How to store carrots in the basement, cellar, apartment and in the refrigerator? How to store carrots for the winter? How to store carrots in an apartment - useful tips How best to store carrots for the winter

14.11.2019

Carrots are one of the most consumed vegetables, and it's pretty hard to imagine your diet without them. Owners of their own vegetable gardens prefer to grow them themselves rather than buy them from the market, because getting good harvest carrots with competent attention is not difficult. The problem here is different - how to preserve the roots grown before spring, protect them from decay and shrinkage. So, how to store carrots at home in winter and which carrots are best stored in winter?

What varieties of carrots are stored better in winter? The best for winter storage were late-ripening:

Queen of autumn;

Flacccoro;

Vita Longo and Carlin.

Vita Longo

And mid-season varieties of carrots for winter storage:

Samson;

Vitamin;

Shantane and NIOH-336.

The presence of such a property as crumbs is not a guarantee that the crop will be successfully preserved.

Soil composition, summer rainfall, pests and untimely early or late harvest can seriously affect the preservation of root crops in winter and shelf life.

Storing carrots for the winter at home

It is very important to choose root crops in a timely manner, guided by the color of the foliage: if the lower leaves turn yellow, you can clean it.
10 days before the proposed cleaning, pour the well between the rows of water. Vegetables absorb moisture, become sweeter and juicier.
Dig very carefully, try not to damage the vegetables. Carefully lift the soil with a shovel and gently pull the top.
Cut off the tops, leaving about 1 centimeter. Carefully remove the stuck soil from the fruit.
Spread the culture on a dry, ventilated surface and leave for 1-2 days.
Put the carrots in boxes.

It is advisable to keep the roots in a room with a temperature of about 15 degrees for the next two weeks. At this time, spoiled vegetables will feel; go again, leaving only quality.

Storing carrots for the winter requires a certain temperature and humidity with a stable temperature, preferably without changes and fluctuations. In winter, ideal for storing root crops, the microclimate can only be created in the cellar, it is + 1-3 degrees with an air humidity of 90-95%.

You can store carrots:

in wooden boxes on the sand;
in coniferous sawdust;
in a clay mash;
in plastic bags.

Sometimes summer dwellers also use alternative storage methods, such as making collars. First, the carrots are prepared for storage, the tops are cut off, the roots are dried. Lay a small depression in the ground covered with sawdust or straw. Above the shoulder is covered with earth. A pipe or valve must be placed to prevent condensation in the storage. With this method of storage, carrots are juicy, as if only from a garden bed.

Is it possible to wash carrots before storing for the winter?

There is a strong belief that before going to bed for the winter, carrots should not be washed. You can easily remove large chunks of earth and store them as is. Washed carrots disappear faster and do not withstand long-term storage.

Do you think carrots should be washed before storage?

YesNot

But at the same time, on the shelves of stores, we see that washed carrots are preserved, as well as unwashed carrots. Let's find out. Wash or not wash carrots before planting?

Before the long winter, there are adherents of washing carrots. They put forward the following arguments:

When washing, you can find skin lesions or areas affected by rot hidden under stuck-on clusters.
If the soil was treated with chemicals in the summer and the summer was dry, the chemicals could remain in the soil and introduce the root crop in storage.
Pathogenic organisms contained in the soil penetrate the skin of the fruit and are the causes of disease and decay. When washing, this danger is practically reduced to zero.
During the storage period, it is recommended to regularly examine root crops to determine the beginning of spoiled samples.

On a note. If the carrots are washed, it is much easier to identify the affected fruit and prevent it from infecting others.

The main disadvantages are only the complexity of the process:

With large volumes of grown crops, it is quite difficult to thoroughly wash each carrot. Rinse running water. Not every home has this opportunity. For high-quality washing of vegetables, it is necessary to deliver a large number of water.
They just take out the carrots from the ground, which need to be dried. It takes 2-3 hours. If it gets wet during washing, it takes much longer to dry.
To store washed carrots, you must carefully prepare the room, boxes, baskets or bags. Washed carrots should not be contacted with unwashed ones, otherwise they will not be protected from pathogens.

Where in the apartment to store carrots in winter?

Carrots do not store well in an apartment, but there are some secrets that allow you to successfully store these root crops in your apartment. The main ways to store carrots in an apartment are:

Plastic bags. If the carrots are small, they can be packed in vacuum plastic bags (you can use regular ones) and put in the refrigerator in the refrigerator. But carrots cannot be preserved this way for a long period, as carbon dioxide accumulates in the packages, and the root vegetables begin to deteriorate after a while. If you make holes in the bags, then after a while the carrots will lose a significant amount of moisture and will have poor consumer characteristics.
Clay. Carrots keep well in an apartment if they are dipped in an acidic solution of clay and then dried. Thus, each carrot will have a clay shell that will protect the root crop from diseases and from excessive evaporation of moisture. In addition, oxygen and carbon dioxide easily pass through the clay. After the clay coating dries, the carrots should be put in plastic bags and stored in a cool place in the apartment.

Paper boxes. Carrots can be stored in paper boxes, while you need to collect carrot horseradish. Usually for every 20 pcs. carrots, one horseradish rhizome is placed on a length of up to 30 centimeters. Horseradish secretes essential oils that prevent the development of mold and fungal diseases. Boxes should be tightly closed and stored in a cool place.
Onion peel. Carrots keep well with onion skins. To do this, each layer of carrots must be poured with dry husks and tightly closed paper boxes. Thus, in a cool place, carrots can be stored for a long period of time, but after a while they may disappear.
Boxes. If you have a well-insulated balcony, it's best to store your carrots in boxes. In this case, the carrots are laid in layers so that the roots do not touch each other, and it pours out with wet sand. If there is no severe frost, carrots can be stored until the ambient temperature rises, that is, until mid-spring.
Sand. You can store carrots in sandboxes on the stairs if you trust your neighbors and strangers don't enter the porch.

