Their uses make turnips a classic in the kitchen. The root vegetable has a certain shelf life, which can be extended to a maximum of several months with the right methods. This is how they survive the winter.
How do you store turnips correctly?
The best way to store turnips is in a turnip rack, a sandbox or in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. The tubers should be stored in the beet pile and sandbox in a frost-free, dark, cool and dry place. They will last in the fridge for up to three weeks.
Harvest and storability
Turnips are not ready to harvest until September at the earliest, although the time of sowing has an influence on ripening. The root vegetables store increasing energy in the tissue the longer they remain in the ground. This increases the shelf life and the beets can be stored longer because the rhizomes benefit from larger amounts of energy. The consistency of the vegetable tubers is disadvantageous because the root meat becomes increasingly woody and loses its tenderness.
Turnip rent
It used to be a common method to store the harvest in a pile. To do this, dig a pit with a minimum depth of 40 centimeters and cover the bottom with a layer of five centimeters of sand. Place the vegetables loosely in a plastic box and place it in the hole.
It is then filled with leaves and sand. Wooden boards serve as a cover. The beets can tolerate short-term temperatures below zero that do not fall into the double-digit range. However, they should mostly be stored frost-free.
Sandbox
This variant is based on how the tubers overwinter in the garden. Large buckets or boxes serve as storage containers and are filled in layers with sand and turnips. It is important that you place the containers in a dark, cool and dry room so that the root tissue does not rot. Check whether these conditions exist in your basement.
Tip
Before storing, remove all green parts of the plant, as they take water away from the beet and can start to rot.
Fridge and freezer
For temporary storage, you do not need to wash the root vegetables. It is sufficient if you place the yield loosely in a plastic box and slide it into the vegetable compartment. Here the tubers last for up to three weeks. If you close the container, you should regularly check for condensation. If there is too much moisture, the fabric can quickly become moldy and rot. Cleaned, peeled and blanched root vegetables can be stored in the freezer for about twelve months.
