They invest in banks: Russians started making winter preparations earlier

By August of this year, demand for home-canned goods, including cans, lids, sealing machines and vinegar, was on average 10% higher than last year, the OFD Platform company told Izvestia. The average receipt for canned goods also increased slightly, by 8%. A more plentiful berry harvest this year could encourage Russians to start harvesting earlier, experts noted. About how to properly collect and harvest in order to preserve the beneficial properties of products, see the Izvestia material.

How much do Russians spend on cans and caps

This summer, Russian families started making preparations for the winter earlier, as evidenced by the increased demand for cans, lids and sealing machines, according to data from the OFD Platform company. So, banks bought 9% more often than last year, caps — by 13%. Interest in seaming machines was 6% higher than last year, and in vinegar — by 9%.

— In June and July, Russians most often bought glass jars with a volume of 0.5 liters, 0.75 liters, as well as three–liter jars, more designed for jams and compotes. At the same time, last year the volume of 3 liters was not present in the top purchases," the company's analysts explained.

Metal lids, as a rule, are purchased with gold varnishing in packs of 50 pieces. Of the sealing devices, snail machines with automatic and semi-automatic rollers are traditionally the most popular.

Vegetable picture: carrots and beets have risen in price to a record

What are the reasons and when can we expect a price reduction?

On average, 571 rubles were spent on glass jars, which is 10% higher than last year. The caps cost 367 rubles, which is 7% more than last year's receipt. The cost of sealing machines increased by 11% year-on-year and amounted to 981 rubles.

— This year, in a large number of regions where berry crops are grown, the harvest was harvested earlier than in the past. This, among other things, contributed to an increase in the volume of earlier preparations for the winter, experts believe.

Online platforms also recorded an increase in demand for canned goods. For example, sales of sterilizers for cans at Wildberries increased almost fourfold in the summer, and sales of spice sets for pickling and marinades almost doubled. At the same time, sales of salt directly increased by only 7%, while sales of sugar did not change at all.

"The turnover of glass jars has also hardly changed, probably housewives prefer to reuse containers, but sales of lids for rolling up have increased by a third," the marketplace's press service noted. — Only very niche products with low turnover have shown negative dynamics. For example, oak barrels for pickling were bought by 6% less than last year.

Interest in finished products has also grown. Thus, sales of pickles at Avito increased by 61%. Pickled mushrooms have become especially popular — they are bought twice as often, and sauerkraut — 74% more often than last year. Sales of pickled cucumbers and squash caviar have also increased.

How to harvest properly

This year, gardeners in central Russia were pleased with a good berry harvest, experts interviewed by Izvestia confirmed. Thus, currants, gooseberries, raspberries, especially its late varieties, bear fruit abundantly, said Vladimir Vikulov, an agronomist and agricultural specialist.

"Not everywhere, but in general, a good harvest of sunflower seeds is pears and apple trees," he noted. — Spring was with frosts, and flowers on fruit trees froze in many places, but shrubs are more resistant to such weather changes. Therefore, this year there is a good harvest of honeysuckle, currants, raspberries and gooseberries.

In addition, the heavy rainfall summer, according to the expert, led to a good harvest of various varieties of cabbage and kohlrabi.

— By the way, it's not too late to sow and get a good harvest of root crops — radishes, turnips, daikon, — he said.

Vladimir Vikulov called freezing the easiest way to save crops for the winter.

— If the fruits are not very juicy, then they can be pre-evacuated. This is unlikely to be suitable for raspberries, delicate varieties of currants, but it will be good for gooseberries, for example," the expert explained. — If necessary, you can make anything from such berries: make compote, jam, use for baking.

But when drying, a significant part of the beneficial properties of berries is lost, the expert warned.

— Now it's the season of summer varieties of apples, they are usually eaten fresh. But in September, the season of medium and late-ripening varieties will begin. The main thing here is not to make a mistake with picking fruits if you plan to store them," he stressed.

The expert recommended cutting the apple and looking at the color of the seeds. If they are white or light cream, then the fruit is not ripe yet, it is too early to harvest.

— If part of the seed, a third or a quarter, has darkened, and the rest is still light, then this is the best time to carefully harvest the fruits and store them in the refrigerator. If the seeds have completely darkened, then the apple will not be stored for a long time," said Vladimir Vikulov.

If there is no place to store the fruits, then jam and jam are traditionally made from them, dried, he added. Seasonal vegetables and fruits are best used fresh, then they will bring maximum health benefits, the expert noted.

Homemade preparations can become an ideal environment for the development of botulism, warned Olga Shuppo, founder and scientific director of the Grand Clinic network. This is an acute food poisoning of an infectious nature, which can affect the nervous system and even lead to death. Therefore, it is important to use only fresh, not spoiled fruits and vegetables for preservation, they should be thoroughly washed. When processing cans and lids, it is important to observe the thermal regime and store them at low temperatures. If the lids are swollen, then such cans should be thrown out, the doctor reminded.