Often, small amounts of carrots are processed in a food processor and stored in plastic bags in the freezer. But with such storage, the taste and most of the vitamins are lost.
Keeping carrots indoors is not difficult if you know how to store these vegetables effectively. Each method allows, at least for some time, even in the absence of optimal conditions, to store quality carrots.

Video

You can also watch a video where they will tell you how to store carrots in the garage.

Try not to store the crop alone, preferably in several ways. For example: send half to the basement, leave it in the ground for a bit, grind a part and freeze it. At the same time, you will be sure: even if some of the options do not justify themselves, most of the fruits will be stored until spring.

Hello, dear readers. It is necessary to think about where and in what form the harvested crop will be stored even before it ripens. Basically, we conserve most of the harvested vegetables and fruits, as we know for sure that they will not succeed in overwintering fresh. But some vegetables are still able to survive the winter, but what state they will be in by the end of the cold season is another question. Carrots are just one of the products that can be stored fresh for quite a long time. But keeping carrots in perfect condition will not work without some tricks, which you will learn about a little later. Many factors affect the condition of vegetables that many people simply do not notice. It is necessary to provide the harvesting with all the conditions for carrots to delight you with their freshness and benefits all winter, and maybe even in spring.

This product contains a huge amount of vitamins, without which our body simply cannot do, especially in the cold season.

Therefore, let's get acquainted with the basic storage conditions, and also consider several ways to keep carrots fresh. We have already talked about that before, now let's talk about carrots.

How to store carrots in winter - in the cellar, basement, apartment

Such sweet vegetable surely everyone loves it, especially if you grate a crispy carrot and cover it all with sugar. The fact is that in winter it is very difficult to enrich your body with all the necessary vitamins. Therefore, it is so important for us to preserve the beneficial substances of carrots, which will be very useful to our body in difficult times. winter period.

We try to keep the carrots in their original state, but this is not always possible. Very often, the product begins not only to deteriorate, but also to fade, while losing the most important thing - the juice, which contains all the vitamins.

The appearance of rot on a vegetable indicates that its skin is not dense enough to protect the root crop itself. But the situation is not hopeless, because we have a lot of secrets that will help to avoid such troubles.

Shelf life of carrots

The time frame for maintaining the product in its original state largely depends on temperature conditions, as well as on the control of air humidity in the room where the product will winter.

If all the rules are followed, then you can enjoy a sweet vegetable for 7 months. But even this number may vary depending on the environment that will be provided to the product.

1. A box filled with clay, chalk, sawdust and even onion skins. You just need to fill the carrots with one of the types of raw materials, and it can last up to one year.

2. In plastic bags, carrots will not last as long as we would like, but still 3-4 months - the period is not so short.

3. Place carrots in wet sand, and they will retain all their nutrients in the original composition. In addition, it will remain as crispy as at harvest time. Therefore, in this state, it can easily be stored for 9 months.

4. In a simple wooden box, the product can be stored for about 7 months, without any fillers.

5. Sawdust will provide the product with an ideal storage environment, because they are able to absorb all the excess moisture in the air. And this will help the vegetables to be safely stored throughout the year.

Temperature conditions

Carrots should be stored in a cool room, so the cellar will be just the perfect place for it. In addition, you don’t have to worry about excessive humidity either, because the air there is most often dry.

The temperature should not exceed 0 degrees, otherwise the product will simply be spoiled.

It is important to note that it is necessary to limit the flow to the box of carrots fresh air, because it can disrupt the structure of the product with excessive moisture.

But this does not mean that he should not enter the room at all. Ventilation should be moderate, and the room should be ventilated regularly.

Humidity indicators should not exceed 97%. You should carefully monitor the temperature in the room, because its sharp changes can lead to rotting or drying of vegetables.

How to properly cut carrots before storage?

In general, the duration of storage of carrots depends not only on the conditions created, but also on the type of vegetable. It is necessary to immediately highlight already proven varieties that can be stored throughout the winter:

- Shantan;

- Vitamin;

- Early Nantes.

In addition, you need to carefully select vegetables, because the slightest damage to one carrot can lead to infection of the rest. So, the whole crop will be simply spoiled. Such damage opens the way for the penetration of destructive bacteria and fungi.

Before placing the crop in the cellar, it is necessary to carefully remove the tops. It just needs to be cut off, but in no case cut off.

This does not mean that you need to cut off completely upper part carrots, because such damage will definitely not leave her a chance of survival. It is the tops that are cut off, so try not to hurt the root crop itself.

How to store carrots in the cellar - crop storage

Preparation of the premises plays a significant role in achieving the goal. Therefore, you will have to take a number of actions in order for the carrot to successfully survive the fierce winter:

— Airing. Preferably the day before the crop goes to the cellar, the room must be properly ventilated. The air should be as fresh as possible, because this, after all, will affect the safety of the product;

— Take care of disinfecting the room. About a month before harvest, you should cover the walls with lime mortar. Thus, you will protect the room from the formation of various fungi, as well as from the penetration of unwanted insects, which can certainly covet a sweet harvest.

1. In the garden

We will try to create the most natural environment for vegetables by artificially forming beds. If your cellar is equipped with special shelves for storing vegetables, then you can create an artificial garden just on them.

So, it is necessary to lay a sufficiently dense polyethylene on the shelf, on which a layer of sand will later be placed, pre-mixed with a small amount of chips and fallen leaves. The layer should be large enough so that we can sort of “dip” our carrots into it. And it is located in a row, one to the other.

