In winter, at times, summer heat and tasty juicy berries or fruits are not enough. Save a piece of the warm season is quite possible if you put very little effort. We will talk about how to store grapes - a delicious and healthy product.
Expiration date: how many grapes can be stored
The storage periods of each variety are different, however, of the most popular varieties, the storage duration can be distinguished:
- "Original" - 130 days;
- "Autumn Black" - 4 months;
- "Jubilee of Crane" - 130 days;
- "Memory of the Negrulya" - 130 days;
- "Autumn Light" - not more than 100 days;
- "Nadezhda Azos" - no more than 3 months;
- "Moldova" - 160 days;
- "Moldavian black" - 100 days;
- Nistru - 140 days;
- "In memory of Verderevsky" - no more than 4 months.
What determines the keeping quality of grapes
We will immediately determine what the keeping quality is - the ability of grapes to be stored for a long time without losing their properties. Depends on many factors, for example:
- grape sort;
- places where bushes grow (better keeping quality on the sides of more lighted ones);
- correct agricultural practices;
- loading of bushes with shoots and clusters;
- weather conditions during aging and collection;
- from the possibility of berries to retain moisture, etc.
Learn how to properly store corn, potatoes, carrots, apples, cranberries, pumpkins, garlic, cucumbers, watermelon, cabbage and green onions.
Grade and the right agrotechnology
Not all varieties can be preserved without losing external taste and useful elements. For this purpose, it is best to use species with hard peel and compacted flesh that have a mid-late and late maturation, however, the correct farming practices play an important role in the subsequent saving of fruits.
Important! Unripe grapes for long-term storage is not suitable.Selected beforehand bushes water less the entire season, and after the first half of summer (1.5 months before harvesting), the water supply should be completely stopped. However, at this time it is necessary to increase the amount of potash-phosphorus supplements. Brush to save taken from the bushes, where they are less.
Harvest Weather Conditions
The removal of grapes for savings should be done only in dry weather. It is also not recommended to cut ripe berries immediately after the rain - at this time they are fairly gaining moisture, losing a certain proportion of sugar, and the flesh becomes watery. It is necessary to wait a few days, so that moisture leaves the grapes. It is also necessary to take into account that in the early morning and in the late evening, i.e. during the loss of dew, collection is also not recommended.
Collect sea buckthorn and grapes properly.
The degree of maturity of the berries
Only completely ripe grapes can be taken for storage. Its readiness is determined by the following indicators of grapes:
- color: berries should be black, blue, pink and red, if the berry is white - it should be transparent;
- taste;
- softness and sugar content;
Did you know? The more the sweetness of grapes, the better they are preserved.
Correct Crop Bunches
Crop better sharpened shears, a knife or scissors, holding a bunch from below or, holding the comb, cut off at the top, near the branch. It is necessary to cut off delicately, without having spoiled the wax raid protecting grapes from external influences.
Conditions and methods of storing grapes
Keep it different. The main thing is to observe an acceptable temperature, moisture and light levels. Ideally with a humidity of 85-90%, and temperatures from 0 to +2 degrees with a minimum of light. To save use dry room, sufficiently ventilated, in which it is possible to maintain the desired temperature and humidity. This may be a barn, summer kitchen, basement, attic and other premises that are not heated. It can not be third-party flavors, mold, insects or pests. Initially, the walls and ceiling are treated with a lime mixture (lime - 2 kg, copper sulfate - 100 g, water - 10 l), then the whole room is fumigated with sulfur dioxide according to the scheme: 5 g of sulfur is burned per 1 square meter. After closing the room for 2 days, and after airing and drying. To control the temperature, the thermometer is hung, and in order to control the humidity - a hygrometer. When the humidity is higher than normal - place the vessel with quicklime, and with excessive dryness - place the vessel with water.
In wooden boxes
This method is used for preservation for a short time - no more than a couple of months. To do this, the bottom of the container is covered with straw, sawdust or paper. Clusters are laid in rows with scallops upward, but not to touch the neighboring ones. Each layer is poured with sawdust 2-3 cm. In one box no more than 10 kg of product can be placed. The height of the container is not more than 15-20 cm. If there is no suitable container, it is allowed to save on the shelves. First, straw or sawdust is put on the shelves for 5-6 cm, and then - grapes. It is placed so that the stalks are on top and do not touch. The later the grapes are laid to preserve - the better.
