In the middle to late November, from north to south, the soil freezes overnight. At this time, spinach that is harvested can quickly freeze, go into dormancy, and suffer minimal loss. Harvesting too early, when temperatures are still high, can cause the spinach inside the bundles to grow vigorously, trapping heat that cannot escape. This can lead to yellowing leaves and a decline in quality. On the other hand, harvesting too late risks the spinach being frozen in the soil, making it difficult to collect.
When selecting and preparing the freezing site, choose an area with limited sunlight and good air circulation. Most of the refrigerated spinach is placed behind a windbreak. The ground behind the windbreak is leveled before harvest and used as a 13-meter-wide flat area. During the harvest, the spinach is carefully scooped up with a half-inch-long main root, shaken gently to remove excess soil, and then laid flat on the ground. When the temperature drops, the spinach is bundled tightly into large bales with a diameter of 30 to 40 cm. These bundles are then placed into a pre-prepared trench behind the windbreak.
During the pre-storage phase, the roots are trimmed and the leaves are secured to prevent water loss. The bundles are arranged in two rows, with at least 10 centimeters of space between each one. The pre-storage period typically lasts 4 to 5 days.
Once there is a clear sign of a temperature drop, the pre-stored spinach is ready for burial. The vegetable bundles are turned upside down so that the roots face downward and the leaves face upward. They are placed back in their original position, with more than 10 centimeters of space between each bundle. Immediately after excavation, the outer layer (husks) is removed, and the gaps between the bundles are filled with soil. The entire set of leeks is then wrapped together to form a 25-centimeter-thick layer of soil. Finally, a thin layer of soil, about 5 cm thick, is placed on top of the vegetable bundles to protect them from the cold.
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