How to store carrots in a dry cellar. Cold storage

The question: “How to preserve carrot roots during the winter?” - with the onset of harvest time, almost every gardener asks. After all, there are a lot of ways to store them in cellars, basements and other home conditions that are not entirely suitable for this. Information taken from the article and viewing thematic video and photographic materials will help you finally decide on the method.

Important nuances

Two important points play a significant role in storing root vegetables:

• variety selection;
• timely cleaning of the garden.

For example, for long-term storage suitable late varieties carrots, such as Shantane, Moscow winter, Nantes, Vitamin. It is not advisable to leave the Parisian or Amsterdam carotel in the winter.

Carrots must be thoroughly dried before storage.

Cleaning time different varieties must be indicated on the packaging planting material. If the bag is lost or the seeds were collected independently, you can determine the time by yellowing lower leaves. As soon as they change color, you can choose carrots.

Attention! To prevent root crops from losing their juiciness and cracking, watering should be completely stopped about 3 weeks before harvesting.

It is advisable to dig up carrots in dry weather. This way you won’t need to dry it further.

How to prepare carrots after harvesting

The harvest removed from the ground must be sorted. Cut root crops damaged by pests and diseases should not be stored.

Then the tops are cut off from the selected specimens, retreating a few mm from the top of the root crop. Practiced and heavy pruning, When top part shorten by 0.5-1.0 cm. The growth point is also removed, which prevents the carrot from germinating in winter.

After pruning, the crop is kept in the shade or under a canopy for a week. During this time, the cuts are tightened well. When all preparatory work completed, you can proceed to storage.

How to store carrots in the cellar

Of course, it is best to store carrots in the cellar. Here the required humidity and temperature values ​​are maintained. There are several storage options:

• In sand. A layer of sand several centimeters high is poured onto a designated area in the cellar. Place carrots on top of it. In this case, the root vegetables should not touch each other. Then sand again. This is continued until the structure in the form of a pyramid reaches a height of 1 m. Upon completion of laying out, sprinkle with sand on all sides. The same applies when using containers. They also sprinkle it with sand and maintain a distance between the root crops.

Storing carrots in sand

• In clay. This option uses clay mortar on the water. The consistency should resemble sour cream. Each carrot is immersed in the solution, removed, and then kept in the shade for several days until completely dry. Root crops in a “clay coat” are placed in wooden boxes and lowered into the cellar.
• IN enamel pans. The carrots are washed, trimmed and dried in the sun. Then the root vegetables are placed vertically in a large saucepan, covered with a piece of cloth and tightly closed with a lid.

Underground storage

Conditions in the underground are somewhat different than in the cellar. It's much drier and warmer here. However, there are several proven ways in which carrots are stored perfectly. long term.

• In wooden boxes small size. The container should hold no more than 20 kg of root vegetables. The carrots are placed in horizontal rows and covered with a lid. Filled boxes, using stands, are raised to a height of 15-20 cm. The same distance should be maintained from the wall.
• In sawdust. This method requires the installation of a box, shelves or shoulders raised to a height of about 20 cm. Sawdust is poured onto the bottom, then carrots are laid out. So you should alternate all the way to the top.

Advice. To store carrots, it is better to use sawdust from trees. coniferous species. Essential oils will prevent the development of rot and germination of root crops.

Storage in the apartment

If it is not possible to store the harvest in a cellar or basement, you will have to stock up onion skins. Just as in the case of sawdust, the volatile substances contained in onions will ensure normal preservation of root crops.

For storage in the apartment you need to provide a dark and cool place

Suitable as a container small boxes. Dry onion scales are placed on the bottom, then a layer of carrots. The rotation should be completed with husks. The container filled in this way is placed in the coldest place in the home, preferably on the balcony.

Attention! With the onset of winter, boxes with carrots need to be wrapped in some kind of insulation, for example, a blanket.

Cold storage

Carrots can be stored in a refrigerator for a maximum of 1.5 months. Plastic bags are used for packaging. To avoid the formation of condensation, which contributes to the germination and development of rot, the root vegetables must first be cooled in the same refrigerator. Several carrots are placed in a bag. Tie tightly and place in the refrigerator on a shelf for storing vegetables.

Options for storing carrots winter period so many. Each gardener can choose the most convenient and accessible way for him and consume healthy root vegetables grown on his own for a long period.

