Step by step instructions and tips on how to store carrots at home

foto18708-1Carrots are grown all over the world, but the Russian climate is especially harsh, so every gardener faces the question of extending the shelf life of vegetables at least until spring.

If there is a cellar, then the problem is solved by itself, but its absence is not a reason for refusing to grow or purchase root crops for future use.

Read about how to store carrots at home (in a city apartment) in the article.

Preparing for storing fresh vegetables in the apartment

Preparing for storage isn't just about cleaning and drying vegetables. It begins in early spring when the gardener selects seeds. If you plan to save the harvest before the onset of heat, you need to take into account many nuances. Read more about preparing carrots for storage. here.

Choosing the best variety

For storage in the winter, you need to choose late-ripening varieties of carrots that reach full maturity 100 days after planting.

Even medium-sized fruits are better stored. The packaging should indicate that the roots are not prone to cracking, are resistant to diseases and pests, and do not go into arrows.

The following varieties have the listed set of qualities:

  • Autumn Queen;
  • Dolyanka;
  • Flaccoro;
  • Nantes;
  • Chance and others.

The longer the carrot ripens, the less it is attacked by pests and pathogens. Good immunity of vegetables is the key to their long-term storage. You can learn about the best varieties of carrots for storage here.

To wash or not to wash?

Vegetables intended for long-term storage without film must not be washed. Large lumps of soil are shaken off from them, in which microbes and fungal spores can be found. After that, you need to dry the root vegetables under a canopy so that moisture and direct sunlight do not get on them. In this form, vegetables are placed in boxes.

foto18708-2At the same time, washing has undoubted advantages, including:

  1. Clean vegetables are easy to inspect, even slight damage is noticeable on them, so spoiled specimens will not get into the total mass.
  2. Together with the soil, all pathogenic flora is removed, which can lead to the death of the crop.
  3. It will be more convenient to inspect and sort out washed fruits in the future.

If it was decided to wash the carrots, then it must be thoroughly dried so that when stored in a bag, it does not start to rot quickly. Washed and unwashed vegetables should be kept separate from each other. Do I need to wash carrots before storing, read here.

Cropping and sorting

Sorting is a prerequisite that must be met when preparing carrots for storage. Procedure:

  1. Examine the root vegetables.
  2. Distribute them by size. Large and small vegetables are stored in different places.
  3. Remove all overripe, rotten and burst specimens. Even one diseased plant can cause the death of an impressive part of the crop.
  4. Soft vegetables are edible but not suitable for storage.
Some growers cut off the growth point and sharp tip of the root crop. Cut vegetables to a distance of 5 mm. This is done so that when the air temperature rises, vegetables do not begin to germinate. In addition, trimmed carrots do not lose their beneficial qualities.

How to prune carrots before storage, read in this article.

In what container?

foto18708-3At home, vegetables can be stored as follows:

  • in boxes;
  • in plastic bags;
  • in clay or in a chalk solution, in bulk on racks;
  • hanging in nets or linen bags;
  • in cans, baskets or barrels;
  • in containers in the freezer.

Conditions

To prevent carrots from spoiling, you need to create optimal storage conditions for them. They correspond to 3 parameters:

  1. Air temperature - 1-2 degrees, maximum: +5 degrees. If it rises higher, then the metabolic processes inside the vegetables accelerate, which is why they begin to deteriorate quickly.
  2. Air humidity - 85-90%. If it is lower, the vegetables dry, and if it is higher, they rot.
  3. The storage area should be dark and clean. Ultraviolet light is harmful to the nutrients contained in carrots.

If you plan to store root vegetables on the balcony or in the pantry, you need to disinfect the shelves and have time to dry them.

Stability is important for vegetables, temperature drops are unacceptable. In such conditions, carrots will not lie even for a month.

Be sure to provide high-quality ventilation in the room... If the air stagnates, the roots will quickly become moldy.

How to properly keep at home for the winter?

In an apartment, a large harvest can be stored in parts in different places. This rational approach will allow you not to lose a single root crop.

At room temperature

foto18708-4If you leave the carrots unprocessed at room temperature, then within a month they will become moldy and rot. To prevent this from happening, vegetables are coated with clay or chalk solution.

To prepare the first remedy clay diluted with water to the consistency of sour cream will be required... Each root vegetable is dipped into the solution in turn, after which it is dried and removed to a dark place, for example, under the bed.

