What and how to store carrots in a cellar in winter: a selection of the best ways

How to properly store carrots in a cellar in winter is a question that vegetable growers often face. There are many reasons why root crops rot: improper processing of plants, an unprepared room, non-compliance with optimal conditions.

An important factor during winter storage - selection of varieties with high keeping quality. We will talk about these and other nuances further.

Varieties suitable for long-term storage

To save the harvest longer, mid-season and late varieties are planted. Important characteristics of the culture:

• growing season - from 115 days;
• lack of predisposition to major diseases of culture;
• low risk of crackling;
• suitability for any climate.

Nantes 4

It takes about 120 days to ripen root crops about 20 cm long. If you plant seeds of this variety in May, then in September they are already harvesting. With a lack of time, carrots are left in the ground until October. Vegetables are stored until February. 5-6 kg are collected from 1 m2.

Samson

Mid-season variety, unpretentious in care, suitable for any soil and climate. Ripens in 110-120 days from the first shoots, is stored until May next year. The average length of carrots is more than 20 cm, weight is 125–150 g. The yield is high - up to 762 kg / ha.

Chance

Mid-season variety, 110 days after planting gives juicy root crops of a presentation. Productivity - 5 kg / m2. When growing, it requires sufficient light, loose soil with a large percentage of humus. Vegetables are stored until March.

Autumn queen

Late grade, ripens 130 days after sowing. With proper care and application of fertilizers, root crops reach 25 cm in length, 85–230 g. Such carrots are stored until the new harvest without loss of taste and marketability. Productivity - 265-576 kg / ha.

Dolyanka

Late Dolyanka retains the marketable appearance and taste of carrots until spring. Vegetables ripen 140-150 days after sowing. Root crops grow 15–22 cm long, weighing 95–145 g. Marketable yield of the variety is 243–372 c / ha.

Karotan

Late-ripening Karotan grows best on well-lit, loose soil. The harvest is stored until the next season, vegetables grow at least 25 cm long. The time from the first shoots to maturity is 135–150 days. Productivity - up to 405 c / ha.

Vita Longa

The variety is resistant to black and gray rot, has a high transportability. It takes up to 160 days for carrots to fully ripen, they remain until the new season. Root crops grow up to 30 cm in length, weighing up to 130 g. Productivity - 200-490 kg / ha.

How to prepare carrots

In order for root crops to retain their presentation and taste, it is important to harvest on time. The specific dates for each variety or hybrid are indicated on the seed bag. Previously harvested root vegetables will be immature and savory.

Attention! If the exact time of harvesting carrots is unknown, they are guided by the color of its tops. The vegetables are ripe when the lower leaves turn yellow.

The harvested crop is sorted out. Overgrown, unripe or damaged specimens are not suitable for long-term storage. To keep the carrots juicy and crispy for a long time, do not water them on the eve of digging.

Vegetables are cut off, ventilate them under a canopy or dry in the sun for about three hours. For 7–10 days it is kept at + 1… + 14 ° C to reveal defects.

How to properly trim the tops

They do it in stages:

1. The tops are cut to the head of the vegetable.
2. After drying, the end of the carrot is cut 1 cm, completely removing the growth point.

Use a sharp knife to keep the cut straight. The resulting crust will retain moisture and the beneficial properties of the root crop.

Cellar preparation

A properly prepared cellar will preserve the quality of the crop longer. For this, several procedures are carried out:

1. Ventilation: the room should be cool, free of foreign odors.
2. Disinfection: the walls of the basement are sprayed with a 2% solution of bleach.
3. Whitewashing the walls.

Optimal conditions for storing carrots:

• standard temperature - from 0 to + 4 ° C (at high values ​​the carrots will start to sprout and wither, at low values ​​they will freeze, when thawed they will rot);
• air humidity - 60%.

Choice of containers

Before placing the carrots in the cellar, they are determined with the container in which they will be stored.

Enamelled pots

This option is suitable for those who do not have much harvest. After harvesting, the carrots are washed, their tops are cut, and dried. The roots are placed in a saucepan close to each other, in an upright position, covered with a napkin on top, kept under a lid.

Boxes

Carrots are placed in boxes in small batches, about 20 kg each. The container is closed and placed on the floor, without touching the walls.

Some gardeners keep boxes on stands, as they sometimes get wet on the floor, which leads to sprouting of vegetables.

Bags

The containers are left open, otherwise the carbon dioxide emitted by root crops will exceed the oxygen concentration, which will damage the crop. Holes are made in the tied bags for ventilation.

Good to know. A less popular option is plastic bags. They are left open in the cellar or at home to prevent the vegetables from wilting.

Filler selection

An important role in the long-term preservation of carrots is played by the material with which the container is filled.

Sand

They take dry and clean sand, pour it on the floor in the cellar, about 3 cm, then lay a layer of carrots, again a layer of sand, vegetables and so on until the end. Such a structure is built up to 75 cm in height.

Husk

Dry onion scales are a universal antiseptic, thanks to which carrots will retain their presentation and will not rot. Vegetables are laid out in bags and husks are added.

All are gently mixed so that each root vegetable is in the husk.

Clay

Quite unusual and one of the best ways to store carrots: for this, the clay is diluted with water to a mushy state. Each vegetable is dipped in the resulting mixture and left to dry.

Ready-made root vegetables are placed in boxes or boxes, put away in a cool place.

Forest moss

The stacking principle is similar to sand storage. To begin with, unwashed and dried root crops are left in a cool place for exactly a day, and after that they are placed in boxes, alternating layers of carrots and moss.

a piece of chalk

This material reduces the risk of bacterial growth. Carrots are placed vertically in a box, tightly to each other. Mix pounded into powder chalk and wet sand, cover vegetables with them.

Sawdust

The sawdust contains phytoncides that destroy fungi and bacteria, prevent vegetables from rotting. In this case, the carrots are laid in layers: the filler is alternated with root crops. Coniferous sawdust is well suited for this.

Storage periods

Under optimal conditions in the cellar, carrots do not lose their qualities from 4 to 12 months.

The specific shelf life depends on the selected grade, container and filler:

• in clay - 12 months;
• in the sand - 7-9 months;
• in sawdust - 1 year;
• in boxes - 4–7 months;
• in packages and bags - 2-3 months.

Reviews

Summer residents share their experience in growing carrots and storing them on Internet forums. Let's share with you some comments.

Olga, Chelyabinsk: «My favorite variety is the Queen of Autumn. For the third year now, I have only planted it, never let me down. Carrots always grow large, bright orange and rich in flavor. It's easy to look after her.Before sowing, I loosen the soil well. In addition to applying fertilizers during cultivation, I spray the crop itself from carrot flies and other pests. This way it is stored longer. "

Irina, Izhevsk: “Last year I planted the Dolyanka variety - the carrots have grown quite large and tasty. I decided to try a new way of storing in bags. Left them open in the basement. As a result, I was disappointed, since the vegetables lay for only 1.5 months, most of them had to be thrown away. This year I will keep the harvest in the sand. "

Conclusion

In order to preserve the carrot harvest for the whole winter in the cellar, it is important to create and maintain optimal conditions. Mid-season or late varieties are planted. The room is chosen clean, well-ventilated and cool.

From containers, boxes are well suited - they are filled with sawdust, sand, moss. Follow the basic recommendations, and then you can enjoy tasty and healthy vegetables for a long time.