How to store carrots and beets in winter: video

As autumn approaches, any summer resident wonders how to preserve the harvest grown with love. Carrots are considered one of the most common crops in garden beds. Storing root vegetables without meeting certain conditions for a period of time long period impossible. Choosing a preservation method vegetable crop, it is especially recommended to take into account the location of the harvested crop.

Carrot varieties for long-term storage

The best varieties carrots that retain their beneficial properties over a long period of time are presented below.

Among late ripening types:

• Nantes. A long root crop with a high degree of productivity.
• Chanton. The main advantage is considered to be high fertility and high carotene content in the fruits.

Among mid-season types:

• Vitamin variety, characterized by excellent resistance to negative temperatures.
• Touchon. Carrots have very juicy pulp and can be stored in the basement until spring.
• Boltex - elegant root vegetables, reminiscent of a cone shape, retain their beneficial properties until the end of winter.

Among early varieties:

• Alyonka. Preservation beneficial properties perhaps until mid-winter.
• Bangor. Stored until mid-spring.
• Lagoon. Starts to deteriorate at the end of winter.

Important! Early varieties are still more intended for consumption (especially for making juices) than for storage.

Rules for collecting carrots for storage

• Harvesting can only be done in warm and dry weather. If root vegetables are removed from damp soil, they must be thoroughly dried before being sent to the cellar.
• The best harvest time is September. It is not recommended to keep carrots in the ground longer than the end of October.
• When digging carrots, it is recommended to use pitchfork. Each of the root crops must be held by the tops.
• Under no circumstances acceptable damage to vegetable skin during harvest. The integrity of the skin guarantees a long shelf life of the fruit.

Having carefully dug up the vegetable crop, you should place the collected root crops on an oilcloth under open air. Thorough drying will take about 5-6 hours. The fruits should be laid out in one layer. Root vegetables should not touch. If the crop is too wet, it is better to dry it in the sun for several days.

After drying, the following manipulations must be carried out:

1. Clear the crop of earthen deposits.
2. Select specimens with damaged skin, since when it is damaged, microbes very quickly penetrate into the carrots, which will soon lead to spoilage of the product.
3. Re-sort fruits according to size characteristics.
4. By using sharp knife remove the tops or unscrew them by hand.

Following these simple rules will allow you to properly prepare carrots for storage for the winter.

Optimal storage conditions

The shelf life of vegetables is also influenced by the choice of containers where the root vegetables are located.

Temperature and humidity

When choosing a place to store carrots, you should look for rooms where the air temperature is within 0 +2 degrees C. For example, this could be a basement, subfloor or cellar, as well as the same refrigerator.

Air access must be limited. Ventilation in in this case moderate will be required. Air humidity should not exceed 97%.

It is extremely important to consider that even minor temperature fluctuations can lead to premature rotting of vegetable fruits.

Storage containers

Before digging up root crops, care must be taken to prepare containers for placing the crop.

As a rule, the following containers are used for storing carrots:

• plastic bags;
• plastic boxes.

How to store carrots in an apartment and a private house

In the private sector To preserve carrots in winter, use a basement, subfloor or cellar. In such conditions, the red-haired beauty remains fresh for about 5-6 months.

And here for apartment residents there is no such possibility. As a rule, before frost, the carrot harvest is stored on the balcony or loggia, and after the onset of cold weather it is placed in the apartment. In the refrigerator, carrots are best stored in bags in chopped form. Shelf life is about 2-3 months.

By the way! At small quantity It is more advisable to use the freezer for storing the harvest. To do this, chopped carrots are packaged in polyethylene and sent to the freezer.

Popular ways to preserve carrots for the winter

ABOUT in various ways How to keep carrots fresh at home will be discussed and shown below.

In plastic bags

This method will require polyethylene bags. Due to the high degree of air humidity in the burlap, carrots will not sprout and begin to rot. After placing root vegetables in polyethylene, it is necessary to leave it open, which will prevent the occurrence of fungal infection. If you seal it tightly with polyethylene, the vegetable will soon begin to rot. If desired, you can tie the bag and make it in a circle a large number of holes through which air will flow. At excessive humidity the bag will begin to fog up. In this case, experts recommend placing fluff lime near the bags, which will absorb excessive moisture. Carrots can be stored in bags both in the cellar or basement, and in the refrigerator.

