In order to maintain freshness, and all the beneficial properties of a vegetable, you need to know how to store carrots correctly. Several options are known, let's consider them in more detail.

How to store carrots in the refrigerator

It would seem enough to place the vegetables in a special compartment designed for them and that's it. Yes, there they lie for a while, and will stay a little longer fresh than at room temperature. But in order to further increase the life span, Carrots in the refrigerator must be packed in bags.

  1. Be sure to sort out the carrots, divide into several parts, according to size.
  2. Pack each of them in a plastic bag, and in one - no more than six pieces.
  3. Try so that there is no air left inside, with your hands press on the bag until it comes out.
  4. Try replacing bags with newspapers. It is very important to tightly wrap the root crops so that they do not lose moisture.
  5. You can save vegetables in the freezer, but only in grated form. Rinse them, chop them, put them in bags and put them in the cold.

Lying for a long time in the refrigerator, carrots lose their appearance, become wrinkled and dry. Typically, these vegetables are already in the bin, but do not rush - they can still be returned freshness. It is enough to cut the bottom of the root crop, put it in a glass of water, so that it covers a third of the carrots and add a few pieces of ice. After a couple of hours, you can notice the transformation.

Storage conditions in the cellar in winter

Keeping carrots in the cellar in winter is one of the best ways. But starting to prepare is worth the harvest process.It is worth paying attention to the fact that the degree of preservation depends on the variety.

  • For long-term storage, late varieties are usually used, in which the development period is more than four months.
  • It is necessary to collect root crops in dry weather, then it will not have to be dried for a long time before being sent to the cellar.
  • Try not to damage the skin of the vegetable, as any scratches will affect the preservation process, and carrots can quickly rot.
  • We divide the vegetables into several piles in size, cut the tops from them.

When the carrots are prepared, it is worth deciding which way you will use to maintain freshness. After all, if you correctly approach this process, then the root crops will lie for a whole year.

  • The simplest is ordinary wooden boxes with a lid. They just lay the carrots in them, cover and place about 15 centimeters from the walls. Boxes should be tight, without holes. It is better not to put it on the bare floor, but you can use the stand.
  • Another option is to fill the bags with onion husks and then carrots. The husk will protect vegetables from moisture, the growth of bacteria and, of course, preserve freshness.
  • You can use sawdust. Carrots are placed in boxes and filled with dry sawdust from coniferous wood. It is the needles due to the phenolic substances contained in it that will protect root crops from rotting.
  • Wet sand also helps preserve vegetables. It is enough to pour it in a layer, lay the carrots on top, sprinkle with sand again and lay out the root crops again, but in a checkerboard pattern. The total height should be no more than one meter.
  • Root crops are well preserved in clay. Dipping in a thick creamy talker, they are dried and stacked in rows.

How to store carrots in bags

For this method, you have to stock up with ordinary plastic bags with a large capacity.

  • Root crops are placed in bags, and then cleaned in a cool room.
  • Please note that packages do not need to be tied. If this is done, then the vegetables will quickly deteriorate due to the accumulation of carbon dioxide.
  • If moisture is formed on the packs during storage, then special lime should be scattered next to them, which will absorb it.

Storage of carrots in the cellar: optimal conditions

Better not to find a place to store carrots, the cellar is ideal. But before you put a container with root crops in it, you need to create the necessary conditions in the room.

  • The temperature should not be higher than two, a maximum of five degrees and not less than zero.
  • There should not be much fresh air. Ventilation should be moderate.
  • The maximum moisture level is 97% and it is better not to exceed this threshold otherwise the vegetables will quickly deteriorate.
  • Watch carefully for temperature fluctuations, even its small changes can affect vegetables: they will begin to rot, sprout or dry.

Subject to all conditions, carrots will be able to lie in the cellar for four to seven months. If the temperature is higher, then this period will be reduced to two months.

The most convenient way is storage in the sand. But clay and sawdust for several months longer maintain the integrity of carrots.

How to keep carrots in an apartment without a refrigerator

Of course, at home, it is best to store carrots in a refrigerator or cellar, but what to do when there is neither one nor the other?

  • In this case, a balcony is perfect, but it should be glazed, otherwise the winter cold will quickly spoil the vegetables. It is necessary to put the root vegetables in a box and wrap it with something dense, such as a blanket or plaid. If it suddenly became very cold, bring the vegetables into the apartment and leave at the balcony door until the weather improves.
  • Another option is under the bed. Put the carrots at some distance from each other and sprinkle with husks from onions.

If you want to save carrots for a not too long period - up to 45 days, then you can wash it well, wrap it in plastic wrap and place in any container, but so that they do not touch each other.

You can keep root vegetables on the balcony for about four months with paraffin. It must be melted, placed in it washed and dried carrots, so that it is completely covered with them, and put away for storage.

What varieties of carrots are better stored?

Leaving the carrots for storage, you can notice after a few months that it has turned black, has become lethargic and dry. Why is this happening, because all the necessary conditions have been met?

The fact is that how much the carrots lie is affected by its variety. Among them there are even those that should not be stored at all.

  • Higher quality, less demanding and adapted to poor climatic conditions - our domestic varieties.
  • Foreign varieties, of course, look more attractive, but they are much more capricious and their taste is not so saturated.
  • Varieties with round root crops give a small crop and grow quickly.
  • Late varieties are best preserved.

Among other, early and medium grades, there are those that can lie for a long time, but most often their taste qualities deteriorate, although the appearance remains unchanged.

Late ripening carrots ripens approximately 4 months after planting, has an oblong shape, does not crack, which means that microbes do not fall into it. Under optimal conditions, it can lie until next summer, while fully preserving all its properties.

The following varieties are considered the most popular and lying:

  • “Queen of Autumn” - stored until June;
  • "Sweet winter" - also stored until June, does not crack;
  • "Olympus" - keeps fresh until the end of spring;
  • “Flacoro” - ripens after 130 days, stored until the end of spring;
  • "Red Giant" - a large variety, resistant to disease, stored until the end of April.

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