Shops and Markets all year round offer a wide variety of carrots grown in all parts of the world. But I want my own - sweet, crispy, natural (without all kinds of chemicals), with a pleasant vegetable smell. This can be eaten if you grow it yourself. But carrots belong to vegetables that are poorly stored, quickly lose moisture, dry out, and more often simply rot by the middle of winter. How to preserve carrots? What are the reasons for its rapid deterioration during storage? In what ways can storage be extended? This is what our publication is about.

How to store carrots correctly?

How to extend the shelf life of carrots?

To extend the deadline, you must:

• grow only zoned varieties of carrots;
• comply with all the requirements of agricultural technology (crop rotation, sowing time, watering, feeding, protection from diseases and pests);
• do not use late varieties of carrots for storage. The latter do not have time to mature, to accumulate enough sugars and fiber. It is especially important to comply with this requirement in regions with a short warm period. Medium, medium-late varieties of different ripening periods are stored better.

When storing carrots for storage, careful preparation of the storage and containers, observance of storage conditions are necessary.

Requirements for the storage conditions of carrot root crops

Choosing a suitable storage method and preparing the storage location is very important.

You can store carrots in specially equipped basements, vegetable pits, in apartments on insulated balconies and loggias, in other equipped places. Regardless of the storage method, the following conditions must be met:

• air temperature within + 1 ... + 2 ° С.
• air humidity 85 ... 90%.

The optimum storage temperature is 0 ... + 1 ° С. At such temperatures, the humidity in the storage can be raised to 90 ... 95%. It is impossible to lower the temperature to -1 ° C and below, since the tissues of the root crop freeze and begin to rot, become covered with mold, and above + 2 ° C they germinate with filamentous roots, are intensely affected by fungal diseases.

Storage methods

Best and longest of all carrots are stored in the river, dry, sifted sand. In order to disinfect it from fungal and other infections, it is subjected to calcination or heating at a high temperature (roots often rot in wet sand). Some gardeners advise taking loam rather than river sand, but it is more difficult to disinfect it.

In addition to sand, dry coniferous sawdust, onion husks are used for pouring root crops during storage, wood ash, chalk. Carrots are only powdered with ash and chalk for disinfection and against the spread of rot. It is most convenient to store carrots in a soft container.

Let's take a closer look at some of the ways to store carrots.

Root vegetables can be stored directly in the sand pile (no pebbles). With a limited area allotted for winter storage of vegetable products, it is better to store carrots in boxes. The container is selected for the mass of carrots in 10-25 kg. Wooden containers are disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate or whitewashed with freshly slaked lime. Dry and lay the carrots so that the roots do not touch. Each row of carrots is sprinkled with sand prepared in advance.

Some gardeners even pre-moisten the sand at the rate of 1 liter of water per bucket of sand and mix it thoroughly.

Storing carrots in other fillers

Instead of sand, you can use fillers from dry coniferous sawdust or dry to store carrots. onion peel... The methods of container preparation and storage conditions are the same as for sand filler. Coniferous sawdust and onion husks contain phytoncides, which prevents rotting and premature germination of root crops.

Use for storing sphagnum moss carrots

The container needs to be disinfected. In this case, it is better not to wash the carrots, but simply dry them a little in partial shade (not in the sun). Warm root crops should be cooled and only then placed in a prepared container, alternating rows of carrots with dry sphagnum moss. Moss has anti-decay properties, easily retains the required amount carbon dioxide... Deposited healthy carrots practically no waste. Lightweight moss does not weigh down the boxes of root crops, such as sand or sawdust.

Dipping carrots in a clay mash

If there is no sand, sawdust, onion husks, you can use this method. Before storage, carrots are dipped in a clay mash (aqueous creamy suspension), dried and transferred to a disinfected container. The clay should be clean, without any admixtures of soil, roots, weeds, etc. You can dip not every root crop, but immediately put the whole box or basket into the clay suspension.

After the excess talker is drained, the container is placed on low racks or stands and dried for 1-2 days with enhanced ventilation (for faster drying of the talker on root crops and container walls). With this method, the roots are protected from wilting and rot.

