The property of vegetable crops, fruits and berries for a long period of time to maintain their presentation and taste without losing weight and the manifestation of diseases is called “stubbornness”. In carrots, without the use of special methods, it is not very high. That is why it is useful to know about ways to bookmark a vegetable for long-term storage.

The best varieties for storage

The main postulate that should be followed when choosing a variety of carrots for placing vegetables in storage is a short time interval between harvesting and subsequent laying in the vegetable store.

This criterion is most suitable varieties with late ripening, such as:

• Karlen
• Queen of autumn;
• Flaccoro;
• Berlicum;
• Forto
• Nuance;
• Vita Longa.

The weather conditions that accompanied the entire vegetable growing season also make adjustments to the long-term storage process. For example, with a long spring and early autumn, the growing season is significantly reduced and root crops do not have time to accumulate a sufficient level of sugar content and fiber, which negatively affects the preservation of the fruit.

Under such weather conditions, early ripe varieties are better preserved.

You should pay attention to such varieties:

• Lagoon;
• Alenka;
• Bangor

There are mid-ripe varieties that are not inferior in safety to late-ripening root crops.

Did you know? Scientists determined the required amount of carrots to ensure good health - 8.4 kg of root crops per year.

Allocate the following:

• Samson;
• NIIOKH-336;
• Shantane;
• Vitamin.

Preparing carrots for storage

Agrarian experts recommend the following rules:

1. Before harvesting, at least a week, vegetable crops are not watered.
2. Cleaning is carried out in warm, dry weather.
3. After the fruits are removed from the soil, the tops should be cut a little higher than the head and left to dry for several hours in a sunny area, or under a canopy with good ventilation.
4. Next, the carrots are cleaned of excess adhering soil.
5. The next step is to trim the upper part of the root crop (a layer about 1 cm thick), after which the vegetables must be kept in the cellar for 10 days at a temperature of +10 ... + 14 ° С. This will become a kind of “quarantine”, in which the places of the cut and minor mechanical damage are tightened, spoilage, rot and other painful manifestations on vegetables are detected.

Immediately before being sent for storage, the final sorting is carried out, seizing all defective vegetables.

Optimal conditions for long-term storage

With any method selected, two basic conditions must be met:

1. The ambient temperature in which carrots will be preserved is 0 ... + 1 ° C.
2. Humidity in the place of a long stay of root crops - from 90% to 95%.

What is the best way to store carrots in winter

There are several ways to save root crops - both with the help of various devices, and without them.

In the ground

This storage method is quite extreme, as it implies simply leaving part of the crop in the ground for the winter (without digging or laying in an earthen hole).This method is not bad in case of a plentiful harvest, when there is no place in storage rooms, or there is no possibility of harvesting and processing the grown product.

• The disadvantages include the following:
• With high snow cover, it is problematic to remove root crops from the earth.
• The quality of vegetables left in the ground is unknown.
• There is a high probability of massive damage by rodents and pests.

In sand

Sand is best used loamy (not river). Before using it produce hydration.A layer of prepared sand about 5 cm thick is poured into wooden boxes and vegetables are laid on it without touching each other, after which they are sprinkled with the same sand layer on which another layer of root crops is laid.

Important! To create the optimum level of humidity, 1 liter of water is required per bucket of sand.

This method of preservation provides the necessary level of moisture in the fruits of carrots and temperature stability during storage, minimizes the risk of rot.

The disadvantage is the need to ensure the moisture level of the sand mixture on an ongoing basis, so that the carrots do not wither and lose their presentation.

In plastic bags

For these purposes, use packages of dense polyethylene, with a capacity of 5 to 30 kg. The bags are left open, so that they provide a constant level of humidity - 95%. With this method of preserving the crop, there is a slight accumulation of carbon dioxide, which provides disease prevention.In the case of storing vegetable products in closed plastic bags, it is necessary to make holes in them to separate excess CO2, since a drop in oxygen level leads to a quick spoilage of the product.

The disadvantage of this storage method is the probability of the formation of excess condensate on the inner surface of the bags due to increased humidity in the room. In this case, it is recommended to sprinkle fluffy lime around the bags. This will remove excess moisture.

Store carrots using sand or in plastic bags, preferably in cellars, where temperature and humidity are kept at a fairly stable level.

Where to save carrots for the winter in the apartment

Residents of city apartments who are forced to maintain crops without a cellar can choose a balcony (loggia) or a refrigerator for storage.

Did you know? The German tradition of giving carrots in honey for the New Year means a wish for good health.

On the balcony

The balcony, which will be used as a storage of vegetables, must be insulated to ensure a stable temperature and to prevent freezing.The most common ways to preserve vegetable products are:

1. Boxes of wet sand. This method is identical to that described in the article when stored in the cellar.
2. In a peat-filled box. This natural filler has poor thermal conductivity and excellent bactericidal properties, which will allow vegetables to persist until late spring.
3. In coniferous sawdust. Carrots are laid out in layers in large boxes, sprinkled with sawdust. Experienced gardeners recommend adding onion husk to sawdust. It will create additional protection against putrefactive processes.
4. You can resort to a more expensive method of storage - the use of purchased or makeshift thermal storage, which are insulated, heated by electricity cabinets.

In fridge

If possible, it is very convenient for future use to preserve part of the carrot crop by freezing and long-term storage in the freezer. To do this, the carrots cleaned and washed in running water are crushed using a food processor or a hand grater, slices are placed in food bags for storage and placed in a freezer.

This method allows you to save the vegetable for a long time.If the refrigerator allows, the root crops, washed and dried from excess water, are wrapped in parchment paper and placed in a compartment for storing vegetables.

Important! To preserve the vitamins and taste of chopped vegetables, re-freezing after thawing chopped root vegetables is not recommended.

How long can carrots be stored

Shelf life is very dependent on external conditions, variety, quality of the substrate in which root crops are immersed.

The average values ​​that are inherent in the above storage methods are as follows:

1. In boxes with moistened sand, in sawdust - up to one year.
2. In plastic bags - from 4 to 6 months.
3. In the refrigerator - up to 2 months.
4. In the freezer for several years.

Growing a decent crop of high vitamin root crops requires the application of certain efforts and skills. And the tips and recommendations proposed in the article will allow you to organize the process of long-term storage of vegetables without loss of taste and conditioning properties.