Carrots are sprayed with chalk solution. For every 10 kg of vegetables, 100 ml of the composition is spent. The concentration of chalk in the solution is 30%. Dried root vegetables are put in wooden or plastic boxes, sprinkled with sand and put in a cool dark place.

In fridge

In the refrigerator, the root vegetable is stored in a vegetable drawer or in jars... It is not necessary to wash it; it is enough to clean off the remaining soil with the hard side of the sponge. Refrigerate vegetables before placing them in storage containers. This will prevent condensation from forming.

Prepared carrots are placed in bags in which small holes are made. They will provide adequate ventilation, but will not allow the vegetables to dry out.

Root crops are loosely stuffed into banks, sawdust or horseradish root can be poured into the remaining openings. The jar is not closed with a lid. In the freezer, vegetables are stored in chopped form, in a container or in a bag. You can learn about storing carrots in the refrigerator from this articles.

On the balcony

If the balcony is not insulated, then the crop can be kept on it until the onset of the first frost, after which the vegetables are transferred to the apartment.Be sure to protect them from sunlight, dust, dirt and birds that love to eat fresh root vegetables.

Vegetables can be stored on a glazed heated loggia all winter. They are poured into boxes, which are filled with sand or sawdust and covered with an air-permeable awning. Read about how to store carrots on the balcony. here.

In the pantry

foto18708-5In the pantry, the air temperature is lower than in living rooms, light rarely gets there, so carrots will be stored there best.

If the room is equipped with shelves, burlap is spread on them, onto which vegetables are poured... For better preservation, it is treated with a chalk solution or clay. At least once every 2 weeks, vegetables must be sorted out, removing fruits with signs of spoilage.

You can store vegetables in crates by arranging them vertically and sprinkling them with sand. It allows you to maintain optimal humidity levels and provides adequate ventilation.

Alternative ways

The crop is stored not only fresh or frozen. Vegetables can be dried and used as a seasoning for hot dishes, or canned.

Drying

There are several ways to dry carrots:

  1. Outdoors... The washed and chopped carrots are scattered on a tray in a thin layer and left to dry. It is not recommended to place it in direct sunlight, but it cannot be removed to a dark place. Stir the vegetables once every 2-3 days. Alternatively, you can arrange the pieces on a sieve, then there is no need to turn them over. This is the longest drying option and takes at least 14 days.
  2. In the microwave... The vegetables are cut into small cubes, dried and wrapped in paper napkins. They put the bags in the microwave, put a glass of water there. Dry vegetables at full power for 3-5 minutes. It is important to keep track of the liquid, it should not boil.
  3. In the oven... Shredded root vegetables are laid out on a baking sheet and dried for 6-8 hours at a temperature not higher than 80 degrees.
  4. In an electric dryer... This is the most practical, fastest and most convenient drying method. The device does all the work. It is enough to wash and chop the carrots, then place them on the grid, choosing the appropriate mode.
Store the finished product in glass jars under a tightly closed lid. The container is removed to a dark, cool place.

Conservation

foto18708-6There are many recipes for preserving carrots. Here are just some of the options:

  • spicy and spicy snacks;
  • pickled carrots;
  • carrots in tomato sauce;
  • vegetables in vegetable oil;
  • fried canned carrots.

Some of the harvest can be used to make juices and sauces. To prevent canned products from spoiling, use vinegar, citric acid, spices, sugar and salt. It all depends on the recipe chosen.

Possible problems and solutions

When storing crops, you can face 3 main problems:

  1. Vegetables are rotting... If all storage conditions are met, but the roots deteriorate, most likely the reason lies in their infection during the growth stage. It will no longer be possible to correct the situation. In order not to lose the crop, it must be sorted out, washed, grated and sent to storage in the freezer.
  2. The root crop withers... This occurs at low humidity levels. To solve the problem, you can place 1 or 2 buckets of water in the room, or wrap the roots in cling film so that they do not wilt.
  3. Moldy vegetables... The reason lies in insufficient ventilation. The spoiled fruits need to be removed, and the room in which the carrots are located should be ventilated more often.

Conclusion

You can save carrots until warmth and even until the next harvest. If there is not enough space in the apartment, it is recommended to divide the vegetables into several parts. This method of storage not only saves space, but also makes it possible to notice damage to products in time in order to take the necessary measures.

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