Clay can be replaced with chalk when cooking talkers. Processed root crops are sometimes additionally sprinkled with sawdust - preferably conifers. Their phytoncides kill pathogenic fungi, stopping the putrefactive process.

Storing carrots in a bag container

Plastic bags

More often, gardeners prefer to store carrots in plastic bags or sugar bags with a capacity of 5 to 20 kg. Bags of carrots are stacked tightly in one row on racks, kept open. A sufficient amount of oxygen is supplied to root crops, and little carbon dioxide accumulates. When the neck is tied in the bags, the carbon dioxide content can rise to 15% or more. Under such conditions, carrots deteriorate faster (within 1.5-2 weeks).

In polyethylene bags, moisture appears on the inner walls when the air humidity is high. If the humidity is lowered, the dew disappears. Natural moisture inside an open polyethylene bag with root crops fluctuates between 94-96%. These conditions are optimal. Carrots do not wilt and are kept well enough. The loss does not exceed 2% of the laid down mass of root crops.

Sugar bags

These bags often have a polyethylene lining inside, which causes moisture to build up and vegetables to rot. Therefore, before laying the carrots, several small cuts are made in them (necessarily in the lower part of the bag) for better air exchange and reducing the concentration of carbon dioxide, and the neck is tied loosely or even left half-open. Root crops are sprinkled with ash or chalk (as if pollinated before laying). The rest of the care when storing carrots is the same as in plastic bags.

Preparing carrots for storage

Not every variety of carrots can be stored. Late unripe varieties during storage will become tasteless, rough, and lose their juiciness. Early varieties differ too tender pulp. At the slightest violation of the requirements for temperature and humidity in the storage, they begin to mold, rot and germinate.

For storage, it is best to select zoned varieties of carrots of medium ripening periods (the harvest of which is harvested for 100-110 days). The start of harvesting can be determined by the state of the tops. If the lower leaves have begun to turn yellow, it's time to harvest the roots.

In dry weather, 7 days before harvesting, the carrot beds are abundantly watered. If heavy rains are expected, harvest before they start. In cloudy, humid weather, the harvested crop is dried under a canopy with good ventilation or a draft.

You need to be very careful when digging or pulling carrots out of the ground, trying not to damage the roots. When harvesting from root crops, they try to shake off the ground without mechanical damage (from impacts against each other, scratches from a pitchfork, torn tops, etc.). It is better to just gently clean off adhering soil with a soft glove.

Harvested carrot root crops do not need to be completely cleaned from the ground, it is not recommended to wash. Long-term storage in air with uncut tops will lead to rapid wilting, and in winter period- to diseases.

It is better to cut the tops on the day of harvesting carrots or the next day. When cutting the tops, a tail of no more than 1 cm is left. Recent studies have shown that an absolutely healthy root crop with trimmed tops together with shoulders (the top of 1-2 mm, which is called the line of dormant eyes) and the lower tail is better stored (less sick, does not fade, does not germinate). But at the same time, it is necessary to comply with the storage requirements.

Immediately after cutting the tops, the carrots are harvested under a canopy, ventilated or (if necessary) dried and sorted. It is very important to lay the dried fruits for storage. Wet, poorly dried will quickly begin to mold during storage and rot.

When sorting, absolutely healthy, undamaged, large roots are taken for storage. The root crops selected for storage are kept for 4-6 days in a dark room at an air temperature of + 10 ... + 12 ° С. Carrots cooled at these temperatures are laid for storage in one of the ways described above or using their own well-proven and unique.

How to store carrots for the winter? Among the methods that are intended for storing carrots, each gardener will find his own, most preferable for him. But first you need to prepare for this and decide, adhering to the right technology... First, we decide on the timing of cleaning.

Despite the fact that this root crop can withstand small frosts, it should not be overexposed in the garden. However, harvesting vegetables too early reduces the consumer qualities of the root crop, preventing it from gaining a sufficient amount of sugars.

