How to Store Beets in a Root Cellar
A root cellar is an underground structure that is used to store fruits and vegetables during the off season, i.e. winter vegetables during summers and summer vegetables during winters. Root cellars keep food supplies from freezing during the winter months and keep them cool during summer. This technique can also be used to store beets during the winter months.
Beets are highly nutritious and colourful root vegetables that offer protection against various cardiovascular diseases. The root as well the top green leaves of this plant contain a unique pigment and antioxidants that lower cholesterol level in your body, reducing the risk of coronary artery disease and stroke. Beets are not only easy to grow and harvest, but have a long storage life as well. If you are a beet lover, you will be happy to know that you can easily store beets in a root cellar and use them all through the winter.
Instructions
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1
The first step is harvesting the beets. Take a garden pitch fork or shovel and carefully dig the soil around the rows of the beet plants. Make sure you do not cut or stab the roots of the plants.
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2
Now trim the beet greens about an inch from the top of the root. Do not cut the foliage too close to the top of the beet - this may cause your vegetable to bleed and accelerate spoilage.
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3
Do not cut the pointed beet tip, let it remain intact with the vegetable.
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4
Gently brush the roots to remove large clumps of soil. You can also use a cloth or a rag to remove the dirt.
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5
Take a dry, clean newspaper, spread it on the table and lay the freshly harvested beets on it for a few days.
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6
Take a wooden crate or cardboard box and fill it with layers of moist sand and beets. Make sure sand makes the bottom and top most layer.
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7
Store the crates in the root cellar, maintaining a temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit and a humidity level of 90 to 95 percent.
