> [!quote] [The Ancient Afghan method of preserving grapes](https://www.farmizen.com/the-ancient-afghan-method-of-preserving-grapes/) > Afghanistan has been growing grapes since at least 2000BC, making it one of the most ancient grape growing areas on the planet. > > grapes are at best a summer crops, so Afghans have been preserving them for winter using mud-straw containers called Kangina for hundreds of years, keeping their grapes fresh beyond the growing season. > > The Kangina looks like two loaves of sourdough bread stuck together, each kangina is made of two layers of wet clay-rich mud, with each layer being molded into a bowl shape and then put into the sun to bake. > > When each pair of rustic “earthenware bowls” is completely dried, around 1kg of ripe unbruised fruit are put inside, and then sealed with another serving of mud to form a single closed, air-tight vessel. stored in a cool, cellar-like space, away from direct sunlight, with some people preferring to actually bury the vessels underground. The fruit remain fresh for up to 6 months > > ![[kangina.png]]