Jerusalem artichoke (aka earth pear, aka Polish turnip) is a very useful plant for human health. Medical scientists have proven that eating this vegetable helps to normalize blood glucose levels, improve pancreas function. For these qualities, Jerusalem artichoke is called a "friend of diabetics." Therefore, there are dishes prepared from the tubers of the named vegetable, each person needs regularly to prevent diabetes. The article presented to your attention reveals the topic "Storage of Jerusalem artichoke in the winter." You will learn how to save a fresh supply of this vegetable and what preparations for the future can be made from it.
Jerusalem artichoke: storage of tubers for the winter
At a rural compound or at the dacha, the crop of this vegetable can be stored in a pit, basement or snow pile. Let's talk about these methods in more detail.
How to make a shoulder? On the surface of the earth lay a layer of tubers and fill them with soil or snow about 10 centimeters thick. Then again lay out a layer of Jerusalem artichokes and fall asleep. When the whole number of root crops has been laid, a layer of straw, hay, sawdust or peat is poured over snow or earth. In this way, the vegetable withstands frost to -15 degrees and remains fresh until spring.
How can you still save Jerusalem artichoke? Storage for the winter of this vegetable in pits and cellars does not require special preparation. Dug up tubers must be placed in wooden boxes, covered with plywood and left in the cellar. If this is just an earthen hole, then the box must be covered with soil or snow. Keep in mind that Jerusalem artichoke roots do not like heat and direct sunlight, they wither very quickly. Therefore, to preserve it, you need to clean it immediately after harvesting.
Storing Jerusalem artichoke at home in plastic bags is another reliable way to preserve this vegetable. Root crops are placed in bags, sprinkled with sawdust, earth or peat. Next, the packages are tied. Store such a blank on the balcony until severe frosts. Then it is lowered into the cellar or transferred to the refrigerator.
Another effective method of preserving fresh Jerusalem artichoke until spring is to treat it with paraffin. This method allows you to save all the useful vitamins and minerals in the roots. Dip each tuber into melted warm (not hot) paraffin, and let it harden. Store such blanks in the basement in a wooden box or on a shelf.
These are the ways in which you can save Jerusalem artichoke. Storing vegetables for the winter with these methods will allow you to eat fresh salads and drink juices until the summer. But no less tasty and healthy are such preparations as dried and canned Jerusalem artichoke. How to cook them? Read more about this later.
Drying Jerusalem artichoke roots
Peel and cut tubers in circles half a centimeter thick. Put them on a baking sheet and dry in the oven at a temperature of 60-70 degrees. You can leave such a blank on the balcony to dry naturally, but make sure that the sun does not fall on it. These chips need to be stored in a cloth bag, glass or plastic container.
Canned Jerusalem artichokeStoring this vegetable for the winter in jars with marinade allows you to get a very tasty snack in the end. In a sterile glass container, put the root vegetables cut into pieces, sprinkle them with chopped garlic and carrots. Next, prepare the marinade from a liter of boiled water, 2 large tablespoons of rock salt and 50 grams of table vinegar. Pour the fill into the jar with the workpiece, cover and pasteurize for a quarter of an hour. Then seal, wrap and leave to cool. Store this snack in the basement or refrigerator.
Having studied the information presented in the article, you can save throughout the cold season a useful and tasty root crop - Jerusalem artichoke. Prepare delicious dishes from it and be always healthy!