How to store carrots - storing carrots at home
How well carrots will survive depends primarily on the maturity of the roots. A strong influence is also exerted by the ratio of glucose and sugar in them. In case the carrot was not affected by any infection, but still it can not be kept for a long time, the problem is most likely due to improper selection of the variety or poor conditions of growing and storing the crop.
We think ahead of time
Collecting carrots is only half the battle, because you need to be able to save the harvest. Statistics show that half of the whole harvest is spoiled by the fact that the owners of it are stored incorrectly, transported and collected.
Let it sounds a bit weird, but how to store carrots should think about it before you collect it. A week before the harvest, water the garden beds abundantly. This will make the vegetables juicy, in addition, carrots will be much easier to pull out of the ground. For a couple of days before harvesting, squash the beds and cut the tops, leaving only two centimeters. If this is not done, the moisture evaporates, the usefulness of the carrot-containing substances will decrease and the root crops wilt much faster. And places of carrots without tops will take much less.
You should also remember one simple rule: carrots, which are damaged, will not last long. Do not clean vegetables from dirt. After all, it provides additional protection against diseases, so carrots should be cleansed only before it is consumed.
Harvesting does not cause any special difficulties. Carrots need to dig or pull out of the earth, shake off excess land and just fold in one heap. In the ground near the roots, the temperature is higher than on the street, so they should be covered and left for three days on the street. During this time, the weakened vegetables will wilt, which means that you can sort the good from the bad ones.
When the temperature reaches -1 degrees, the carrot starts to freeze, at a temperature of +4 to +5 - sprout. Therefore, the optimal temperature regime for storage can be called the interval from 0 to +2 degrees. If your place of residence is in a warm climate, you can not dig up carrots, but simply cover it with a small layer of peat or straw, then sprinkle with earth.
Carrot storage in a cellar
A good way is to place carrots in polyethylene bags having holes. You do not need to close the packages. You can pour sand into them. The best option is to take the box out of the tree, pour some sand into it, put the vegetables there and cover it again with a layer of sand. This method gardeners with experience use most often, because it can be called the most reliable of all. Sawdust is an excellent alternative to sand. From time to time, both should be sprayed with water.
We store carrots in clay If the crop is not too big, it can be stored in clay shell. This is done as follows: stir the clay to the state of sour cream and immerse in it in turn all the root vegetables for a minute to 3. Then remove them and dry them. This "cover" will provide an excellent protection of your crop from disease and wilting.
How to store carrots in an apartment
Urban residents have the opportunity to save carrots for only three months. It's best if you put vegetables in boxes, cover with a film and watch the temperature changes on the street. When it begins to decline, the carrots should be wrapped and brought into the room. If you have a large refrigerator, you can wrap the root vegetables in bags and store them on the lowest shelf.
Generally, carrots are kept much worse than other vegetables. After all, the roots of the round form are preserved many times better than those that have an elongated shape.