In cling film

The method using cling film is quite simple. To use it, you will need to wrap a small amount of dried and thoroughly washed carrots in cling film. Send the harvest packed in this way to the basement.

In sand

Storing carrots in sand for the winter is very popular among residents of private houses with basements or cellars. Sand does an excellent job of reducing moisture and preventing the development of fungal infections. What kind of sand do you need? For this method, only clay sand is suitable. You will also need boxes and water. Pour slightly moistened sand into the prepared container. Lay out the vegetables in one layer and sprinkle with sand. Again a layer of root vegetables and moistened sand.

In the sawdust

Method with sawdust no less effective. Therefore, it is possible and necessary to store carrots in sawdust. This will require plastic containers and pine sawdust. Sawdust is poured into the bottom of the container, then carrots are laid out, which are sprinkled with sawdust on top. Phytoncides contained in sawdust prevent the growth of vegetables and counteract the development of fungal diseases.

In the moss

A very interesting storage method using moss. It is very important to properly prepare the raw materials in advance. In this case, washing carrots is not recommended. After digging, the fruits are sent for drying. Then the vegetables are sent to the refrigerator or basement for 24 hours. After this, moss is laid out in a plastic container, a layer of carrots and moss again. The plant does not weigh down the boxes and has preservative properties.

In clay

A very popular method of storing carrots is clay. To do this, you need to prepare in advance cling film, a plastic container, water and clay, which will successfully prevent the germination of root crops.

There are 2 ways to store vegetables in clay, namely:

1. Layering clay in layers. Take an empty bucket, fill it halfway with clay and dilute it with water. After 24 hours the clay will swell. Stir the resulting substance thoroughly and add a little water. Place the bucket in a cool place for 24 hours. The finished clay should be thick enough to resemble the consistency of sour cream. After preparing the clay, cover the bottom surface plastic containers polyethylene and lay out the carrots in one layer. Fill the vegetable with clay and leave to dry. Subsequent layers can be laid only after the clay has dried.
2. Dipping vegetables in clay. This storage technique is similar to the previous one. The only difference is the fact that the carrots are not filled with clay, but only dipped in it. In this case, the root crop cannot be washed. After drying the root vegetables, you need to roll them in a clay solution and lay them out to dry in a draft. Then into the prepared cardboard box The harvest is collected and stored in a cool place. To prepare the solution you will need to combine the clay with water. The solution should resemble the consistency of sour cream. Under no circumstances should the clay drip from the carrot.

In the peels of garlic or onions

Method for storing carrots peelings from garlic or onions. It is similar to the method of storage in sawdust. To use it, you will need to prepare wooden boxes and the husk itself. Onion peelings contain essential oil, which prevents rapid spoilage of vegetables. Dried root vegetables are laid out in wooden boxes and covered with husks. A layer of cleaning is also poured onto the surface of the bottom of each box.

• alternate crops when planting;
• dig up the area deeply;
• apply sufficient amounts of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers;
• Harvest carefully, avoiding injury to the skin of the vegetable.

To prevent damage to carrots in the basement by rodents, it is recommended to use Saracen mint leaves. To do this, we place the stems of the plant around the boxes. The smell of the plant will repel rodents and preserve the harvest.

Typical storage errors

Vegetable growers most often make the following mistakes when harvesting and preparing carrots for storage:

• they overdry and overexpose the crop, sending it to a cool place at the wrong time;
• they dig up crops better in cold or rainy weather;
• carelessly remove soil from a vegetable crop, damaging the skin;
• do not monitor the temperature and humidity of the storage facility.

Thus, following simple tips and recommendations for preserving root vegetables at home, fresh carrots will delight you all winter and even spring.

In contact with

For every summer resident it is important not only to grow on his own plot healthy vegetable, reap a rich harvest, but also know all the nuances about storing carrots for the winter in the cellar and at home. If you try hard and learn little secrets and tricks, you can save carrots until spring.

Here you can give little advice- don’t rush to pick carrots from the beds. If the weather permits, do it as late as possible. Light frosts on the soil are not terrible for carrots, so until the end of September they can easily remain in the ground.

10 days before harvest, water the rows thoroughly. Vegetables will absorb moisture and will be sweeter and juicier.