And vice versa - too long stay in the garden makes it possible to accumulate sugars in large quantities, which makes the root crop very attractive to rodents during further storage.

Therefore, harvesting should be scheduled at a time when the lower 2-3 tops of the tops began to acquire a yellow color - such roots already have good consumer qualities, but will be the least attractive to pests.

Before harvesting, for several days, the garden with root crops is not watered, and when digging, they use a pitchfork that has blunt teeth - this way you will avoid damaging the vegetables.

It begins from this stage. You should not clean carrots from clods of earth by hitting root crops against each other, this entails damage to vegetables and reduces their shelf life.

Cooling root crops immediately after digging is equally important. This usually happens for 1-2 days, until the temperature of vegetable products drops by +1.5 degrees. Timely cooling increases the efficiency of the preservation of root crops.

You can cool in the air if the outside temperature is low enough. But at the same time, it is necessary to monitor the presence of frost so that the temperature of the root crops does not drop below 0 degrees - the frozen vegetables will rot. Good result gives cooling in refrigerator compartment if possible.

Usually, it is enough to stand at the outside temperature for a time when the vegetables are dried, cleaned of soil clods and the tops are trimmed.

Processing carrots before storage consists in the fact that first the tops are trimmed as close as possible to the head of the root crop. This type of pruning allows you to remove buds that can later grow. Immediately lay out the root crops to dry, and then clean the ground with your hands, being careful not to damage them.

After that, root crops are sorted, separating good, healthy specimens from damaged ones and having various defects. Some vegetable growers also use such a method of cutting tops as cutting 0.5-1 cm of the top of the root crop itself.

If this method is used, then the vegetables should be allowed to stand for some time before laying in the main storage location - until the top cut is covered with a crust. Otherwise, the roots will start to rot soon.

Rejected specimens can be processed and stored in a form already prepared for further use. How to keep carrots for the winter? To do this, use the following methods:

• Canning carrots.

Each of these methods will allow the storage of ready-to-eat root crops for a long time, allowing you to preserve all the nutritional qualities of vegetables, although it requires a lot of labor and additional space in the apartment.

Good quality specimens that have no visible defects are stored in a variety of ways.

Depending on what area a vegetable grower has for organizing storage, a place is chosen. How to store carrots for the winter?

Fundamental rules

How to store carrots for the winter? There are no definite recommendations on how best to store carrots for the winter and where. The determining factors for long-term preservation of the crop is compliance with:

• choosing a variety of root crops;
• adherence to training technology;
• temperature regime;
• humidity mode;
• lack of excess oxygen supply;
• protection from pests.

For long-term storage throughout the winter, late-ripening varieties show the best performance. It can be Moscow winter and Shantane. But early ripening varieties show poor keeping quality.

At what temperature should carrots be stored in winter? Temperature conditions are very important. At temperatures that approach zero, metabolism will slow down up to 10 times, which guarantees long-term preservation of root crops. The best temperature should not exceed +10 degrees Celsius. However, it is better to maintain it at a level of +1 - +2 degrees - at a temperature of more than +5 degrees, buds that have not been removed can start to grow.

No less important is the observance of the humidity regime in storage areas. It should be at the level of 90-95%. Lower humidity will lead to premature wilting of root crops, and higher humidity will cause them to rot. What is the best way to store carrots for the winter?

Storage periods

How long should carrots be stored? Shelf life of carrots in different ways classified as:

• in plastic bags if stored in a refrigerator - from 1 to 2 months;
• in a cellar in closed boxes - up to 5-8 months;
• in the cellar in coniferous sawdust or in a clay shell - until the next harvest;
• in a cellar in the sand - 6-8 months;
• in the garden - until the next harvest.

This is in conditions if the pests are limited in the ability to eat root crops. To prevent them from having such an opportunity, the following measures should be taken:

• set up traps with bait;
• place scarers;
• process the vegetable store and storage areas accordingly.

As another tip - avoid storing carrots in the same room, this will allow you to keep the roots longer.

Also remains controversial issue, is it possible to store carrots with potatoes.