Did you know? Ripe grapes contain up to 25% glucose and fructose, which are very beneficial for the human body.
On the comb
This is one of the main methods of long-term (until spring) grape storage.
Green
This storage method allows you to save grapes until April. The vine from which the bunch is cut must be one-year old. The largest and most attractive clusters are selected. Cut off delicately, without violating the prune bloom. When cutting above the bunch, there should be one internode, but below the vine - two internodes. The top edge is covered with garden pitch, a part from the bottom is lowered into a glass vessel with distilled or boiled water. Charcoal is put in the same place and water is salted - this will save it from damage. The scape with a bunch is placed in water, and the hole of the pot is plugged with a cotton plug. The vessels are securely fastened at a slight angle. Water is added up as it decreases. If the need arises - the water changes after 14 days. Banks are also stored on the floor, in boxes made of wood, on shelves.
Dry
Clusters are suspended on a stretched wire or some kind of crossbar. If the brushes are cut off with a piece of vine, then during storage, the nutrients that have accumulated in this piece of vine will pass into fruit and lengthen the storage time from 5 to 6 months. The berries themselves will significantly lose moisture, but will accumulate sugar.
Important! When saving on dry combs brush should not be in contact with anything.
In kegs in cork powder
Need a dry and clean ankerok. It is necessary to fill the bottom of the barrel with dry cork powder and lay out a layer of grapes. And so to lay out each new row, not forgetting to pour powder. With a suitable temperature and microclimate, grapes will save their gastronomic and external properties up to 8 months.
In a refrigerator
To do this, use special refrigerators, with zero temperature and 94% humidity. In such refrigeration units, a particularly favorable storage gas environment is created:
- carbon dioxide - 5-8%;
- oxygen - 3-5%;
- nitrogen - 88-92%.
- Carefully inspect the brush, if necessary, remove damaged grapes.
- Rinse well in running water.
- Dry (you can decompose on a towel, preferably under a stream of air).
- When completely dry - freely spread out on a tray and send to the refrigerator for pre-cooling.
- After cooling in the refrigerator on the same tray, send to the freezer.
- After freezing, carefully arrange the clusters in packages and place them in storage in a place with a temperature of no more than -20 degrees.
Read also how to freeze champignons, cranberries, greens, tomatoes, lemons, cucumbers, carrots, mushrooms, eggplants, apples and Brussels sprouts.
Is it possible and how to freeze the grapes?
Whole clusters and individual grapes can be frozen. When frozen:
- most of the vitamin composition that is soluble in water is retained;
- Vitamin C is stored in large amounts.
Solid clusters
This method is already described above. Additionally, it can be noted that all actions should be carried out with maximum accuracy.
Berry puree
In this case, juice is squeezed out of the berries (in any way), which is then mixed with sugar until it is completely dissolved. The resulting composition is poured into containers and sent to the freezer. Juice and sugar is taken in proportion: 1 part sugar to 2 parts juice.
Did you know? The content of nutrients (not counting fat), grapes are most close to milk.
Grapes with sugar
In such a way it is best to harvest berries just picked from the bush. Grapes, sprinkled with sugar, laid out in the appropriate dishes. Filled dishes are sealed and sent to the freezer.
When you can do without special conditions
This is done in areas where there are no sudden changes in temperature, and the frost comes late. The bushes are left with medium late grape varieties, after aging before the arrival of frost. But such grapes are damaged by wasps and leafworms. When detecting the first signs of damage, bags of polyethylene with holes for ventilation should be thrown over the grape bunches - this will save the berries from damage by birds and insects.
Find out which grape varieties are suitable for wine.The grapes will ripen better, accumulate more sugar, and the holes guarantee a proper amount of air. Fruits and berries, harvested independently for the winter, are an excellent source of vitamins and a good way to diversify the diet during the cold season. It is enough to be attentive and follow all the rules accurately. Then, on a cold winter day, you and your loved ones will be able to feast on tasty and healthy berries.