Onions are grown everywhere in our country. In different regions, certain varieties are popular, differing in growing conditions and taste qualities. Crimean onion is devoid of the unpleasant bitterness that most of us dislike. Growing this plant is not difficult, but how to store Yalta onions so that they do not spoil is a question that requires study.
Characteristics of the variety
Yalta, or as it is also called Crimean onion, was brought to the peninsula by travelers in the 19th century. This is a prominent representative of the Madeira flat species, known throughout the world.It is well suited for use in fresh salads because it has no bitterness. The description of the variety suggests that the composition contains little essential oil, so it does not irritate human mucous membranes during processing. It is interesting that such properties are preserved only in plants that grew on the southern coast of the Crimean peninsula.
A characteristic feature of the Yalta onion is the pink or purple color of the protective scales. But the thick juicy scales have a traditional white color, in rare cases - pale pink. On one bulb there can be no more than 7 juicy scales, the thickness of which is about 7 millimeters. The shape of the head is flattened, round.
Yalta onions have a long ripening period. The growing season of this variety is 140–150 days from the moment of emergence. It is suitable for cultivation in the middle zone, but changes in climatic conditions will entail a change in taste.
Distinctive features
Breeders have done a lot of work and developed new varieties that are similar in appearance to the Yalta onion. Unscrupulous sellers take advantage of this and pass off bulbs similar to it as Crimean. Naturally, they are deprived of all the properties of their eminent brother. In order not to purchase a fake, you need to know the main distinctive features that the Yalta onion has:
- the number of juicy scales in a section should not be more than 7 pieces;
- real Yalta onions do not have a characteristic odor;
- this variety does not cause lacrimation and does not irritate the mucous membrane, it is comfortable to work with;
- when taking a taste test, no bitterness or pungency is felt;
- heads ripen in July;
- The shelf life of the harvested crop does not exceed 5 months.
Considering the last fact, we can safely say that it is no longer possible to buy Yalta onions in the spring or early summer; they simply will not last until then.
Features of cultivation
Yalta onions are grown in seedlings even on the peninsula. In the middle zone, they do the same. In 3–4 months you get good, full-fledged, high-quality heads. To grow seedlings, you will need ordinary boxes designed for this purpose. A layer of fertile soil is poured into them and the preparation of seeds begins.
Sowing dates typically fall in mid-February. To speed up the germination process, Yalta onion seeds are soaked in water for 2 days. Next, they are dried to facilitate sowing. Experienced gardeners wait until some of the seeds hatch and only then begin to sow them.
Grooves 1 centimeter deep are made in the soil. Leave a distance of 5 centimeters between them. The seeds are placed at a distance of 1 centimeter from each other. Watering the Yalta onion is carried out from a spray bottle. Otherwise, you can wash the crops. The box is placed in a warm room with good lighting.
As soon as the Yalta onion shoots begin to appear, the temperature during the day is maintained at +16 °C, and at night - no higher than +10 °C.
In order to grow Crimean onions in seedlings, the soil should not be allowed to dry out too much. Watering is stopped exactly a week before diving into open ground. During this time, the seedlings are hardened off. During the day, the boxes are taken outside. If there is no threat of night frosts, then you can leave the plants overnight.
During the period of growing green mass, Yalta onions require a large supply of nutrients. Once every 2 weeks, fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizers is carried out. Diving into open ground is carried out only when the young plant already has 3 feathers and its height is 20 centimeters. As a rule, 2 months pass from the moment the seeds are sown.
Features of outdoor care
To successfully cultivate Yalta onion seedlings, transplant them on a cloudy, cool day. In this case, the plants get sick less and are better accepted. To transplant young bulbs, you need to cut rows in a previously prepared and fertilized bed in the fall. The distance between them is maintained at least 25 centimeters.
Yalta onions are planted 10 centimeters apart. The depth is chosen to be the same at which they grew in the box. According to this scheme, up to 45 Yalta onion seedlings can be planted on 1 square meter. Watering should be done from a watering can equipped with a sprayer. This is done regularly until the plants take root. A week later, the first fertilizing is carried out with organic fertilizers (a solution of mullein or chicken droppings).
During the growth process, they try to feed the Yalta onion with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers every decade. They continue to do this until the end of July. At the same time, the soil is loosened and weeds are removed. As soon as the tops turn yellow and fall to the ground, and the bulbous necks become soft, it is time to harvest.
Harvest and storage
Bulbs that were grown on a plot of land must be properly preserved. Harvest begins later than other varieties and occurs in August or early September. At this time, Yalta onions ripen and reach the stage of technical maturity.It is impossible to delay the time of harvesting, because due to autumn rains it may rot.
To avoid problems during storage, they try to harvest Yalta onions in dry weather, when the temperature has not yet dropped below +10–+15 °C. In the room where the crop will be stored, the ideal air humidity is 50%. It is allowed to store onions in an apartment if the temperature is not too high.
After the bulbs are removed from the garden bed, they are dried well, and then they begin to braid the hair. Yalta onions are woven together using their own tops. There are many weaving technologies; which one to choose is a matter of your taste. To prevent the heads from touching each other, they are hung in the cellar from the ceiling and left for storage.
Even if ideal conditions have been created and the premises have been carefully selected, your harvest will not last for more than 5 months, so during this time you must try to sell it.
Among salad varieties, Yalta onion, the widespread cultivation of which is gaining momentum, is the leader. It has excellent taste and is free from major disadvantages. Only many people have noticed that buying seedlings in Crimea while on vacation, and then growing them in their dachas, results in a less tasty product. The reason is that Crimean onions, the cultivation of which has recently become practiced in the middle zone, tends to change characteristics depending on the place of growth. And he doesn't do it for the better. Therefore, you should not complain and look for the reasons for your failures - they are genetically embedded in the plant. Real Yalta onions can only be grown on the southern coast of Crimea.
By the way, garden culture has only an indirect relation to the name of the city of Yalta.In fact, it was not bred in this place, and almost no one is engaged in agriculture in the resort town. Most likely, onions were purchased in the vicinity of Yalta by travelers during their vacation, hence the name.
The characteristics of other onion varieties that were grown in this area and were exported to other regions for cultivation do not change so dramatically. But Crimean farmers like it: it’s a kind of insurance against counterfeits. If a person wants to enjoy a healthy and tasty product on his table and not shed crocodile tears, then he will certainly buy the product from them.
Short shelf life made people think about how to preserve Yalta onion longer than expected in order to be able to prepare your culinary masterpieces. It was then that the idea of preserving and pickling it appeared. Of course, this is no longer a fresh onion, however, if properly prepared, it does not lose its properties and can be used to prepare a variety of dishes.