Please note that carrots partially immersed in the soil are covered from above with the same layer of polyethylene, the edges of which must be tightly fastened with simple clothespins or binders. Thus, vegetables can be stored until spring, without losing their beneficial properties.

2. In an enamel pot

First of all, you need to cut the tops, after which for some time the carrots should dry in the sun so that excess moisture is removed. Next, we will definitely need an enameled pan, because the interaction of vegetables with any metals leads to their deterioration.

It is advisable to choose a large pot in order to fit as many carrots as possible in it. So, put the vegetables in a bowl, and then cover them with a paper towel. We tightly cover the pan with a lid and send it to the cellar, which was ventilated in advance.

Please note that this storage method requires high humidity in the room. In this way, carrots can be kept in good condition all year round.

3. In a plastic box

A box made of such an artificial material implies the placement of a special filler in it, the role of which can be played by the following types of raw materials:

- Sawdust.

Such a box will be ideal option for storage, because, unlike natural materials, plastic does not deteriorate. Wooden boxes are good in their own way, but the main drawback is that they quickly rot.

And besides, the plastic surface is not the best place for the spread of fungi and other harmful microorganisms, so at least this way you can protect your crop from the rotting process.

In general, any box can hold a fairly large amount of product, so we will lay out the carrots in layers.

The selected filler will separate one layer from another, so that they will not touch, which will save the carrots from possible rotting.

4. In a wooden box

Of course, wood is not a durable material, but this does not make it worse than others. But it is environmentally friendly, and this will protect your crop from exposure to various chemical impurities. Storage of carrots in such boxes can be carried out in two ways:

— Without filler. Vegetables are placed in the box, and they are laid out in neat layers. After that, the box must be tightly covered and placed on one of the high shelves. It is important here that the distance from the shelf to the wall is approximately 15 centimeters. One box can contain no more than 20 kg of product;

— With filler. Carrots are also smoothed out in layers, but only each of the layers should be sprinkled with sand.

Ways to store carrots in the basement

There are several other ways to keep carrots fresh. It all depends on the auxiliary raw materials, which will provide the product with suitable conditions for long-term storage. So, you can enjoy a fresh product even in spring, when it's time to plant a new crop of carrots.

The condition of carrots harvested in this way must be constantly checked. And we are talking not only about the vegetables themselves, but also about the storage conditions, which also need to be controlled and regulated. If you do not know how to do this correctly, then we suggest that you consider the following tips:

- review root crops from time to time, because spots or blackening may form on one of them. Such carrots are not suitable for further storage, so they must be urgently removed from the box;

- if the temperature in the basement tends to minus, and the risk of freezing vegetables increases, then it is better to insulate them with felt;

- during the winter, the tops can grow back, which should not be allowed. The fact is that the newly grown greens take away part of the juices contained in the root crop. Therefore, such greens should be cut off immediately;

- a prerequisite for storing vegetables is protection from sunlight, so you must always ensure that they do not penetrate into the basement;

- with the beginning of the use of carrots, it is better to choose only small root crops, because they still will not be able to survive the winter.

1. In a plastic bag

Before starting the harvesting process, you need to stock up on a small amount of conventional film bags that can hold up to 25 kg. Such packages are good because they do not let moisture in from the outside, which usually causes premature rotting of root crops.

But there is one important point: before placing in a bag, carrots must be pre-dried. If at least some moisture remains on it, then polyethylene will only accelerate the process of decay.

In addition, such bags must remain open, because their main drawback is the release of carbon dioxide. Therefore, it is better to pierce the bottom of the bag several times with something sharp. So, you will provide the vegetables with fairly good ventilation.

If you notice that condensation has formed on the inside of the bag, this means that the air in the room is too humid, which may well spoil the carrots.

2. In sawdust

This method is practiced constantly, because it is considered one of the best. Moreover, it is best to use coniferous sawdust. As you know, the juice of the needles is a fairly good antiseptic, which means that it will help eliminate various bacteria that can harm the structure of the vegetable.

The method of placing sawdust is the same as in the case of sand. Each layer of carrots just needs to be covered with sawdust. For this method, you can use a box from the same coniferous tree. So, your harvest will be completely safe.

3. In the husk

Both onion peel and garlic peel are suitable here, this is your choice. Of course, this method cannot be considered the safest, but it's still worth a try. In addition, it will take too much husk, which needs to be collected almost the whole year.

But this also has its advantages, because the peel of onion and garlic contains essential oils, which will also protect the product from spoilage.

The first layer is dried husks, after which a layer of carrots is laid out, which is also covered with the next layer of raw materials. By the way, you can use not only boxes, but also simple linen bags.

4. In the sand

This method is also no less common, due to its reliability. The sand must be necessarily clayey, but river sand will not suit us in any way. The sand is able to maintain the same temperature, in addition, it absorbs the moisture coming from the carrots.

The sand must be necessarily wet, so it must first be moistened with clean water. The first layer of sand is laid out at the bottom of the box, after which a layer of carrots is placed in it, which is again covered with sand.

You can also use dry sand. The principle of laying is slightly different, because in this case we should get a pyramid of carrots and sand.

In the process of laying out vegetables, their direction in the process of laying out each layer will alternate. From time to time, the sand needs to be moistened with a spray bottle.

5. In dry chalk

Chalk prevents the development of various bacteria on the surface of the carrot, which helps it to survive. long time in the same fresh condition.
It is necessary to combine chalk crushed to a state of powder with wet sand. At the bottom of a wooden box, place the carrots in an upright position, then cover with the prepared mixture.

