If you take all the root crops that are grown in summer cottages, then it is the carrots that are most difficult to preserve in the winter. However, dodgy gardeners can offer more than one way of storing this healthy and tasty vegetable: in the house, in the cellar, on the balcony and even in the garden itself.
How to store orange root vegetables correctly? Given the complexity of the procedure, home conditions and the availability of materials, you can choose the option that is best for you from those discussed below.
Preparing carrots for long-term storage
One of the most important conditions for the high-quality preservation of root crops is a timely and correctly harvested crop.
The type of carrot determines the ripening time, which is usually indicated on the seed package. Therefore, it is better to save the bag or calculate the approximate harvest days in advance. What is it for? Vegetables dug up earlier than expected will be immature, with a minimum amount of sugars, which will significantly impair the taste of the carrots. Root crops, overexposed in the soil, on the contrary, accumulate sugars and amino acids in excess, which magnetically attracts pests - mice, rats, carrot fly larvae.
If you can't pinpoint the harvest time, keep an eye on the color of the tops. When the lower leaves turn yellow, you can dig up the carrots.
In order to preserve the juiciness of root crops for a long time, they do not need to be watered on the eve of harvesting.
After the vegetables are dug up, the tops are immediately removed. If this is not done, the green part will have time to draw out a considerable share of moisture and nutrients from the root crops.
It is recommended to trim the tops in two steps:
- First, the greens are cut slightly above the head.
- After that, the head is cut off with a layer of 5-10 mm, capturing the growth point, while it is important to make the cut evenly and smoothly.
Such a radical pruning prevents the winter germination of carrots and the waste of useful elements, does not allow the fruits to wither and contributes to their best storage. Cut root crops are dried for two to three hours in the sun or ventilated under a canopy.
It is recommended to keep prepared vegetables for a week or a little more in a cool room (10-14 ° C). During these days, the carrots will go through the so-called "quarantine": they will tighten the cuts and minor mechanical injuries, reveal sick and low-quality roots.
When removing carrots in storage, they are sorted out beforehand, throwing out all unusable vegetables.
Method 1. How to store carrots in the sand
Required materials: sand (the best option is loamy), water, boxes.
The "sandy" method is very popular with those who have a cool pit in the garage, a good underground or a cellar.The sand reduces the evaporation of moisture from root crops, inhibits the formation of rot, maintains constant temperature conditions - this ensures good keeping quality of carrots.
Before use, the sand must be moistened - a liter of water is taken on a bucket of sand. Then it is poured into boxes on the bottom with a thickness of 3-5 cm, and carrots are placed on top, trying to maintain a minimum distance between them. And then sand and root crops are alternately laid out until the container is filled.
Some summer residents prefer to use dry rather than wet sand, and put carrots not in boxes, but in buckets.
Method 2. Storing carrots in sawdust
Required materials: boxes and remnants of coniferous processing.
Pine or spruce sawdust is also a great way to preserve carrots for a long time. Phytoncides found in wood inhibit the spread of pathogenic fungi and bacteria and block the germination of root crops.
The stacking method is similar to sanding: layers of vegetables alternate with sawdust.
Method 3. How to store carrots in plastic bags
Required materials: plastic bags, designed for a weight of 5 to 30 kg.
Polyethylene bags with carrots in them are left open and stored in a cool place. At the same time, the air in such a container maintains an optimal humidity level - 96-98%, which allows root crops to maintain their freshness.
In addition, the carrots themselves release carbon dioxide during storage. If the bag is open, its concentration is negligible, just enough to prevent disease. If the bag is tied, the amount of carbon dioxide will far exceed the amount of oxygen, and the vegetables will deteriorate. Whenever you want the bags to be closed, remember to punch holes in them for ventilation.
It happens that condensation settles on the inner walls of the bag - this indicates an increased humidity in the room. Fluff lime can help. If sprinkled around the bags, it will absorb excess moisture.
Method 4. Storing carrots in clay
Required materials: cardboard boxes or boxes, clay, water, polyethylene, garlic.
The clay layer on the root vegetable performs protective functions and protects the carrots from wilting throughout the winter period.
