable for storage, read the article.

How to properly prepare for storage at home in winter?

You need to harvest before the onset of cold weather, in sunny dry weather... After the onions are removed from the garden, they immediately begin to prepare them for storage:

1. Gently shake off the soil from the stems and leave them in the garden for 2 hours.
2. Onions are sorted by removing spoiled and rotten specimens.
3. The roots of the bulbs are cut off, but without affecting the bottom itself. 1/3 of their length is left.
4. Remove diseased and yellowed leaves.

The sorted onions are ready for storage.

Conditions: humidity and temperature

Leeks can be stored between -1 and +1 degrees. The optimum air humidity is 85%.

How to keep fresh?

The maximum benefits can only be obtained from fresh bulbs... With the right approach, leeks can stay edible for 5-6 months. They store it in the refrigerator, on the balcony and in the basement.

In fridge

The vegetable is well stored in the refrigerator if wrapped in plastic wrap. Do not place more than 5-8 tables in one roll.

Before placing in the refrigerator the vegetable is not washed, but simply cleaned from dirt... Before wrapping vegetables in plastic, cool them in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. This will prevent condensation from forming.

The package itself should also be cool. Several holes are made in it so that the bow can breathe.

The advantages of this storage method:

• the vegetable does not lose moisture, remains juicy and fleshy;
• low vapor permeability prevents the growth of microbes;
• the shelf life of onions in cling film is 5 months.

The only drawback to this method is that the bow will take up a lot of usable space.

On the balcony

You can store leeks only on a glazed balcony, provided that the temperature on it does not drop below -1 degrees. Wooden boxes are considered the best container.

Step-by-step algorithm of actions:

1. Sand is poured into clean boxes. Its layer should not be more than 5 cm.
2. Lay vegetables next to each other.
3. Cover the stems with parchment or other thick paper.
4. Leek is insulated with a blanket from above. This will maintain a normal moisture level in the box and protect the crop from freezing.

In the basement

In the basement, onions can be kept fresh for up to six months. It is recommended to place it in boxes or pallets, sprinkled with calcined river sand. At a temperature of about 0 degrees, the vegetable will retain all its beneficial properties.

Vegetables are placed vertically in the sand... So that it is less bent, not injured or rotted. Sand is carefully poured between the rows. The layer thickness is 10-15 cm.

As necessary, the trunks are removed from the box by pulling the top. With this method of storage, fruits with signs of spoilage can be noticed and removed in time.

For more information on how to store leeks in your cellar or basement, read here.

Three ways to store leeks are discussed in the video:

Alternative ways

Most often only part of the harvest is kept fresh, since the leek takes up a lot of useful space in the cellar and in the refrigerator. The leftover onions can be frozen, dried, or pickled.

Freezing

Freeze vegetables correctly. Procedure:

• rinse the product under running water, it should not be too hot;
• dry the onions on a paper towel;
• cut it into rings;
• spread the crushed product on a flat board of a suitable size and put it in the freezer;
• after 3 hours, transfer the frozen pieces to a plastic bag.

You need to pack onions in small portions, which are enough to cook one dish. Defrost it in parts so that the bulk does not come into contact with warm air.

Drying

There are several ways to dry onions. To carry out this procedure, use such devices as:

1. Electric dryer. The optimum drying temperature is 60 degrees. It will take about 4 hours for the moisture to completely evaporate. Pallets need to be interchanged periodically.
2. Oven... Onions are dried on a baking sheet covered with parchment. The temperature in the oven should not exceed 50 degrees. Drying time is 5 hours.
3. Convection oven... This is the fastest way to remove moisture from onions. It will evaporate from the cut stems in half an hour.

Regardless of the selected drying method, the algorithm of actions remains the same:

• wash the stems and let the water drain completely;
• chop the onion;
• spread the pieces on the surface to be dried;
• after its completion, remove the product for storage.

Dried slices can be poured into a glass jar and closed with a nylon lid. Alternatively, store the product in fabric or paper bags.

Pickling

Pickled onions have a pleasant sour taste and are great for salads. How to prepare it:

1. Chop 200 g of onion coarsely.
2. Prepare the marinade. In 0.5 l of water add 0.5 tbsp. l. salt, 1 tbsp. l. sugar, 2 bay leaves, a few peas of allspice and 40 g of vinegar 9%.
3. Bring the marinade to a boil, dip the onion into it and leave for 1 minute.
4. Fold the leek into a jar, pour over the marinade and roll up.

You can store such blanks in the pantry or in the cellar.

Video recipe for pickling leeks:

Salting

Salting leeks is easy. For 1 kg of onion, 50 g of salt is required. Step-by-step instruction:

• cut the onion into rings, place it in an enamel bowl and crush it slightly;
• salt and mix the bulk, if desired, add spices and seasonings to the dish;
• cover vegetables with a lid, you can install a load on top;
• leave the product in a dark place for 10 days;
• the finished onion is laid out in clean jars and stored in the refrigerator.

Conservation

You can preserve a vegetable in the following way:

1. Rinse and chop vegetables, fold them in a sterilized jar.
2. Boil the brine. To prepare it you will need: 0.5 liters of water, 12 g of sugar, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp. citric acid, 10 g salt, 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil.
3. Pour the onion with boiled solution, cover with a metal lid and leave for 10 minutes.
4. Pour the brine into the saucepan again and boil again.
5. Re-pour it into the jar and roll it up.
6. Turn the blanks upside down, cover with a blanket and leave to cool.

After a day, the cans can be removed to the place of permanent storage.

Useful Tips

To keep onions fresh longer the following tips should be taken into account:

1. You cannot cut the leaves from the vegetable before sending it for storage. Without greenery, it will quickly wither or rot due to the attacks of microorganisms.
2. If you plan to keep the leek fresh, do not wash it. Removal of the protective layer from the stems will lead to their accelerated deterioration.
3. Onions do not tolerate temperature extremes. Because of them, most of the vitamins are destroyed.
4. Leek does not like being near other vegetables and fruits. Store it in separate boxes, away from other crops.
5. Periodically, the onions need to be sorted out. Spoiled specimens are removed from the total crop.

You can learn more about how to store onions. here.

Conclusion

Storing leeks is a simple task that everyone can handle.

Frozen leeks do not spoil for 12 months. Therefore, you can provide yourself with onion supplies for the whole year.