How to store carrots in an apartment in winter

If you live in an apartment, then it is unlikely that you will have your own personal basement for storing various preserves and vegetables. The storage temperature of carrots does not correspond to the room temperature, so we need to look for other ways that would help solve this problem.

Divide the carrots into plastic bags and place in the refrigerator. If there is no room for such a product in the refrigerator, then you can store vegetables on the balcony.

Freeze vegetables. Here, of course, you will have to sweat a little, because carrots are frozen mainly in grated form. Such a crushed product is packaged in bags that are placed in the freezer.

By eating carrots, we get tremendous benefits from it. Therefore, it is so important for us to keep it fresh for the winter period, when diseases simply attack us from all sides. The considered methods helped us figure out the question of how to store carrots in winter - in the cellar, basement, apartment.

Sunny root is considered one of the most capricious and demanding. A little something is wrong - it instantly rots, germinates, partially or completely loses its taste qualities becoming unfit for consumption. For proper storage carrots, it is important to maintain a stable temperature regime(from 2 °C to -2 °C) and maximum humidity (90-95%). However, this is far from the only nuance that allows you to store root crops for a long time so that they look like they were just picked from the garden.

Preparing vegetables for wintering

Successful storage of carrots depends not only on temperature conditions, but also on other important factors. For example, on the variety of vegetables, as well as on the correctness of harvesting and sorting.

Harvest

It is unlikely that it will be possible to influence the quality of carrots lying on the supermarket counter. But from your own garden you can harvest competently, laying a reliable foundation for long-term storage of grown root crops until spring. Below are three intuitive rules for any summer resident.

Dry weather. Harvesting carrots is best in dry weather.
Small shovel. A large shovel should be discarded when digging. A pitchfork or a miniature garden shovel will do the job much better.
Drying. After harvesting, root crops must be dried in a well-ventilated place until they are sent for long-term storage.

When digging, you need to try not to damage the root crops. Any scratch in the basement with high humidity will cause decay.

Sorting

By and large, it is not so important where the supply of carrots came from - from the supermarket or from suburban area. The answer to the question of how to properly store carrots lies, among other things, in the secrets of sorting. There are three main rules.

We clear the soil. A dry, dirty vegetable should be carefully cleaned of soil adhering to it. Strongly stuck pieces of soil can be left on the root crop, otherwise you risk tearing off the skin.
We remove the damaged ones. To prevent carrots from rotting in the refrigerator or basement, it is necessary to carefully sort healthy fruits from damaged ones. Moreover, even a miniature scratch is a reason to eat a vegetable here and now, without sending it for long-term storage.
Sort by size. Root crops must be sorted according to their size. According to the rules, small vegetables are eaten first, then medium ones, and only then - large carrots, which, due to their impressive size, are stored for the longest time.

To extend the shelf life of root crops stored for the winter, it is necessary to carefully sort out the carrots every two to three weeks, removing rotten vegetables and cutting off the overgrown stems of the tops.

Long-lived varieties

Carrots of any variety can be stored in the refrigerator or basement. However, some varieties are particularly survivable. The table shows some of the most popular, which are stored longer and better than others.

Table - The best varieties of carrots for storage and their features

In addition to those listed in the table, "Samson" and "Cascade" are considered good varieties for storage, as well as root crops with the foreign name "Nigel". But it is far from always possible to find out the variety of carrots purchased in the store. Therefore, when choosing root crops for long-term storage, it is better to give preference to long cone-shaped fruits. Short carrots spoil quickly.

How to store carrots in the basement: 4 ways

The owners of the basement or cellar are the real lucky ones. For such people, the question of where to store carrots in the winter in the house is not urgent. However, basement storage requires compliance with certain rules.

In a wooden box

Peculiarities . A solid wooden box is the cheapest and easiest way to stock up on root crops for the coming cold. And it is also considered the most economical, because it allows you to place up to 20 kg of vegetables in one container.

Way of implementation

Carefully place the carrots in the box.
Cover with a tight lid.
We send it to the cellar and install a container with carrots near the wall so that the box does not touch it.

In the sand pyramids

Peculiarities . It will not be possible to implement this method without a basement or cellar. In fact, organizing such a storage, you will need to pour a mountain of sand on the floor to lay the roots.

Way of implementation

We pour a layer of sand on the cellar floor.
We spread the carrots on the sand so that the vegetables do not touch each other.
We fall asleep laid out root crops with the next layer of sand.
We spread the second row of vegetables - perpendicular to the first row.
Again, pour a layer of sand on top and lay out the vegetables again.
We continue to alternately pour sand and lay carrots until the height of the sand pyramid reaches one meter.

So that a carrot fly does not start in the sand and the shelf life of vegetables is as long as possible, the sand must be sifted before use, and then calcined.

In a "shirt" of liquid clay

Peculiarities . This method will allow you to store washed carrots for as long as possible. Its main disadvantage is that it is too messy for a home implementation. However, in terms of efficiency, this method is considered one of the best.

Way of implementation

Dilute the clay with water to the consistency of liquid sour cream.
Stir the mixture until the resulting thick mass becomes homogeneous.
We dip each root crop into the diluted clay.
We dry.
After complete drying, we put it in a box or basket and send it to the cellar.

in chalk powder

Peculiarities . Chalk has alkaline properties that prevent the growth of microorganisms and act as a natural disinfectant.

Way of implementation

Dust each carrot with chalk powder.
We put in a basket or wooden box so that the vegetables do not fit too tightly together.

To store 20 kg of orange vegetable, you will need about 400 g of chalk powder.