Two methods are used to treat orange vegetables with clay before being sent to storage.
Pouring clay
Fill half of the bucket with clay and fill it with water. We stand for a day, then mix and add water a second time. For three to four days, the clay should be under a two to three centimeters ball of water. Before use, the well-mixed composition will resemble thin sour cream.
We put a film on the bottom of the boxes, then put a layer of carrots (without touching each other) and pour the clay solution. When the first layer of clay dries up, lay out the roots again, fill and dry. Thus, we fill the entire volume.
Dipping in clay
According to this method, unwashed roots are dipped first in a garlic, and then in a clay mash. Then they are laid out to dry in a well-ventilated place - under a canopy, on a veranda or attic. Dried vegetables in a "clay shell" are placed in boxes or boxes.
A garlic mash is made like this: a glass of cloves is twisted in a meat grinder and diluted in two liters of water.
Clay talker is prepared by diluting the clay with water until it is thick with sour cream so that it does not drain from the fruit.
Method 5. Storing carrots in moss
Required materials: boxes made of plastic or wood, sphagnum moss.
Dry and unwashed root vegetables are kept in a cool place for a day, after which they are stacked in a container in layers, alternating vegetables and moss.
Moss has certain preserving properties, keeping the required concentration of carbon dioxide inside the box. In addition, the mossy layers are very light and do not weigh down the container with carrots, like sand and clay.
Method 6. Storing carrots in pans
Required materials: bulky enamel pans.
After collecting the carrots from the garden, it must be thoroughly washed, cut off the tops and "tail" and dried in the sun.
After that, the roots in an upright position are tightly placed in a saucepan. The top layer is covered with a napkin and covered with a lid. Containers with carrots should be stored in a cool cellar, where vegetables will last well until the next harvest.
Method 7. How to store carrots in onion skins
Required materials: onion and garlic husks, crates.
This method works on the same principle as saving root crops in coniferous sawdust - phytoncides, which are rich in garlic and onion scales, prevent the development of putrefactive processes.
That is why carrots are well stored if you put them in layers, sprinkling with dry husks, which you probably have left from harvesting garlic and onions or accumulated over the winter.
Method 8. Storing carrots in the garden
Experienced summer residents do not dig up part of the carrot harvest, but leave it in the garden for the winter. And in the spring, they dig up fresh root crops and feast on until the next harvest.
The tops of wintering carrots are completely cut off. Next, a layer of coarse sand is poured onto the bed and covered with polyethylene.
The top is insulated with fallen leaves, peat, sawdust, humus, and then covered with roofing material or another film. This shelter keeps the carrots juicy and tasty and helps to withstand the winter cold.
A few more original ways to store carrots
- Thoroughly washed and cut root crops are wrapped with cling film so that the surface of each carrot is completely wrapped and does not come into contact with others.
- Carrots pre-sprayed with onion or coniferous infusion tolerate winter well. To do this, 100 g of needles or husks are poured with a liter of water and kept for five days. This infusion is not only sprinkled with vegetables, you can dip root vegetables in it for ten minutes, dry and store.
- A rather original way to preserve carrots using paraffin: clean and dry fruits are immersed in hot paraffin, where a little wax is added for greater elasticity. Carrots processed in this way can be stored at 0-2 ° C for about 4-5 months, remaining juicy and strong.
- You can dust the root vegetables with chalk, spending about 150-200 g per 10 kg of vegetables, or lower the carrots in a chalk suspension (30%), and then dry them qualitatively. Chalk provides a slightly alkaline environment that inhibits decay.
- Carrots are well kept, each individually wrapped in newspaper or plain paper.
- If there is a risk that the root crops will be spoiled by rodents, dried Saracen mint - canufer will help. Line the boxes with plant stems and leaves, and the mice will bypass them.
- When your carrot crop is small, you can store it in the freezer. Root vegetables are simply ground in a food processor and frozen in plastic bags or plastic containers.
Whichever way you store your orange vegetables, take note of:
- Carrots are best preserved when the air humidity is 90-95%.
- The temperature in the room where the fruits hibernate should be 0-1 ° C.
Successful work, and may the well-deserved harvest please you with freshness and taste all winter!
