Proven secrets of keeping zucchini until spring

Zucchini is a nutritious vegetable enriched with healthy carbohydrates and vitamins. Its regular use helps to strengthen the immune system and improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Proper preparation for storage will allow you to enjoy this useful vegetable not only in the summer, but throughout the fall and winter.

List of varieties suitable for wintering

Only zucchini with a thick crust and small seeds are suitable for winter storage. The following varieties are suitable for vegetables that fit these criteria:

• ‘Aeronaut’ - from 3 to 4 months;
• ‘Pear-shaped’ - 4 months;
• ‘Asset F1’ - from 3 to 4 months;
• ‘Yellow-fruited’ - no more than 3 months;
• ‘Aral F1’ - from 3 to 4 months;
• ‘Negro’ - 2 months.

The shelf life largely depends on how correctly the squash was selected and prepared for wintering. An important factor is the observance of conditions and temperature regimes, if at least one rule is violated, the vegetable crop will quickly die.

Fruit selection and preparation

After harvesting, pack it into vegetables, which must be used to create dishes and blanks immediately, until they have deteriorated and are suitable for storage. For the winter, you can put off the fruits that meet the following conditions:

• thick and dense skin;
• definition of a dull sound when tapped;
• absence of any defects and damages.

Collect vegetables only in dry weather, cutting them so that the stem remains 4-5 cm. Before preparing the winter, you can’t wash them, this will trigger the onset of rotting.

Wipe each fruit with a dry rag and dry for 10-12 hours in a well-ventilated area, laid out in boxes or laid out on a wooden surface.

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Winter storage options

The best place to store any vegetables is a cellar or cellar. At this place, there is a favorable air temperature and humidity level to maintain the freshness of vegetables. If there is no such room, then an alternative to it may be a refrigerator or any free space in a house or apartment.

In the cellar or basement

A good environment for long-term storage of zucchini at 80% humidity and a temperature of 4 to 10 degrees Celsius. Install devices to measure these parameters in the basement or cellar in order to regulate them and create the ideal atmosphere for storing the crop.

Ventilate the room several times a month so that the vegetables do not start to sour or get a musty smell.

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At room temperature

If there is no cellar, then find a suitable place to store in an apartment or private house. It can be a pantry, a corridor, a balcony, a box on the site, a canopy or a corner of any room. It is important that vegetables are located away from heating appliances. A small amount of vegetables can be stacked on the windowsill. It is recommended to wrap the fruit in paper.

In the fridge

Zucchini can be stored in the refrigerator only for a short time - not more than 1 month. Arrange young, thin-skinned vegetables in bags with small openings. Carefully move them to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, where the temperature is at least 5 degrees Celsius.

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It is important not only to choose a place for storage with favorable climatic conditions, but also to fold vegetables properly. The best place for this is a wooden container or backing.

If there is no special box, then with a dense layer lay paper or straw on the floor and distribute the fruits on it, while they should not be in contact with each other. When storing in a private house or apartment at room temperature, carefully fold the fruits into a cardboard box. Top them with paper or rags.

Regardless of which method is chosen for storage, 1-2 times a month check the integrity of vegetables, separate rotten fruits from healthy ones to prevent infection of the entire crop.

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For 4-5 months, zucchini can be kept and used for cooking. To preserve the harvest, select only those varieties that are suitable for wintering. Choose the most suitable option for their storage, appropriate to the climatic conditions, and correctly fold the vegetables. Only in this case they will be suitable for use in any form in the winter.