On the balcony: 3 methods

Most of us are children of the metropolis, living in high-rise buildings and high-rise buildings. The best place for the wintering of the root crop - not a freezer, but a glazed balcony or loggia. It's too cold on the open balcony in cold weather. And at temperatures below -2 ° C, carrots cannot be stored. It instantly freezes and becomes unfit for consumption.

In onion skins

Peculiarities . Onion peel is an absorber of excess moisture. Subject to the temperature regime, root crops wrapped in onion husks will definitely not rot.

Way of implementation

Pour onion peel on the bottom of the bag or wooden box.
Lay out the carrots.
We pour each layer with husks, and again put the root crops.
We continue until the storage is filled with vegetables, "drowning" in the husk.

In sawdust

Peculiarities . Sawdust is an excellent amulet against rot and pests, which often cause damage to vegetables stored for the winter.

Way of implementation

We fall asleep a layer of sawdust 8-10 cm high at the bottom of a wooden box.
We spread the root crops without touching the neighboring ones.
From above we fall asleep another layer of sawdust of a similar thickness.

The longest orange root crop is stored in sawdust of coniferous trees. They better than others cope with the disinfecting and protective function. The method is also suitable for basement storage.

In a plastic bag

Peculiarities . It is not recommended to store carrots in plastic bags. However, if there is no other way out, this method may well be applicable for short-term storage.

Way of implementation

We make several small holes in the bottom of the bag of dense polyethylene with a nail.
We fall asleep in a bag of dry clean carrots.
We put the bag on a stand so that the condensate drains, in case of formation.
We take it out with a stand to the balcony.

During the summer, it is best to store carrots in the refrigerator or cellar using any of the above methods. And in winter, when the temperature on the balcony is too low, it makes sense to cover a bag or box with vegetables with felt.

Due to the proximity of different products, it is undesirable to use a refrigerator for long-term “laying out” of an orange root crop. Most often, boiled or fresh, but already peeled carrots are sent to the refrigerator, which will turn into an ingredient in one of the homemade dishes not today or tomorrow. But even short-term refrigeration can be extended and kept fresh for several weeks with the following three tips.

Vacuuming. Root crops can be vacuumed. To do this, you will need special vacuum bags and a vacuum cleaner. Before sending root crops in a bag, they must be dried and cooled in a refrigerator. After sucking the air out of the bag of carrots with a vacuum cleaner, the temporary storage must be tightly closed with a zip lock.
Bookmark in glass jars . Another way to make sure that washed fresh carrots are stored for a long time and not sluggish is to temporarily preserve them in a sterilized glass container. True, this method is not at all ergonomic, because jars of carrots will take up all the free space in the refrigerator.
Freeze. Root crops can be chopped with a blender or hand grater, put in a plastic bag for freezing and sent to the freezer. After defrosting, the taste of the product will no longer be the same as before, however, such carrots can be safely used as a secondary ingredient.

Storing carrots in the refrigerator involves dislocating the vegetable on the bottom shelf or in the compartment intended for fruits, vegetables and berries. It is better to keep a plastic bag with root vegetables brought from the supermarket open. Air circulation in the refrigerator will reduce the risk of condensation inside the bag, and therefore protect vegetables from rapid decay.

Which method has better "keeping quality"

At different ways storage time can vary significantly. The average periods of root storage, depending on the method used, are given in the table.

Table - Shelf life of carrots for different ways

Regardless of where you intend to store vegetables stored for the winter, each root crop must be processed. Namely - competently and accurately cut off the tops from it. Too long tops entail the risk of germination of the vegetable, and cut off at the root leads to rapid decay. “Tails” 2-3 mm long are considered ideal for storage.

You can, of course, not fool yourself with the question of how to keep carrots in the apartment longer, and buy your favorite vegetable in the amount necessary to prepare a particular dish. But do not forget that stored in the fall and properly stored carrots can save the family budget. After all, cunning sellers in the cold season raise the price of vegetables three to four times.

Reviews: “I wash, dry and put in plastic tanks”

Root crops are stored well if they are pre-sprayed with an infusion of needles or onion peel. For 100 g of husk or needles, a liter of water is taken and infused for 5 days. Such an infusion can not only be sprayed, carrots can be immersed in it for 10 minutes, dried and stored.

Inga, http://kak-hranit.ru/kak-hranit-morkov/#i-4

In one cellar, our 3 families store carrots. When in the first year I started storing my vegetables, they told me why you wash carrots - you can’t do this. I have been storing it this way for 10 years already. After harvesting, my carrots are in 2 waters, I lay them out to dry in the sun and put them in plastic tanks - and in the cellar. In the spring, looking into other people's barrels with unwashed carrots - I didn’t even want to get them - half rotten. My carrots are one to one, as they just laid. I think that in the process of washing, damaged root crops can be better seen. Now all my relatives wash carrots.

Klementieva Natalia, https://7dach.ru/Tatyana-sadovodniza/kak-hranit-morkov-pravilno-7559.html

We tried to store carrots in different ways, but for about 10 years we have been doing this: we must wash it (it’s easier to see spoiled root crops this way), dry it in the air, if the weather is wet, then under a fan, then put it in plastic bags small sizes. On the packages we mark with the numbers 1, 2 ... the order of use. So in packages and take out to the storage (we have a cell in the general storage). Packages are of course open. If it grows or gets sick, it's easy to see and take action.

Ludmila Samodova, https://vk.com/7dach?w=wall-51071645_69661

How to save carrots in winter

The keeping quality of carrots is not high enough; it is stored worse than beets and potatoes. The vegetable is more sensitive to storage conditions, and if they change, the keeping quality of carrots decreases.