Causes of damage

Why do carrots rot during storage? There can be several reasons for rotting carrots during storage.:

• storage of damaged copies;
• sharp fluctuations in temperature;
• excess moisture;
• non-compliance with storage technology.

That is why you should very carefully adhere to the technology of preparing root crops for storage, starting from the moment you dig up vegetables. Since this type of root crop is very easily damaged by any blows, you should not beat the vegetables from the ground, throw them from place to place.

Such damage will be barely noticeable, but later it will become the place where the root crop itself begins to rot and the remaining root crops nearby are infected with fungal diseases.

A sharp change in temperature during storage leads to the formation of condensation - this gives an impetus to decay of root crops. Storage locations such as bags made of polyethylene are particularly susceptible to this. To eliminate condensation, it is necessary to provide for the presence of holes in the bottom of the bags.

Even a slight freezing of root crops, which can occur even at a temperature of -1 degrees, will lead to subsequent rotting of root crops.

Excessive, as well as insufficient, moisture, shortens the shelf life of root crops. Therefore, it is important to maintain it at the proper level - if it is insufficient, by additional humidification, and if it is excessive, by transferring it to another room, but avoiding temperature fluctuations.

Often non-observance of storage technology leads to excessive formation of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide has a negative effect on the storage conditions of root crops, therefore, it is necessary to follow as closely as possible the storage technology chosen by the vegetable grower.

Carrot fly

How to save carrots damaged by a carrot fly? Carrot fly is one of those pests that damage root crops even at the stage of their cultivation.... She is a real disaster for all gardeners. Unfortunately, storage of root crops damaged by carrot flies is only possible in processed form.

Sometimes a method is used to remove damaged areas and then allow the vegetables to stand in the air until the area is covered with a crust. However, the shelf life of such vegetables will be significantly reduced.

Therefore, it is better to subject such root crops to immediate processing - drying, drying, freezing or canning. Moreover, modern technology, which is used at home, allows you to do this the best way.

Bookmark in vegetable stores

How to store large quantities of beets and carrots for the winter. Vegetable stores are used to organize the storage of large batches of root crops. And since large batches are delivered to vegetable stores, as a rule, after mechanized harvesting, the most thorough sorting of root crops should be carried out.

Storing beets and carrots for the winter with the greatest efficiency will help the ruthless removal of damaged, broken, uneven or emaciated specimens from the mass. Modern vegetable stores allow you to maintain the required temperature and humidity conditions.

How to store carrots in winter storage? Usually, carrots are stored in vegetable stores in herds or in special containers. It is desirable that the height of such herds does not exceed 2-3 meters.

If storage is organized in special containers or pallets, then the height of the stack should not be exceeded by more than 5.5 m. In this case, it is necessary:

• carry out constant ventilation of the room;
• cover root crops with burlap;
• implement measures to maintain high humidity air.

To increase the air humidity in the room, containers with water are placed, and spraying of the upper layers of root crops that are in the open air is also used, spilling the passages with water. However, the best performance is shown by vegetable stores, which are equipped with refrigeration equipment.

Unfortunately, such equipment has a high cost, therefore, the organization of storage of carrots with the use of modern technologies carried out on very few farms. The rest will have to come to terms with the loss of the harvest, up to 30% of which does not reach the consumer due to damage.

Now you know how to keep carrots until spring. Root vegetables such as carrots are considered the most difficult vegetable crop to store. Therefore, it is extremely important to adhere to the technology of all stages of organizing storage, and then for a long time this delicious root vegetable grown by yourself will be on your table.

As you know, carrots are one of those foods that people use for food throughout the year. As the prices of vegetables rise significantly in winter, people are trying to make some supplies. At the same time, the possible storage places for carrots are not particularly surprising in their diversity, because not every person has a cellar, however, even there carrots can begin to rot after some time.

What should be done first?

The first thing to do for anyone who wants to store this vegetable for a long time is to cut the tops. In doing so, it is extremely important to do everything right. First you need to trim the vegetation just above the root crop head. If the carrot is bought from the market, the leaves are often already cut off.

