How to store carrots at home

Carrots are those types of root crops that are extremely difficult to preserve for the winter until the next harvest. This is not surprising, since an all-natural vegetable spoils quickly. Many housewives invent sophisticated methods of preservation, having no idea about the effective existing methods. Now we will consider them in order of priority. So, let's begin.

Method number 1. Clay

One of the most effective options is to keep carrots in natural clay. To carry out the manipulations you will need purified water at room temperature, clay, a cardboard box, a film of polyethylene, garlic (optional, optional).

The preservation of the root crop becomes possible due to the fact that the clay envelops the carrots and forms a thin layer on its surface. Therefore, the vegetable does not lend itself to weathering, frostbite, spoilage of a different nature. Today, there are 2 main methods of storage in clay.

Option No. 1: clay-filled carrots

1. Prepare a container for mixing ingredients, for example, a bucket. Pour the clay exactly half, fill with water. Stir until a homogeneous substance, leave for a day.
2. After a specified period of time, the clay will swell, knead it and add more water. The liquid should rise above the bulk by 4-5 cm. Leave the mixture in this form for three days.
3. Before using the product, make sure that the clay has acquired a creamy consistency. Now take the cardboard boxes and line the bottom with polyethylene.
4. Put the carrots in one row so that the fruits do not touch each other. Fill the contents with liquid clay, let the layer dry. Again, lay the carrots in the second row, repeat the steps with the fill.
5. Continue to fill the roots with clay, laying out the carrots in rows. Let each portion of clay dry thoroughly so that dampness does not form. When the first box is full, repeat the second.

Option number 2: enveloping carrots with clay

1. Not everyone is satisfied with the first painstaking way to fill the carrots with clay. It is easier for some housewives to wet the root crop, dry and send to a place for long-term preservation.
2. Prepare 2 varieties of talkers - garlic and clay. First dip the carrots in the first mixture, then in the second. Between manipulations, leave the vegetable to dry on the veranda or under a canopy.
3. When a “shell” of clay forms on the surface of the carrot, move the root crop into a prepared wooden box. You can use cardboard boxes.
4. To prepare the mixture with garlic, follow the instructions. Pass through a press a glass of peeled garlic teeth, combine with 2 liters. warm water. For the clay composition, you need to mix bulk raw materials with water and get a creamy mass.

Method number 2. Pans

1. In order to keep the root crop in its original form for as long as possible, it is possible to withstand carrots in enameled pots of large volume. To do this, the product must be thoroughly washed and cut the tops.
2. Lay the root crop in the sun, dry for a while. After this, the carrots must be placed in a container in an upright position. Lay a napkin on top of the product. Cover the pan with a lid.
3. It is recommended that all containers with contents be kept in a cool, dark room. It is best to choose a dry cellar or basement. Thus, carrots can easily lie until the next harvest season.

Method number 3. Sawdust

1. To translate this method into reality, it is necessary to collect coniferous sawdust and prepare boxes for storage.
2. Phytoncides accumulate in the needles, which prevent the germination of carrots and the evaporation of precious moisture from the vegetable.
3. It is advisable to take a wooden box with small openings for ventilation. You can drill holes yourself.
4. As with the sand method, sprinkle the bottom of the box with sawdust so that the needles rise 5-7 cm. Lay out the carrots, the root crops should not intersect each other.
5. Sprinkle the first row, send to the box the second. Do this until the boxes are full. Each time, cover the vegetable with a new layer of sawdust.

Method number 4. Bed

1. Often garden lovers store crops in the garden. After this, the root crop is dug up and consumed. But first you need to completely cut the tops.
2. Next, the bed is sprinkled with coarse sand. Sand must necessarily be moistened and a plastic film should be laid on top of it.
3. Sawdust, fallen leaves, humus are poured next. At the end, the bed is covered with roofing material. As a result, carrots easily tolerate winter and retains all qualities.

Method number 5. Plastic bags

1. Take care of the presence of wicker bags with a volume of 5 to 25 kg. It all depends on the amount of carrots that you need to save. Choose a cool place with a humidity of 95% for aging vegetables.
2. Not many people know that carrots emit carbon dioxide during storage. Therefore, bags do not need to be closed; keep them open. Carbon dioxide has the ability to accumulate in a small amount and kill bacteria.
3. Send carrots in bags, place indoors and wait for the next harvest. If condensation builds up on the inside of the bag, sprinkle fine lime next to the vegetables. She will take all the moisture.

Method number 6. Sand

1. When choosing sand, give preference to loamy, do not rely on the composition of the river. Take care of folding drawers and filtered water in advance.
2. This storage option is common among summer residents who leave root crops for the winter in cellars, garage pits, underground. Sand prevents the evaporation of moisture from the cavity, so the vegetable retains its juiciness.
3. Storage is carried out in wet sand. To do this, dilute the bulk composition with a small amount of water. To make it easier for you to navigate, adhere to the proportions: 1 bucket of sand and 1 liter. water.
4. After the preparatory measures, take the box, pour 5 cm of sand into it. Spread the carrots one side by side, but so that the root crops do not cling to each other.
5. Again, sprinkle the contents of the box with sand, send the vegetables in the second row inside. Repeat until the box is full.

Method number 7. Moss

1. For such a method of root storage, you will need wooden or plastic boxes and sphagnum moss. Carrots do not need to be washed, just dry the product in the sun.
2. After that, it is recommended to continue the procedure in a cool, dry place. Soak the root crop for a day. After the procedure, start spreading the carrots one by one with the moss.
3. The latter has peculiar preservative effects. Moss is able to contain the necessary amount of carbon dioxide. Compared to other materials, sphagnum does not add extra weight to the drawers.

Method number 8. Husk

1. No less effective way to store root vegetables is the content of carrots in onion husks. The method is very similar to how the product is stored in coniferous sawdust.
2. The esters contained in garlic and onion peel prevent decay. So carrots lie for a long time, without spoiling.
3. Products must be folded in a drawer in layers. To do this, you need onion and garlic husks. Store the root crop in a suitable place with low humidity.

Method number 9. Paper

1. You can do with the above methods or store carrots in paper. To do this, each root crop must be wrapped in a newspaper or parchment.
2. To prevent pests from gnawing carrots during aging in the basement, it is recommended to put dried mint leaves. Overlay raw root crops around.

Method number 10. Freezer

1. If you have brought a small amount of crop during the season, the product can be placed in the freezer.
2. In this case, carrots are best passed through a harvester and packaged in portioned packets.

To keep the carrots as long as possible, try to achieve optimal moisture indicators (about 90%). In this case, the temperature should be within 0. Choose for yourself and your family the best method of storing the root crop.

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