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Carrots are one of the main types of vegetables that are grown in garden plots. After harvesting, necessary measures must be taken to ensure its safety. There are several ways how store carrots. You need to prepare the vegetables first, which will have a positive effect on their shelf life.
Preparing carrots
An important condition for long-term storage of carrots is timely harvesting from the beds. The ripening time of this vegetable depends on the variety and is indicated on the package with the seeds.
If you dig up root vegetables ahead of schedule, they will not have time to accumulate the required amount of sugars, which will negatively affect its taste.
Before harvesting, an important rule is observed: the beds are not watered. Immediately after digging, you should trim the carrots so that the tops do not draw moisture from the roots. At first, only the carrot tops are removed, however, in the future you need to cut off the entire head along with the growing point. Such actions will help prevent carrots from sprouting in winter.
After removing the carrot tops, the vegetables are left to dry for 2 hours in the sun.The crop can be placed under a canopy for ventilation.
For a week, root vegetables are stored at a temperature of 10 to 14°C. During this time, minor mechanical damage is healed, which makes it possible to eliminate spoiled vegetables.
Choosing a storage location
To preserve carrots, select a room with a suitable temperature. The best place to store carrots is a cellar or underground. The room must meet two basic storage conditions: not freeze, ensure a constant temperature and remain dry.
The preservation of vegetables is ensured at certain humidity levels. Typically, gardeners kept them in the 90 to 95% range.
Additionally, they take into account at what temperature to store carrots. Usually this is 0-1°C. When the temperature changes by a few degrees, changes will begin in the root crops. As a result, vegetables wither, sprout, or become a breeding ground for harmful microorganisms.
Best Storage Methods
The choice of how to store carrots depends on the volume of the crop and the availability of storage space. The use of sand, sawdust, moss, husks and other materials will help extend the shelf life of vegetables.
Using sand
Carrots are sent for storage in boxes, which will also require loamy sand and water to fill. River sand is not recommended for these purposes. This method is suitable for gardeners who have a cellar in their house or garage.
Due to the sand, vegetables lose moisture more slowly, and the boxes provide a constant temperature for storing carrots and do not rot.
After moistening, the sand is poured into the box to create a layer about 5 cm thick.Then the carrots are placed so that the individual vegetables do not touch each other. The root crops need to be covered with another layer of sand, after which the next root crops are laid out.
Another option for storing carrots is to use buckets and dry sand.
Using sawdust
One way to store carrots is to use pine sawdust. This will require boxes or other containers. Coniferous sawdust contains phytoncides that prevent the spread of harmful bacteria and fungi.
Carrot storage in sawdust organized in the same way as when using sand. The bottom of the box is covered with sawdust, after which the vegetables are laid. Root vegetables are placed in several layers, filling each of them with sawdust until the container is completely filled.
Storage in plastic bags
This method requires plastic bags or bags with a capacity of 5-30 kg. Film bags are left open in a cool room. Using a bag allows you to maintain humidity at 97%, which prevents the carrots from withering.
During storage, root vegetables emit carbon dioxide. If the bags are open, then the quantity is sufficient to avoid the process of rotting. With excess carbon dioxide, vegetables quickly spoil.
If plastic bags are closed, then holes are first made in them. When humidity is high, condensation accumulates on the inner surface of the bag. In this case, you need to scatter quicklime in the room, which absorbs excess moisture. Under such conditions, better storage of carrots is ensured.
Storage in clay
To properly process vegetables you will need:
- boxes;
- clay;
- water;
- polyethylene film;
- garlic.
Carrots are stored in one of the following ways:
- Pouring root vegetables. In this case, take a bucket, which is half filled with clay and filled with water. Every other day, the clay mass is mixed and refilled with water. For the next 3 days, the clay remains under a 2 cm thick layer of water. It is necessary to use clay whose consistency resembles sour cream.
First, wash the root vegetables, then put plastic wrap on the bottom of the boxes and lay out the carrots in one layer. Root vegetables should not touch each other. Then the box is filled with clay. When it dries, lay out the next layer of vegetables. This way the box is completely filled. - Dipping carrots. When using this method, carrots do not need to be washed. First, it is dipped into the garlic mass. To prepare it, you need to pass 1 cup of garlic through a meat grinder. Then the resulting mass is diluted with 2 liters of water. Then the vegetables are dipped into clay, which has the consistency of thick sour cream. In this case, you need to ensure that the clay mass does not drain from the root crops. After this treatment, it is better to store carrots in a room with good air circulation. This could be an attic, a veranda, an open-air shed. After drying, the vegetables are placed in boxes or boxes.
Storage in moss
Sphagnum moss is a perennial plant that grows in marshy areas. Moss is known for its antibacterial properties and ability to resist rot.
After collecting sphagnum, the rules for its processing are followed. The moss needs to be sorted out and dried. It is then placed in plastic bags.This product can be stored in a cool place for 3 months.
Unwashed vegetables are taken for storage; it is enough to dry them well in the sun. Then the harvest is sent to a cool place for a day.
The carrots are placed in boxes to create several layers, with moss placed between them. With its help, carbon dioxide is stored in the container. Compared to sand and clay, moss has a low mass and does not weigh down the boxes with the harvest.
Storing in pans
It is recommended to store washed carrots in pans. Once the tops of the vegetables have been trimmed, they are left to dry in the sun.
The washed carrots are placed in an upright position in enamel pans. The top of the crop is covered with a napkin and a lid. Vegetables are kept in a cellar or other cool room. If these conditions are met, carrots are stored until the next season.
Using the Husk
Another option for how to properly store carrots is to use onion or garlic peels, which have bactericidal properties. The presence of phytoncides in the husks promotes long-term storage of vegetables. For these purposes, only dry material must be used.
Carrots are placed in boxes in several layers. Between each of them, a layer is made of the husks remaining after peeling the onion or garlic. The husks begin to be prepared in advance, however, most of them are obtained after the vegetable harvest.
Storage in the ground
Root crops can be left in the garden and not harvested. Proper storage of carrots will provide special shelter. In the spring, after the snow cover melts, root crops are dug up. Root vegetables are well preserved even at low temperatures and do not lose their taste.
To harvest in the spring, you need to carry out certain preparatory measures in the fall. When storing carrots in the garden, cut off the tops. Then the soil surface is covered with wet sand. To do this, choose coarse sand.
The bed with carrots is covered with film. Sawdust, fallen leaves, humus, and peat are poured on top, after which they are covered with an additional layer of roofing material or film.
other methods
The following methods will help you preserve carrots for the winter:
- You can create a weak alkaline environment using chalk. Its consumption is 0.2 kg per 10 kg of vegetables. The presence of a chalk layer prevents the decay process from spreading.
- First, the vegetables are washed and then wrapped in cling film. In this case, the root crops should not come into contact with each other. Instead of film, you can use old newspapers or paper.
- A special infusion helps extend the shelf life of vegetables until spring. To prepare it you will need 100 g of onion peels or pine needles, which are filled with 1 liter of water. After 5 days, you can use the infusion by spraying root vegetables.
Conclusion
The main rule of gardeners is: I store the harvest in a dry and cool place. There are various ways to store carrots for the winter. The use of sand, sawdust, clay, husks and other available materials will help ensure the safety of vegetables. Proper processing of root crops after digging extends the shelf life of root crops. Vegetables can be left in the garden to be dug up in the spring.