Next, you need to remove the head itself, about one centimeter thick, trying to make the cut even. After this procedure, it is advisable to dry the carrots. Trimming the tops contributes to the preservation in the root crop of all essential vitamins and nutrients, and also prevents rapid decay or drying of the product. Before placing the carrots directly into the storage area, they must be carefully sorted out again.

The most important stage

How to store carrots? For the winter, you need to prepare the storage itself. The usual procedure for throwing garbage, airing and disinfecting will not take much effort and money, but will ensure the longest possible storage of vegetables. Most optimum temperature, at which it is recommended to store carrots, is +1 degrees Celsius. At the same time, the humidity in the room should be at the level of 90-95%. To ensure such an indicator, you can use ordinary plastic bags, because they prevent moisture from evaporating from the carrots. The package itself should be kept open. This is necessary so that the volume of carbon dioxide emitted by the root crop does not exceed the volume of oxygen. Otherwise, there will be a rapid deterioration of stocks.

Many people wonder how to store carrots for the winter. At the same time, not everyone knows that the use of ordinary wet sand can be a solution to this problem. This will help those who do not know how to store carrots in the cellar. You can moisten the sand with water (one liter per bucket). In this case, it is recommended to put the carrots in the boxes in layers. Each root vegetable should be surrounded by sand on all sides.

How to store carrots in the cellar?

An important rule: it is unacceptable to lower the temperature to 0 degrees and increase to +3 Celsius.

The most common way to store carrots is to simply sprinkle them on the cellar floor. Such a solution to the problem is the simplest and does not require much time and effort, however, as practice shows, the long-term storage of stocks is significantly reduced.

Many people try to store this vegetable in wood or drywall boxes. The methods of storage in sand or in plastic bags, described above, are also very common.

One more is enough effective option how to store carrots is to place them on shelves, the lower of which is about a meter away from the floor (the rest can be placed between each other at any distance).

How to store carrots in the basement?

This option is a lot like storing vegetables in a cellar, but it has its own characteristics.

In the basement, as in the cellar, it is customary to place carrots in boxes. In this case, the container should have a maximum capacity of about 20-30 kilograms of vegetables. Firstly, this will provide additional space for other root crops, and secondly, tightly closed boxes will help keep stocks in good condition for a long time. It is recommended to place the boxes without touching the walls or floor. To do this, just place them on a small stand. This solution will reduce the threat of mold and rot on root crops.

An effective way is to store carrots in coniferous sawdust. Vegetables can be covered with sawdust in the same boxes or in any other container. If the reservoir is deep enough, then there may be several such layers.

What can be done in the apartment?

An excellent option for those who live in an apartment and want to know how to store carrots is the proposal to place root vegetables on the balcony. An ordinary box with insulated walls is quite suitable for this. How to store carrots in an apartment without worrying about their safety? Easily. You just need to sprinkle it with onion husks, and the stocks will not lose their appearance for a long time.

If there is no opportunity to place vegetables on the balcony, then you can dilute ordinary chalk with water to the consistency of ten percent fat sour cream. Carrots must be placed in this liquid. It is preserved better, but in the future some difficulties may arise when washing root crops.

Alternative option

It is best to freeze or canned carrots before storing them in the refrigerator. In this form, it does not form toxins that are dangerous to human health. Therefore, preserving root vegetables in dried, frozen or canned form is the most optimal option.

Which varieties last longer?

Every person who decides to buy or grow carrots thinks about which varieties among the existing variety are best suited for storage. Experts say that mid-season and late varieties of the root crops in question lie longer than the rest. One of the most common is the "red giant". This mid-season variety retains its properties until mid-spring, while it is distinguished by its unusual softness.

Another excellent variety is Viking. The composition of such carrots contains a large number of carotene, which is very beneficial for the human body.

Among the late varieties, the following are distinguished by a high level of preservation: "Moscow winter" and "cardinal". They can be successfully stored until the end of April - early May, without worrying about the loss of any useful properties of root crops.