It is very important how exactly you extract carrots from the ground. It is best to use a garden fork for this purpose. Using them, gently lift the soil in the garden bed and pull out the carrots by pulling the tops. Do not shake off the earthen lumps and, of course, do not smash the fruits against each other, you will thereby injure the carrots and reduce their shelf life. Place the root vegetables on the beds to dry out a little.

After a while, cut the tops down to the head and be sure to sort the carrots. Never store everything together. Place spoiled, small, unusual or diseased fruits separately (use them first or grate them, freeze them in the freezer and then throw them directly into soup, borscht, or roast).

How to properly store carrots in the cellar in winter

The easy way is on the floor.

You need to start by preparing the storage space. Ventilate the cellar, carefully sweep the floor and clean it of dirt, dust, and debris. Next, use a special disinfectant solution to treat the surface of the floor on which the carrots will be stored. This will prevent pathogenic bacteria from entering the root crops. Carry out the treatment using slaked lime. This way you can treat not only the floor, but also the walls. basement, which will significantly reduce the formation of fungal rot and mold.

And remember that each variety of carrot is stored differently. It is unlikely that you will be able to preserve root vegetables for a long time early ripening varieties. Although such types as “winter Moscow”, “vitamin” or “shantane” carrots proper storage will be able to survive until spring.

Sand

Determine for yourself the dimensions of the area where the carrots will be stored. Sprinkle this area with dry, clean, sifted sand. Ideal option It will happen if you calcine the sand in advance and then dry it. The thickness of the sand layer should be at least 5 cm. Place carrots in rows, do not save space, do not place root vegetables close to each other. Add sand again, then place a layer of carrots. And do this until you run out of vegetables. This slide should narrow towards the top, so it will not crumble. The height of a carrot slide can reach from half a meter to a meter, depending on how carefully you manage to lay out the vegetables.

More easy way Storing carrots with sand is as follows. Take large plastic bags and make holes in the bottom for ventilation. Place carrots sprinkled with sand in these bags, do not tie the top.

Boxes

Take the boxes not too much large sizes, capacity up to 20 kg. The boxes must have thick walls and a lid. Place carrots in them and place the boxes on wooden substrates or shelves so that the height from the floor is at least 20 cm.

Clay chatter

This method is more labor-intensive, but it will help preserve carrots not just until spring, but almost until the next harvest. Prepare the mixture by combining clay with water until it becomes creamy. Dip each carrot into the clay mixture and let it dry. The result is a fairly dense crust that will protect the root vegetables from bacteria and moisture. Carefully place the processed carrots into wooden boxes without damaging the clay shell.


This protective layer until late spring it will keep the carrots in such a condition as if you had just dug them out of the garden.

Sawdust

If it turns out that there are neither boxes nor time to dip each carrot in a clay solution, another one will help out easy way storing carrots in sawdust. On wooden shelves Scatter the sawdust evenly and place a layer of carrots on it. Add more sawdust and spread a layer of carrots over it again. You can make 5-6 such layers, or even more, depending on what kind of crop you collected and want to preserve. The last layer should be a layer of sawdust and try to find shavings coniferous tree, its essential oil will slow down the germination of vegetables and the formation of rot.

Onion peel

Prepare a decoction of 300 g of onion peels per 10 liters of water. Cool it, dip the carrots in the broth, dry it and store it in the cellar. You can make it simpler: sprinkle the carrots with dry onion peels, put everything in wooden boxes. In winter, the taste of carrots will be no different from fresh, summer, just dug carrots.

Coating

This method is similar to a clay mash. Dip carrots into the chalk solution and dry. The dry coating method is also effective. Take chalk powder and crush the root vegetables with it (it is enough to take 200 g of chalk powder per 10 kg of carrots). Due to this, carrots are protected by the chalky alkaline environment from pathogenic bacteria.

Shelving

If you are harvesting too many carrots, then you cannot do without racks. Place shelves made of dried wooden boards at a height of 1 m from the floor or higher. Make sure that the shelving does not touch the walls. Be sure to install small sides to prevent carrots from falling onto the floor from the racks. Place carrots loosely in one layer on such shelves.

How to store carrots at home

There are many ways to store carrots in the cellar, just go ahead and choose according to your taste. What should those who have not yet acquired a cellar do, who live in an apartment? multi-storey building, and wants to stock up on carrots for the winter? This problem is also solvable.

Balcony

If the balcony in your city home is glazed, it can very well play the role of an apartment cellar; you can store supplies there for the winter period.

