When to harvest leeks and how to store them

Leeks or Pearl onions are a biennial plant, rich in vitamins and nutrients, and have a milder taste than regular onions. It can be eaten raw, fried, marinated, stewed and boiled.

To consume this vegetable year-round, it is enough to know the rules for its harvesting and storage. After all, leeks collected at the right time under the right conditions will retain their taste and beneficial properties until the next harvest.

Optimal cleaning times

The timing of onion harvesting depends primarily on the growing region and varieties.

In the middle lane Preparation for planting in the soil begins in January. Leeks are sown in boxes, illuminated with a lamp, ventilated, and in February they dive. In mid-April they are planted in open ground. With this approach, the harvest is harvested in August-September.

In the northern and northwestern regions They use only early varieties and hybrids, for example, Vesta, Columbus, Elephant Trunk. Seedlings are planted in a permanent place in mid-to-late May. The harvest ripens in the second or third ten days of September.

In the southern regions seeds are planted directly into the ground in late April - early May. Sometimes an unheated greenhouse is used to solve the problem of excessive rainfall (if the soil is very moist, the bulb may rot). At the beginning of August, the leek reaches maturity.

Depending on the ripening time, varieties are divided into:

• early;
• mid-season;
• late ripening.

In the early ones, the ripening period is 90-130 days. These varieties are harvested in August-September.Early leeks are ideal for summer consumption. Early varieties include:

1. Elephant's trunk. The stem of the onion is dense and fleshy, reaching 30 cm. To achieve this indicator, the onion needs to be twisted. Otherwise, this procedure is called “whitening.” To keep the stem white and juicy, the leaves are curled, as a result the stem does not have time to turn green.
2. Columbus. Dutch variety. The main difference is that due to the low growth, the stems do not need to be twisted. It reaches a height of 70-80 cm, and the leg is up to 20 cm and about 6 cm in diameter.
3. Vesta. Developed by Russian specialists. It has a soft, sweetish taste. It grows up to 1.5 m in height, with a stem up to 30 cm. This variety is grown mainly through seedlings, especially in regions with a temperate climate. The harvest is harvested 120 days after sowing.

Mid-season varieties:

1. Casimir. Unlike other varieties, its leaves are located almost vertically. Does not tolerate excess moisture and prefers seedling cultivation.
2. Winner. This variety is popular in northern regions as it is frost-resistant. The leaves are green, with a bluish coating, which gives the plant a gray tint.
3. Elephant. It reaches 1.5 m and has a large stem with a diameter of 5-7 cm. This type of onion requires twisting. The preferred method of propagation is seedling propagation. Ready for harvesting 130 days after planting.

Late-ripening varieties, like mid-ripening ones, are frost-resistant, but in cold regions, for example, in the Urals or Western Siberia, they do not have time to ripen. After all, such a leek needs from 180 to 200 days. Popular varieties:

1. Alligator. Its distinctive feature is its delicate taste and light garlic aroma.
2. Karantansky. Ripening occurs 200 days after sowing, and the leek reaches 1 m in height.Planted in early spring as seedlings.
3. Bandit. Another native of Holland with dark green leaves and a slight blue tint. In the middle zone it tolerates wintering well.
4. Autumn giant. It is impressive in size: the leg reaches 40-50 cm in length and 8-9 cm in diameter. It stores well.

Some late-ripening varieties are left to overwinter in the garden. With this method, the main thing is to hill the stem higher and insulate it with spruce branches and peat. Then the vegetable will easily survive a mild winter under a thick layer of snow and the harvest can be harvested in May-June.

The timing of the harvest will be determined by the lunar calendar. Heavenly bodies influence all living things, including plants. Some days when the moon comes closer to Earth, moisture is better attracted to the roots of plants. This time is considered the most suitable for harvesting.

Favorable days for harvesting in 2020 according to the Lunar calendar:

• August: full moon on August 3, waning moon from August 4 to 18;
• September: full moon on September 2, waning moon from September 3 to 16;
• October: full moon on October 3, waning moon from October 3 to October 15.

Following the advice of the calendar, harvesting should be done at the beginning of the month. The moon is in its waning phase, and this is a favorable condition for drying and harvest storage. It is advisable to harvest during the full moon. During this period, all biological processes in the above-ground parts of plants slow down. Therefore, onions harvested during the full moon have a high concentration of vitamins and nutrients.

Signs that the crop is ready for harvest

Knowing the exact planting date and growing season, you can calculate the ripening time of the crop.

However, a ripe leek can also be identified by external signs:

• a dry feather lying on the ground;
• dry neck that does not release moisture when pressed;
• dense bulb, dressed in dry scales.