The main advantages of a vegetable

Carrots are rightfully considered an invaluable storehouse of nutrients. It contains many different vitamins and mineral salts as well as carotene, essential oils and many other substances. This root vegetable is successfully used to get rid of vitamin deficiency, anemia, tuberculosis, colds, gastritis and many other health problems. In general, carrots are able to increase the body's resistance to various immune diseases, increase the physical and mental activity of a person. In addition, carrots are widely used in cosmetology as a highly effective anti-aging agent.

Therefore, it is important to eat this root vegetable throughout the year, especially in those seasons when there is a decrease in the body's immune defenses and a lack of vitamins. For this, it is important to know the basic ways of storing carrots, and to organize optimal conditions for the specified vegetable.

Experienced summer residents are well aware of the fact that of all vegetable crops grown on personal plot After harvest, carrots are the most difficult to preserve for a long period of time.

It is quite possible to enjoy delicious root vegetables throughout the cold season if you know the basic secrets of how to store carrots in the cellar in winter... A responsible approach to this issue and strict adherence to a number of rules will help every summer resident to preserve a valuable crop for a long time.

Cleaning and drying carrots

Traditionally, summer residents prefer to grow late-ripening varieties for long-term storage of carrots, but mid-season species may also be suitable for this purpose. Usually their growing season is more than 120 days, which allows harvesting in the most optimal weather conditions for this.

It is advisable to collect carrots in warm and dry weather, but harvesting of root crops is allowed even with light humidity. In the event that the soil is slightly moistened after a recent rain, the harvested fruits must be dried until they are laid in the cellar.

It is recommended to harvest the late harvest from mid-September and finish no later than the end of October. Even if the carrots have not yet been harvested and the first frost has suddenly come, the root crops can still be considered suitable for harvesting.

It is best to dig out the fruits with a pitchfork, holding each vegetable by the tops. You can also use a small garden trowel to gently lift the roots out of the soil. But it is undesirable to use a large shovel when digging this vegetable crops so as not to damage the carrots.

Great care should be taken when digging up root crops with any tool, because even if you slightly damage the skin of a carrot, it will quickly rot.

After harvesting, it is necessary to lay out the root crops on the street, spreading paper. In good weather, only two hours are enough to completely dry the carrots. But in the event that it is damp outside or there is even a light rain, you should decompose harvested crop on a dry mat in a garage or home.

Carrots should be placed in one layer to dry them faster and more evenly. It is also highly desirable that the vegetables do not touch each other. If the roots are raw, then it will take several days to dry them.

After the carrots are completely dry, follow these steps:

• to clear the fruits of excess land;
• select root crops damaged during the harvesting process;
• sort carrots by size;
• remove the tops with a knife.

Then the carrots should be quarantined, allowing the delicate peel to grow stronger. Only when all of the above actions are completed, the carrots are considered completely ready for laying on long-term storage.

Proper preparation of the cellar for storage

Carrots are considered one of the most capricious root crops, therefore they require special storage conditions. That is why the basement must be superbly equipped so that the harvested fruits do not deteriorate for a very long time and retain their original attractive appearance.

It is important to create an optimal microclimate in the cellar or basement, because for long-term storage of carrots, constant temperature maintenance is required within 2 ° C with an air humidity of at least 90%. But the ventilation in the room should not be too intense in order to avoid starting the processes of fruit germination.

Before laying root crops, the cellar must be thoroughly dried and disinfected all the shelves, get rid of debris and remnants of last year's harvest. Disinfection is recommended with sulfuric checkers or slaked lime. It is also important to take care of the absence of rodents and all kinds of insects in advance, which are carriers of many infections and diseases.

Only after all the above measures have been taken, it is allowed to lay the harvested crop for long-term storage.

The best ways to store root vegetables

The cellar is considered the best place for bookmarking carrots for long-term storage, because it is there that it is easy enough to create the most optimal conditions for this. After the juicy orange roots are harvested from the garden and dried, you should choose one of the ways to book them for the winter.