Place the carrots in a box, wrap them in something very warm (for example, an old blanket) and place them on the balcony, preferably not on the floor, but on wooden steps.

Just like in the basement, use clay to preserve carrots on the balcony. Dip each carrot in a clay solution, dry it, put it in boxes and send it to the balcony (it’s good if you have special racks or shelves there).

If there is severe frost outside, then it is better to bring these boxes into the apartment and place them near the balcony door.


If there are not too many carrots and it small size, place it tightly in three-liter glass jars, close with nylon covers and place on the balcony.

Fridge

Place well-washed and dried carrots in plastic bags and place them in the large vegetable compartments of the refrigerator. You can wrap the carrots in paper and put them in the same vegetable compartments, but when stored in this way, their freshness will not last long.

Grate the carrots (the size of the grater does not matter, whatever is more convenient for you), compact them tightly into a plastic bag in a not too thick layer and put them in the freezer. When you need carrots for cooking, take out the frozen layer, break off a piece of the size you need and put it directly in this form into the food you are preparing, put the remaining slice back in the freezer.

Use it immediately different methods storing carrots. Divide the harvest or root vegetables purchased for the winter into several parts and store them in any way. Then you will understand which method is more convenient, better, and more effective for you.

The main task of summer residents is to preserve the harvest, including root crops. The pressing question is how to store carrots, beets and other vegetables. They are usually stored in a cellar or basement, where they may be for a long time. Exist different ways styling in which the carrots will not spoil and will remain fresh for a long time.

Where can crops be stored?

Vegetables are best stored in a dry cellar

The cellar can be:

• dry;
• warm;
• wet.

The dry room is a concrete recess. The microclimate in it is maintained due to the presence of supply and exhaust ventilation lines. A warm cellar is obtained by insulating the walls and ceiling thermal insulation materials. But a hole dug in the ground, not concreted and not insulated, will be damp. But if the soil is not very wet, then storing vegetables in such a cellar is possible.

How to properly store carrots in the cellar

There are several ways, each of which allows you to preserve the harvest until spring. No special knowledge or tools are required, so any summer resident or gardener can do it.

In bags

Before putting the vegetable in the bag, you need to lay it out to dry

You will need strong bags. The carrots must first be dried and cleared of soil. It is allowed to fold washed carrots this way.

1. A small volume of root vegetables is placed in a bag without tying it.
2. An incision is made at the bottom; it is necessary to allow excess moisture to escape.
3. The packages are placed on shelves or other elevation.
4. At high humidity sprinkle slaked lime.

Vegetables need to be checked periodically and spoiled ones removed.

In sand

Cleaning sand from harmful microorganisms is an important procedure, which, however, many people neglect

Algorithm:

1. A layer of wet sand is poured onto the bottom of the cellar or box.
2. Spread the carrots in an even layer.
3. Vegetables are sprinkled with sand.
4. The next layer of carrots is placed in a checkerboard pattern.
5. Sand falls again and so on.

If sand mixture dry, then add 1 liter of water to it per 1 bucket. During storage, additional moistening is sometimes carried out. This method does not allow the development of harmful microorganisms and maintains a constant temperature.

Before use, the sand is calcined to destroy harmful microorganisms.

In the sawdust

Pine sawdust is more suitable for storage

Coniferous sawdust is used. As in the sand method, alternate layers of sawdust and carrots. The needles prevent the vegetable from sprouting and destroy fungi and microbes. If there is no suitable box, then you can pour it on the shelf, but not on the floor.

Winter storage in onion skins

You can store the harvest in onion peels. To do this, you need to place carrots in one layer in a box or bag, then the peels, and so on in layers. The container with root vegetables is stored on a shelf or hung.

One of the most effective methods storage - clay shell:

1. A bucket of clay is diluted with water until a liquid consistency is formed.
2. Dip each vegetable and leave to dry completely.
3. Put it in a box.

The harvest remains fresh because microorganisms cannot damage the fruit. The shell is made from a chalk solution in the same way.

Practitioner's recommendations for preparation and storage methods: video

How storage errors manifest themselves: table

If vegetables spoil even if all the rules are followed, the problem may lie in the cellar ventilation system.

The choice of storage method depends on personal preferences and capabilities. If all recommendations are followed, carrots will remain fresh, elastic and suitable for consumption for a long time.