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Many gardeners were faced with a situation where during storage, the potatoes are frozen... This is a fairly common problem, because with improper storage and non-compliance with temperature conditions, this is usually inevitable. Let's figure out what to do, how to act correctly and save the potatoes in such a situation.
Frozen potatoes are common as winter weather is often unstable. She can freeze for the following reasons:
- First and foremost.
Failure to comply with temperature conditions during storage... This is due to the fact that not all cellars are suitable for storing potatoes. The optimum temperature for storing planting tubers is +3 - +6 degrees, in which case the vegetables will not rot or freeze.
- Second and no less important.
Air humidity... It can fluctuate between 85-93%.
- And the third.
Directly affects the condition of potatoes - air ventilation... With its help, temperature, humidity, as well as air exchange are regulated.
Saving frozen potatoes
If it happened that the potatoes were frozen sharply, then the situation is more complicated. When transferred to heat, it will become soft and slippery, it would be better to get rid of it.
Is it possible to plant frozen tubers
If sprouts began to appear on the potato, then it sprinkle with warm water or a weak manganese solution, the sprouts will begin to swell and then you can safely plant such tubers.
Frozen potatoes - a good harvest
If you find that your potatoes are frozen after wintering in the basement, this is not a reason to be upset. Experienced gardeners share their experience on how to get an excellent harvest from frozen tubers.
At the beginning of April, the tubers should be planted in the greenhouse and after a few days the potatoes will be covered with small green bushes instead of the usual eyes. After planting, when the height of the sprouts reaches 15-20 cm, you can safely spud.
How to tell if your crop is frozen
Let's figure out how to determine if a potato is frozen.
First you need bring potatoes to a warm place and leave for a couple of hours... After that, cut it, if it was easy to do this, your crop is in order, and if black is visible on the cut, then it is better to throw it out immediately.
When, if it was difficult to cut the vegetable, then the potatoes are frozen, it needs to be left warm for a few more hours, then cut into several pieces and boiled, it will be a little sweetish.
Can I cook frozen potatoes?
There are many different theories about whether you can eat frozen potatoes. Opinions differ on this.
Some say that such potatoes are completely harmless, while others claim that during the defrosting process, this vegetable releases a toxic substance, which will cause significant harm to your health and the body as a whole.
Contrary to popular beliefs - you can! Potatoes are absolutely not poisonous, and the substance released while it freezes is nothing more than sucrose, which will give an unusual sweetish taste to your dishes.
Here are some tips on how to properly cook frozen potatoes.:
- We take the right amount of potatoes, put in water, the temperature of which can be from 40 before 60 degrees... Then the tubers should be thoroughly washed, dried and left for some time in a dark room. So, it will thaw faster, and you can easily clean it and use it in cooking.
- Don't like the sweet taste? - you can also get rid of it. Leave the peeled and chopped potatoes in cold water for a while... After - boil in salted water with the addition of vinegar (1 tablespoon vinegar per 1 liter of water), and the unwanted sweetness will go away.
You should start harvesting potatoes for planting in the fall.... It is worth insulating the basement and building a storage space. Also make sure that the humidity and temperature of the air correspond to the generally accepted norm.
And only under such conditions can you save the crop from cooling or freezing, which can render it unusable.