Methods for storing carrots in the cellar:

• In wooden boxes with a lid - carrots must be carefully folded into wooden boxes, covered with lids and placed in the basement, stepping back a few centimeters from the wall.
• Among the onion husks - each carrot must be thoroughly rolled in the husk left after peeling the onion, then put the vegetables in tight bags, which should be tied and lowered into the cellar.
• Between coniferous sawdust - wooden boxes must be filled with sawdust from wood conifers, then lay the root vegetables with the thick end up and sprinkle them on top with wooden shavings again.
• In wet chalk and sand - carrots should be placed in tight wooden boxes filled with clean, slightly damp coarse sand and chalk powder.

• In a chalk solution - each root crop must be moistened in a solution of chalk and water, then thoroughly dried and placed in one layer on the shelves for storage.
• Among the moss - boxes made of any type of wood, it is necessary to carefully lay out carrots and moss in layers, observing a clear sequence.
• In plastic bags - dry root crops are packed in tight plastic bags, at the bottom of which several small holes should be made for condensation to drain, after which the untied bags are lowered into the cellar and placed on a shelf or stand.

If any of the above methods are performed correctly, then the safety of root crops will be quite high. Juicy carrots will be able to remain intact for 5 to 7 months, regardless of the method chosen and will not be susceptible to disease.

Hello, friends! It's one thing to grow and harvest and suck another - to properly keep it fresh for as long as possible.

We talked with you about the need to arrange carrots for storage right after digging. And now I would like to focus on how to preserve carrots.

The best temperature for storing carrots is +1 - + 2 ° C. Carrots are most often exposed to rot if they are slightly wilted, if they are stored next to cabbage, or if the temperature during storage has dropped to -1 ° C for at least a short period.

The most common in our area are three ways of storing "girls": in sand, in plastic bags and in various sealed containers without "filler" (tanks, barrels). Almost no one places carrots in heaps on the floor, since such deposits are very much damaged by mice returning from the fields to residential areas, flooded with ground odes. And even with insufficient moisture in the storage, the roots wither, become flabby and tasteless.

In such cases, it is preferable to sprinkle the roots with moderately moist sand in layers in wooden boxes. But sand, in turn, is not a very light substance. And it is quite problematic to lower it in buckets into the cellar, choose the surviving carrot from it in winter, and raise the remaining dirt to the surface in the spring. Although it is this carrot that, in our opinion, remains the most delicious.

As a result of many years of experimentation, our family settled on a batch storage method. Although we still sprinkle the seed carrots with sand in a wooden parcel box.

Storing carrots in plastic bags

Plastic bags are different, but for storing carrots it is convenient to use those in which more than 1-1.5 kg of root crops will not fit. Such a portion is convenient to carry, it does not take up much space in the refrigerator and will be eaten before it has time to deteriorate.

Positive aspects of storing carrots in plastic bags:

- no need to drag heavy sand and other materials;

- less dirt both on the carrot and in the cellar;

- Root crops are less damaged by mice;

- it is convenient to store even on shelves with cans of blanks;

- in some cases, carrots last much longer.

The only drawback is a slight loss of taste of the root vegetable, compared to storage in the sand.

Plastic bag packing procedure:

- we purchase two types of roll bags in advance - one is slightly smaller than the other, it will be easier to put on. Identical ones are also suitable, only less root crops will have to be stacked;

- we select carrots without significant damage, washing with a rag in warm water... You shouldn't use a grater, "Comet" and boiling water! Mine without fanaticism, three buckets in the same water is quite possible;

- lay out clean roots in one layer for drying. It is very convenient to use a net from an old iron bed - it dries simultaneously from all sides;

- as soon as the water dries up (after 10 minutes in the sun or 0.5-1 hours in the shade), cut the carrots from both ends approximately as in the photo (a little "live");

- let the slices wind for another 5 minutes and put the crop in portions into smaller bags, tie them into two knots and put on the second larger bag towards the first one, which we also tie tightly.

The carrots are packed hermetically. Can be lowered into the underground, cellar. Do not be alarmed - after a while, water droplets appear on the inside of the bags, which will disappear on their own.

put on the second package

Happy experiments!