How and where to store plums?

Today, there are many varieties of plums, and therefore the housewives try to stock up on them for the future. To preserve harvested or purchased crops, you need to sort and select exclusively high-quality specimens. They should not have signs of damage, otherwise the remaining fruits will deteriorate. If the recommendations regarding long exposure are not followed, the plums will quickly lose their structure and taste.

Storage Features

1. If you plan to leave the fruits for a long period of time, then in the process of gathering, pick them together with the stalks. During aging, they release moisture very slowly, so that the crop remains fresh.
2. In the case of harvesting from your tree, you should not rush. Plums do not ripen at one point, respectively, they must be torn off in stages. First, select the most ripe, and leave the unripe. Come back for them a little later.
3. Before you go for gathering, take care of the boxes. Try not to touch the fruits with your hands; take them carefully by the stalks. Spread in boxes covered with baking paper or newspapers. Do not wash the light coating, it is needed for a long exposure.
4. If you spread the crop in layers, do not collect it in one heap. Stick to 3-4 rows, so the specimens will not be remembered and will lie longer. Do not put wet plums in the general container, they contribute to the development of mold.
5. When you pick up enough crop and pack it in boxes, take the boxes to cool and dark. For this purpose, usually use a dry cellar or basement, pre-treated from pests and mold.

Storage followed by ripening

To increase the exposure time, you should select only those instances that are not fully ripe. They must be whole, without any kind of damage and even less damage. The whole process comes down to the following:

1. Do not rinse the fruit. Put them in a container, for example, a vase or other utensil designed for such purposes is suitable. Install a container with components so that direct UV does not appear in this area. It is not necessary to place copies in the cold, otherwise they will not ripen, will gain friability and become tasteless.
2. If you have a goal - to accelerate ripening, then it makes sense to stock up on paper bags or parchment. Place the fruits inward or wrap. In the process of obtaining the desired state, fruits will produce a gas called ethylene. When the fruits are in the bag, it does not evaporate quickly, contributing to the earliest possible ripeness. It is enough to leave the fruit for a day, sometimes it takes less time. If you do not need to accelerate ripening, then leave your crop in a vase.
3. After receiving the necessary ripeness, prepare the dishes from plastic, a capacious container will do. Put the crop in it, and then set down the refrigerator. If you maintain the temperature slightly above 0, then in this state the fruits will last a month.
4. It is worth mentioning another technology used in packaging. If at hand there are bags that can be completely tight, it makes sense to use them. As a rule, packages with the possibility of pumping air (that is, vacuum) are sold by large supermarkets and hardware stores. If you place ripe plums in them, and then send them to the cold, they will lie on the order of 1.5-2 months.
5. In the process of such manipulations, pay attention to the main aspects.So, for a long exposure, it is better to leave the crop cool, because at high or room temperature it first overrides, then becomes soft and rots. If the fruit stands out juice, you need to eat them. Such copies are not suitable for safety.

Freezing for long-term storage

1. If you plan to leave the plums for a long time (from 2 to 12 months), then they should first be frozen. Start by sorting, that is, select fully ripe instances. In the case when the fruit is unripe, it must be left to lie down according to the method described above.
2. To start freezing, first place a portion of the fruit in the sink and rinse it with special care. Then leave the draining liquid on the towels.
3. When the water is gone, gently wipe the fruit in turn. Each of them cut in half, remove the stone. If you wish, you can cut into smaller slices (or squares).
4. Prepare a large chopping board or grab a tray. Put plums on it one by one, leave in the freezer for 10 hours.
5. After the allotted time, remove the tray, move the contents to containers or food bags. Stick the sticker to take into account the date of harvesting. Keep in the freezer.

Dryer for long-term storage

1. Sort and rinse the plums. Make a weak solution on soda, dip the fruits into it for a minute. Wash and let dry, leaving on towels.
2. Prepare a heat resistant tray that is suitable for cooking in the oven. Cover it, and then lay the fruit in one row.
3. Set the oven for 2.5 hours, turn on the temperature within 45 degrees. Then turn off the oven, wait 5 hours, repeat the steps with heating. But this time, set 75 degrees. Track 10 hours, watch the process.

We examined the main variations that will allow the fruit to lie for a long period of time in integrity. If you plan to eat the crop almost immediately, then keep it in the cold. In all other cases, resort to drying or freezing.

Video: how to freeze plums for the winter