Preparing root crops for storage

After digging the crop and primary ventilation, it is prepared for storage. Preparation includes washing, trimming the growing point, drying and storage.

Washing. To wash or not to wash carrots, everyone decides for himself, this is a matter of taste. Washing does not affect the storage process. Root crops are washed in running water or in a basin, changing the water. For disinfection, you can add potassium permanganate to a pale pink color. The solution disinfects the crop and during storage it is less affected by rot.

Top trim carried out only after washing. If the carrots have not been washed, then you cannot cut off the top, this is a sure way to infect. Cut off the upper green end of the root crop along with the growing point. When the growth bud is removed, the carrot sinks into deep dormancy, the intensity of respiration decreases markedly. Such root crops are stored much better, they are less prone to rot and, of course, do not germinate.

This cuts off the growing point.

Sorting. Carrots are sorted by size. Small root crops, as a rule, are more friable, they contain few sugars, and they wither faster during storage. Deformed copies, despite the shape, are stored well.

Cracked, diseased, damaged specimens during harvesting are rejected, they are not subject to storage. The rest of the carrots are sorted by size and stored separately. After sorting, the crop is dried under a canopy.

Drying lasts 5-10 days. This is a quarantine, during which specimens are detected that will not lie in winter. It is advisable to dry the carrots in a cool place at a temperature of 7-10°C. At higher temperatures, it begins to wilt.

During quarantine, a dense skin is formed in the root crop, processes of sugar storage are actively going on, and carrots are immersed in the winter dormancy period.

At the end of drying, the vegetables are again sorted out and the unsuitable ones are discarded, the rest are laid for the winter.

Optimal storage conditions for carrots in winter

The keeping quality of carrots directly depends on the storage conditions. The winter dormancy period of a vegetable is not as deep as that of potatoes or beets, and it does not tolerate fluctuations in indicators.

Store carrots in dark room. In the light, it does not go into winter rest, it begins to sprout and wither. Under such conditions, the sugars in root crops are rapidly destroyed.
Temperature should be 1-3°C. At higher values, the root crops intensively evaporate water and quickly wither. If poor air circulation is added to the high temperature, the crop will rot. But there is one thing here. Root crops with a removed top can be stored at temperatures up to 6-8 ° C and even slightly higher, provided there is good ventilation. This is due to the fact that in the absence of a growth bud, the carrot sinks into deep dormancy, its respiration and evaporation of water is minimal and, of course, it cannot germinate.
Humidity. Optimal Humidity should be 85-95%. With a decrease in humidity and an increase in temperature, root crops begin to come out of dormancy, quickly wither and germinate.
Intensive air exchange. With poor circulation, the moisture released by the carrots again settles on it, the roots rot.

If at least one indicator is violated, the keeping quality of carrots decreases sharply.

Preparing a cellar for winter storage of carrots

It takes 1-1.5 months to prepare a cellar for storing vegetables in winter. Preparation includes sanitary cleaning, wall and floor treatment, rodent and insect control.

Cellar cleaning

Start it no later than a month before laying vegetables. The shelves are cleared of the remnants of the previous crop, the remaining land is swept away from them. The top layer of earth (2-4 cm) is removed and thrown away. During the year, spores of various diseases accumulate in it. All burrows and holes are sealed in the walls and floor.

Shelves, drawers and others wooden structures taken out to air to dry. They are dried in the shade (the tree can be deformed in the sun) for 20-30 days. All rotten boards are replaced with new ones. At this time, the cellar is thoroughly ventilated.

Room disinfection

Every year, the walls are disinfected by treating them with disinfectant solutions. Processing is carried out even if the cellar is dry. Before processing, airing is carried out for 3-4 days.

When placed in bulk, root crops are poured onto pallets with a layer of no more than 20 cm. Shelf life with this method is 6-8 months.
In boxes, the keeping quality of root crops is low - 4-6 months. Vegetables are placed in crates placed on pallets. To scare away rodents, boxes are covered with coniferous branches.
In sand. Many recommend storing crops in wet sand in winter. This is not rational, since the root crops are excessively moistened and rot. In addition, when the temperature drops to 0 ° C, wet sand freezes, gas exchange between the crop and environment broken and the vegetables rot. To store carrots in winter, it is better to use dry sand. It is poured onto the bottom of the box, the carrots are laid out in one layer and covered with sand. Layers of carrots and sand alternate. Keeping quality of root crops is 6-9 months. Dry peat can be used instead of sand.
In sawdust, the vegetable is stored in the same way as in sand, in layers, alternating them. But in sawdust, carrots are stored much better - up to 1 year. Sawdust, especially coniferous, contains phytoncides that prevent the development of diseases.
In the moss, carrots lie well all winter. To store carrots in winter, the moss must be dry. Moss and root crops are laid out in layers. The material perfectly protects the vegetable from excess moisture, without interfering with normal gas exchange and, at the same time, protects the crop from rot. However, with a large harvest, it is difficult to find such an amount of moss.
Onion and garlic husks, as well as sawdust, contain phytoncides that prevent the development of pathogens. In addition, it absorbs excess moisture well. For storage, layers of carrots alternate with layers of husks.

Sprinkling layers of vegetables protects them from the spread of diseases. If in some layer the vegetable is rotten, then the rot will not spread to other layers, and even neighboring root crops

A private option for storing root crops in the cellar is to store carrots in the basement or underground. Here the temperature is higher, and although the humidity is high, the ventilation is insufficient, so the vegetables lie much worse. To increase the keeping quality, the roots are dipped in clay, then dried and put into boxes. The clay reduces respiration to a minimum and the crop can be stored at 4-7°C.

