When to harvest daikon radish from the garden for storage for the winter

In winter, vitamins, fiber and other useful trace elements are available in fresh fruits from the garden, subject to proper harvesting and subsequent placement of the crop. In order for the root crops to remain strong and juicy for many months, it is important to know when the daikon radish is removed from the garden for storage.

Vegetable is low in calories, eaten fresh or added to meals during cooking.

Japanese radish has the following positive qualities:

improve the activity of the gastrointestinal tract;
antiseptic properties;
help cleanse the liver and kidneys.

Collecting daikon for storage

The crop is harvested when the weather is cool and dry, but the frost has not yet come, because the sub-zero temperature damages the ground part of the root crops and you will have to forget about long-term storage. You should not overexpose them in the ground, otherwise voids will form inside, and the pulp will lose its taste and become tough.

If the radish has grown on heavy soil, it is impossible to pull the tops when harvesting, because of this, the root system breaks easily.

It is recommended to dig up vegetables with a shovel or a pitchfork.

After the daikon is completely removed from the beds, it is necessary to put the fruits in the air to dry the earth remaining on them.In order not to damage the thin skin, it is not recommended to wash and peel the harvested vegetables, it is only possible to slightly shake off the remnants of the soil from them. It is necessary to protect the radish from the sun, as it becomes flabby from them.

Daikon storage

Before placing vegetables for the winter, the entire radish crop is moved and inspected. Fruits left for long-term storage should be even, smooth, not damaged. The leaves are carefully cut with scissors.

How to store daikon correctly? There are several ways to do this.

In the cellar

Placing radishes in basements and cellars is one of the best solutions. After all, it is there that optimal conditions for vegetables are created. The root crops that are harvested in the last days of September - early October are preserved the longest.

Before harvesting, wooden boxes are purchased or made by ourselves, then coarse river sand is sifted.

Vegetables are carefully inspected before long-term storage. Root crops with damaged skins and with signs of decay are immediately sifted out. A small spot on the surface of a different shade is a clear indication of the beginning of product deterioration. Such a radish will not be able to hold out even for 1 month, but it will easily destroy the crop, as it is a source of bacteria.

Daikon is laid in even layers and sprinkled with abundantly wet sand. It is important that the roots touch only the sand, but not each other. Boxes are stored at a temperature of +1 … +5 degrees. Humidity should be around 70-90%.

Ideal conditions for storing daikon are a stable temperature regime, lack of sunlight, maintaining humidity in boxes (periodic moistening of the sand will help achieve this).

Dry sand can draw moisture out of the radish, thereby damaging the crop.

Japanese daikon in the cellars is perfectly preserved next to carrots and fodder beets.

In the fridge

Many gardeners grow daikon in small quantities. They have several root crops in their crop that can be stored at home in the kitchen. Each radish is wrapped in a bag that allows air to pass through. You can poke holes in it with a fork. All vegetables are stacked on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator. This way of storing daikon, you can keep vegetables fresh for three to five weeks.

Attention! Before laying the radish in the refrigerator, it is not necessary to wet it, much less wash it. After all, this will quickly ruin the crop. Root crops can be dried and lightly cleaned of soil residues. Of course, fruits with damaged skins are eaten immediately, they cannot be stored for a long time.

Freeze

Daikon keeps well until next summer in the freezer.To do this, root crops are cut or ground on a coarse grater. If it is small, then the radish will secrete juice, and as a result, a frozen ice lump will turn out, which will then be problematic to eat.

Pre-shredded daikon is placed in small portions in plastic bags or special plastic containers. All this is put in the freezer.

When the radish is needed, it is taken out and thawed at room temperature before use.

Important! This method allows you to save useful trace elements in the fruit. If the defrosted daikon is put back into the freezer again, then such a vitamin-rich product will become a tasteless, sluggish mass, devoid of any benefit.

Preservation

You can make snacks from daikon and roll them into jars for the winter. Usually a salad is made from fresh root vegetables and carrots. Ingredients in the form of vegetables and seafood are added to it.

Gasing is selected independently to choose from:

vegetable oil;
mayonnaise;
oil-lemon.

Preparation of snacks begins with chopping daikon, it can be rubbed on a coarse grater or cut into cubes. The radish is mixed with carrots, then everything is poured with marinade and tightly twisted with a lid. Banks are stored in cool places.

For the marinade you will need the following ingredients:

water;
vinegar;
s alt;
sugar;
pepper;
fragrant herbs.

The resulting mixture is brought to a boil, then cooled. Such pickled vegetables serve as the basis for winter salads, an independent dish or added to meat.

You can make a more complicated marinade for daikon. First, apple and rice vinegar are mixed, then lemon zest, turmeric, garlic and a spicy seasoning of your choice are added. The fruits are cut into rings or half rings. Such an appetizer will be enjoyed by the household and will surprise guests.

Radish juice

The juice contained in the daikon is incredibly useful, it retains all the trace elements from the root crop. People whose stomachs are irritated by radish fiber can drink this juice and not be afraid of the consequences.

If it is not possible to store root crops for a long time or the crop was damaged during harvesting, harvesting daikon juice for the winter is the best way to process excess vegetables.

With the help of a juicer, a drink is prepared, which is poured into sterilized glass jars or bottles. Containers with juice are pasteurized in a water bath for half an hour. Then all containers are tightly closed with lids and placed in dark, cool places for storage.

Japanese radish is a very tasty and he althy vegetable. It contains a large amount of vitamins and useful microelements. If the harvest turned out to be rich, and it is not possible to eat everything at once, there are several ways to keep root vegetables fresh for many months. Thanks to this, the benefits of daikon are not lost, and the taste remains excellent.