These signs indicate that it is time to harvest the vegetable. In addition, the neck of a mature leek is thin and yellowish in color. Lost feathers also turn yellow. However, if the season was rainy, this feature will not appear.

How to collect onions from the garden for storage

Harvest onions only in sunny weather. If the rains have been prolonged and the time for collection has come, bend the feathers slightly towards the ground - they will stop feeding and begin to dry out faster.

It is not worth trimming leek feathers - this is its main value. In addition, this method will not speed up the ripening of onions, but will infect the plant. When cutting feathers, bacteria and microorganisms can cause rotting.

Important. To protect the onion from damage, do not dig it up with a shovel.

It is easy to pull the vegetable out of the loose soil by hand. If the ground is dense, use a pitchfork.

Do not delay harvesting for too long. Allow no more than 10 days for this. The plants collected last will be wetter, which will cause the entire batch to rot.

The stems are carefully cleared of soil. Do not hit the onion on the ground or other object - damaged heads are susceptible to rotting. It is better to remove any excess soil by hand.

After harvesting, the onions are dried - this will take about two weeks. To do this, it is left on the garden bed, evenly spread on polyethylene, previously covered with a cloth. This way you will protect the crop from pests.

Attention. If it's going to rain, move the onions indoors. This will increase the time drying for about a week.

Before putting the leek away for storage, it is carefully inspected and sorted. Rotten or damaged bulbs are discarded so as not to spoil the entire batch.

Storage Features

You can store onions in various ways.

Preservation and pickling

Preparing leeks for the winter marinade no different from preparing other vegetables. Wine and table vinegar, lemon juice and sugar act as preservatives.

The algorithm is as follows:

1. Take 5-6 stems (only the white part), 1 tsp. salt, 1 tbsp. l. sugar, 2 tsp. lemon juice, 1 tbsp. l. 9% vinegar, 5-6 peas of allspice and 2-3 bay leaves.
2. The leg is cut into rings 0.5 cm thick and placed in a jar.
3. Bring 0.5 liters of water to a boil, add salt, sugar, vinegar, pepper, lemon juice and bay leaf.
4. After letting the marinade boil for 5 minutes, pour in the onion and close the jar.

You can also pickle the onion. To do this, mix it thoroughly with salt (1 tablespoon of salt per 200 g of leek cut into rings) and place tightly in sterilized jars. It is advisable to take small jars with screw caps. It is better not to store open containers, but to use the contents immediately.

Storage in a cellar or basement

This method implies several recommendations:

1. Trim the roots.
2. Shorten the tops by a third.
3. Place the onions vertically in dry, well-ventilated containers. Empty plastic bottles with the top cut off will do. For ventilation, several holes are made in the bottles at the level of the white part of the stem.

The air humidity in the room should not be more than 65%. A hygrometer is used for control.

Storage in beds

Part of the harvest is left on the beds for use in early spring. Before the cold snap, at the end of October, the leeks are hilled up again, covered with fallen leaves or spruce branches, and when snow falls, they are sprinkled on top of the plants. In the spring, after thawing, the required amount is dug out.

Reference. Since leek is a biennial plant, several bushes can be left in the garden bed for your own planting material.Remember that hybrids are not suitable for this operation.

Freezing and refrigeration

Since when freezing leek does not lose vitamins and structure, it can be stored in the freezer. To do this, you need to remove the green leaves, wash and dry your foot. Cut it into rings and put it in a plastic bag or tray.

Important. You can simply store pearl onions in the refrigerator without freezing. The product will retain its beneficial properties for six months. The container or bag with onions must have holes for ventilation.

Drying

With this method, the stem is cut into rings 1-2 cm thick and placed in a dryer for 5 hours. Air temperature – no more than +40°C, otherwise the vitamins will not be preserved. You can keep the dried product in glass jars with a lid.

If you don't have a dryer, you can use an oven. At a temperature of 40-50°C, the stems cut into rings are dried for 2-3 hours.

In sand

The stems are well preserved if they are placed vertically in a container with sand. In this case, it is better to pre-calcinate the sand. This will protect the onion from parasites.

On the balcony

When stored on the balcony, the container is wrapped in a blanket or thermal insulation material (mineral wool) in order to avoid complete freezing during severe frosts.

Conclusion

Growing leeks at home does not require serious investment or hard work. It is enough to choose a variety that suits the climatic conditions, purchase seeds, soil and a container for seedlings.

Following the rules of cleaning and storage will help you have flavorful dishes with pearl onions on the table all winter. And the ability of leek to retain vitamins long after harvesting makes it an indispensable product in the cold season.