How to store carrots in an apartment

The keeping quality of vegetables in an apartment where there is no balcony is low. Long-term storage of a large crop in urban conditions is impossible.

All small carrots are grated and kept in the freezer. If the crop is large, part of it can be dried, part canned, and juice can be made from the largest root crops.

Do not store carrots in the refrigerator, there is too little air circulation, and after 5-7 days they become damp and rot.

The modern method allows you to store vegetables in plastic bags without oxygen for a long time. A small amount of root crops are put in bags and with the help of a vacuum cleaner all the air is drawn out of them. The bags are tied and stored at a temperature not exceeding 7-9°C. But this method is only suitable for carrots that have had their top removed. In a vacuum, respiration is reduced to zero, all vital processes almost stop, and root crops remain under such conditions for 7-9 months. If the growth bud is not removed, then it will not be possible to keep the carrot in a vacuum. The kidney needs oxygen and in its absence the vegetable rots.

If the top of the vegetable is cut off, then in winter the carrots are well stored in the apartment in the coolest place. Root crops are placed in a box, covered with foam plastic and kept in a pantry or corridor. If possible, the boxes can be taken out into the common corridor at the entrance.

The crop processed in clay lies well in winter. But before that, it must be cooled at a temperature of + 1-3 ° C, and then dipped in a clay solution. Clay has low thermal conductivity, and root crops can lie in an apartment in a cool place for 6-8 months.

Carrots are well stored under a clay crust.

Carrots cannot be stored in plastic bags without a vacuum. Polyethylene does not allow air to pass through, so condensation quickly forms inside. With insufficient oxygen, vegetables rot. At the same time, if you leave the bag indoors, then the lower carrot will rot, the upper one will wither. If you put it in the refrigerator, then in a week all root crops will rot.

Storage of crops on the balcony

With a balcony, the task of preserving carrots is greatly simplified. The keeping quality of vegetables in winter on the balcony is much higher than in the apartment. They are laid out in boxes and sprinkled with sawdust or sand. You can keep vegetables in boxes without spilling anything.

Carrots lie well in winter in bags of flour or sugar. The bags are filled 1/2-2/3, to absorb excess moisture, the vegetables are lightly sprinkled with ash.

When the temperature on the balcony drops to 0 ° C, the container is covered with old rags, pillows, blankets. If possible, cover with hay. At severe frosts in order to avoid freezing vegetables, they are brought into the room. But you can’t keep carrots in the room for a long time, it will wither or begin to sprout. Therefore, as soon as it gets warmer, the crop is taken out to the balcony. It is better to properly insulate it than to keep it in an apartment.

The main mistakes when storing carrots

Mistake #1. Too late cleaning. The plant tolerates frost well down to -4-6°C. But in the pre-winter period, when the temperature is not only at night, but also during the day below 0 ° C, the vegetable freezes slightly and does not lie in winter. It needs to be reworked right away. If the carrot is heavily overgrown with sucking white hairs, then it becomes woody and flabby, there are practically no sugars in it. It makes no sense to keep such a crop.

Mistake #2. Bookmark for the winter of damaged root crops. Such carrots often rot, and from it the infection spreads to neighboring specimens. As a result, there can be significant yield losses.

Mistake #3. Storage of crops in rooms where temperature and humidity change very strongly and sharply. The vegetable is extremely sensitive to the microclimate; for good keeping quality in winter, it needs stable conditions. With a sharp change in indicators, the carrot either germinates or rots.

Mistake #4. Keep vegetables in plastic bags. Even if the bags are not tied, condensation quickly forms inside, and the root crops rot.

Mistake #5. Store carrots with apples. Apples emit ethylene, which accelerates the ripening of the crop and leads to the rapid aging of the fruit. When stored together, carrots quickly wither and become woody, if left on top, they germinate even in cold conditions.

How to store carrots is not an idle question for many private traders. This root crop, popular for our cuisine, is useful substances comparable even to ginseng. And you can save carrots for the winter in many ways: dried, canned, and also frozen. But fresh root crops are still tastier, so we share personal experience how to store carrots in the winter in the cellar, on the loggia or in the refrigerator.

How to store carrots: all the secrets from preparing for long-term storage to consumption

It is archival to prepare carrot roots for storage at the harvest stage. It should be harvested after the first frost, as carrots must necessarily go through a stage of natural cooling. Sometimes summer residents have to harvest carrots before frost, then you need to keep it in the refrigerator for a day, otherwise the tops will continue to grow, and the root crop will wither.

Of course, this is not about early varieties, but about those that are intended for wintering. Early and mid-season varieties in the garden also cannot be overexposed, otherwise they will start to grow and when you dig you will find a washcloth of new roots. So do not throw away the bags with ripening dates until you pick up for yourself good variety and you will not start growing your own seeds (by the way, they are very fragrant, and when ground, they are an excellent seasoning).

Another way to prepare for storage is low haulm processing. It is either cut off very low right on the garden bed, grabbing a bunch of leaves, and with a tilt to the side and down, the entire bunch is pulled out with a sharp movement, damaging the growth point. Or cut off the top of the root by 0.5 cm along with the tops. The cut must be even.

by cutting off the growing point with the pulp capture by 0.5 cm, you will extend the shelf life and preserve the juiciness of the carrots

The ripening is determined by the color of the tops - in more mature root crops, the tops are darker. And the first signs of yellowing of the lower leaves indicate that the feeding roots are already dying, there is an outflow of nutrients to the root, growth processes stop, and the plant is preparing for winter.

Choose carrots from the garden with a pitchfork with flat teeth, raising the soil by half the height of the root crops. By extracting carrots in such a neat way, we preserve the natural structure of the soil in the garden to the maximum: the layers do not mix, anaerobic microbes do not turn out to the surface (for more details why it is better not to dig, see).

