How to store cowpea

When we buy cowpeas at home, how can we better store them? Here are a few methods for you:

1. Kiln storage method:

This is an ancient storage method with a history of more than 2,000 years in my country. There are two types of storage methods: kilns and cellars. The one that extends horizontally on the side of the soil layer is called a kiln, and the one that digs vertically underground is called a cellar. It can be divided into shed cellars, earth caves and well cellars, among which shed cellars are the most common. It mainly relies on the thick soil layer to insulate in summer and keep warm in winter. Simple ventilation equipment can be used to adjust and control the temperature in the cellar. Products can be put in and out of the cellar at any time, and the storage status can be checked in time.

2. Storage method in ventilated warehouse:

Ventilated storage warehouses are mostly built with bricks, stones and wood, and are equipped with good cold air inlet and hot air outlet control equipment to continuously introduce fresh cool air from outside the warehouse and discharge hot and dirty air inside the warehouse to reduce the warehouse temperature. The cooling performance of this warehouse is better than that of a shed cellar. However, since it is greatly affected by the outside temperature, it cannot be used in summer and is suitable for use in spring and autumn. In winter, heating is sometimes required to keep warm.

3. Mechanical refrigeration method:

In a warehouse with good heat insulation performance, mechanical refrigeration equipment is installed, and artificial adjustment and control are performed according to the different requirements of the stored pods or beans for storage temperature and humidity, so as to achieve the purpose of long-term storage and preservation. This method is not affected by climatic conditions and can be stored all year round with good storage effect.

4. Controlled atmosphere storage method:

This is a modern storage method that controls the gas composition in the storage environment to achieve the purpose of storage and preservation. According to the different sealing equipment, it can be divided into gas-controlled cold storage and plastic film closed storage. The construction and equipment of gas-controlled cold storage are complex and easy to use. It has not yet been widely popularized. The film-enclosed gas-controlled method is low-cost and easy to use. It can be combined with simple plastic bag packaging, regular ventilation or a certain size of rubber film embedded in the bag. Through the selective permeability of the rubber film, the gas in the bag can reach the appropriate standard. Generally, the oxygen content should be less than 2%, and the carbon dioxide concentration should not exceed 3%.

As for the storage time, according to the above four methods, the time will increase successively. However, the cost will also increase. If you dig the cellar yourself and install the refrigeration equipment yourself as you said, you need to refer to the materials including cold storage design specifications and books on cold storage design. If you want to design a cold storage reasonably, it will definitely involve a lot of things. Wish you good luck!

Another thing to note: After harvesting, you should pay attention to pre-cooling, which can be done by water cooling or strong ventilation. Since cowpeas will suffer from chilling damage below 3°C, you should avoid sprinkling crushed ice directly on the surface of the beans. Water-soaked spots appear on the surface of cowpeas, which then gradually expand and rot, which is a symptom of chilling damage. When storing cowpeas, you should pay attention to maintaining high humidity, otherwise the storage period will be shortened due to excessive water loss.