Then the tops are removed and the root crops are sorted by size, shape and presence of damage. Crooks, centipedes and wounded carrots can be immediately processed or chopped and dried. The tops are scattered in the garden, where next year it is planned to cultivate pumpkin crops. In autumn, you don’t have to worry that pests will fly into the smell of tops. But when collecting early and mid-season varieties, it is better to take the tops to a compost heap or to berry fields away from the garden.

Note: do not damage the growing point on specimens intended for seed production. In the southern regions, carrots for seeds can be left right in the garden, it winters quietly. In the northern zone, root crops preserved in winter are planted on seeds.

harvested before laying for winter storage, dry for 7-10 days and cool. At this point, cuts and small scratches are tightened. The so-called “wet tip” may also appear - such root crops are not subject to storage, and before storing carrots, diseased root crops are removed during re-sorting.

If the days are warm, the crop is lowered into the basement early in the morning, after the cool of the night. It is better to sort out root crops and put them in boxes or bags for the winter by hand in order to avoid damage caused by rough pouring or tedding with a shovel-grabarka.

In the southern regions, part of the root crops can be stored right in the garden by cutting off their growth point and marking the abandoned plot with some markers. After harvesting the tops, the bed should be covered from above with something dense that does not let light through. In this case, we cover with black agrofibre. But under it we definitely throw branches and elderberry leaves to scare away rodents.

The best varieties of carrots for winter storage

There are many carrot varieties, they differ in size, shape, color, sugar content. There are even varieties of carrots without a core that are great for storage: Karotinka, Canada, Red, Queen of autumn, Moscow winter. But they are not for everyone - although they have a weakly expressed core, the flesh will seem harsh to many.

Late varieties of carrots are selected for winter storage. Very cool indicators of keeping quality in varieties such as Malika, Giant Ross, Belgrade, Nayarit. But choose the best varieties for yourself you need according to several factors: taste, keeping quality and productivity in the conditions of your site.

How to store carrots in the cellar in winter

Underground, basement, garage pit and cellar are great places to store carrots for a long time. Of course, before storing carrots in the cellar, the room is ventilated (cooled). Root crops are laid out in boxes, spilling wet sand. This reduces evaporation.

Particularly careful summer residents try to place carrots rarely so that they do not touch each other. In addition to boxes, buckets are used, and then the root crops are placed vertically. To moisten a bucket of sand, add about 1 liter of water.

Winter storage of carrots in the cellar is also possible without a sand cushion, if the root crops folded in boxes are covered with a couple of layers of agrofiber. Dried and sorted root crops are lowered into the cellar and in sugar bags. In this case, the bags are not tied so that the carrots do not suffocate. Shelter the folded crop nonwoven fabric vented to reduce evaporation. Storage temperature from +1 to +5 degrees, humidity - 90-95%.

Storing carrots at home for the winter

A basement or cellar in a country house is not at all convenient for winter trips, and part of the crop should always be at hand. Well how to store carrots in the apartment? Of course, the winners are those citizens who have glazed loggias or balconies in their apartments.

Then insulated boxes help out - the same ones that are used to store potatoes. They are made of plywood or OSB, and are insulated from the inside with foam or other porous materials. In the lid or on the sides provide ventilation holes, which are tightly clogged with cotton wool or burlap.

insulated boxes are used to store carrots on a loggia or balcony

If the floor is not insulated, bars are placed under the boxes. At home, such insulated boxes allow you to store carrots in the most difficult months for transportation from the dacha - from December to February.

How to store carrots in the refrigerator

As needed, carrots from balcony boxes and garage pits should be taken to the kitchen and stored in the refrigerator until cooked. It is not necessary to let the root crops lie down warm, since it is much easier to keep carrots in the refrigerator if condensation does not have time to come out of the frost. Moreover, do not let her lie down until she is completely warmed up to the temperature of the apartment, and dry out.

With cut tops, the crop is elegantly stored in the lower vegetable drawers of the refrigerator in ordinary plastic bags, they make a couple of holes for ventilation, or tie loosely. If the packages were placed in the refrigerator large enough (for example, 5 kg each), then pour a little chalk into them, it will neutralize carbon dioxide and save the carrot from rot.

The use of natural bactericidal layers during the storage of root crops

To prevent the development of diseases, you can layer boxes with carrots, sphagnum moss, peat, onion peel and pine shavings - their bactericidal properties perfectly inhibit the development of fungi.

You can also store root crops in raw pine sawdust - conifers trees prevent putrefactive processes. But here also it is impossible to overdo it with humidity.

Freezing and drying carrot harvest

Some nationalities believe that it is better to save fresh carrots only until March. Then mycotoxins accumulate in it and beneficial features are lost. This is the main reason why carrots are bitter during storage. Of course, much depends on storage conditions and varieties. The accumulation of harmful substances can be protected by hot processing, or canned preparations can be made, as well as freezing and drying part of the crop.

In freezing, it is best to put already chopped carrots, distributing semi-finished products in portions. It is best to dry finely ground products by driving the root crops in a food processor, or on a simple grater. Shredded carrots are dried on a grid over a stove, stove or radiator, periodically stirring the workpiece. Protecting dried carrots from the ubiquitous food moth is very simple - mix it with salt.

Perhaps these are the most important procedures that must be followed when laying the crop for the winter. Let's hope that these simple secrets of crop storage will come in handy, and over time you will select reliable and productive varieties for your soil and climatic conditions. We remind you that the yield of carrots can be significantly increased by protecting the beds from pests by oversowing onions. How do you prefer to store carrots in winter?