Secrets of the correct harvesting of carrots. How to cut and store carrots for the winter. Long-term storage of carrots: conditions and methods

Carrots consist of two parts: a juicy root crop and green mass, which ensures the process of photosynthesis. Many gardeners are wondering if it is necessary to cut the tops of carrots? If yes, when to remove the aerial part of the plant.

The leaves of the carrots are cut off only after collecting it from the garden. It is necessary to carry out the removal of greenery, observing certain rules so as not to damage the root crop.

Important! In no case should you cut the tops when the carrot grows in the garden. If this is done, the roots will begin to wither or rot.

Before cutting the tops, you need to dig up the vegetables and dry them. If they are too deep in the ground, then they can be washed and dried for several days so that the moisture completely evaporates.

Pruning is necessary so that the root crops do not dry out from the fact that the green mass takes nutrients and moisture, or did not rot.

The technology for removing tops depends on the duration of its storage and the purpose of use:

• if cut higher by 2 centimeters from the head, then the carrot will be stored for up to three months. Use this technology for planting in the ground to get seed material;
• if the tops are cut 2 mm higher from the head, then the germination process will be stopped and the root crop will be completely preserved up to 6 months.

Harvesting of carrots takes place at the end of September, beginning of October, therefore, pruning of the green part of the plant falls on this time.

Trimming Rules

Following the basic rules for pruning carrot tops, the vegetable will lie until the next harvest:

1. You need to cut the tops on the same day that the root crops were harvested from the garden. Do not leave vegetables to lie for a long time, they may wilt.
2. Before pruning, clean the fruits from the ground and dry for several hours.
3. Cut the greens with a sharp knife. In no case, do not cut off the tops with your hands and do not twist it.
4. Sprinkle the cut with chalk so that no fungi and microorganisms that provoke decay get there.
5. After trimming, the vegetables are put in boxes, sprinkled with sand. Carrots are taken to the cellar or basement fourteen days after harvest. During this time, the skin should be completely coarsened, and if there are slightly rotten vegetables, they can be thrown away immediately without storing them.

Where can you use the tops of carrots

Juicy carrot stems are an excellent ingredient for various dishes and healing tinctures for diseases, but not everyone knows about it. Everyone is used to the fact that tops are a waste.

Meanwhile, the green mass can be used:

For the preparation of medicinal folk preparations:

• from hemorrhoids. To treat the disease, you need to make tea. Grind green stems (fresh or dried), place one teaspoon in a cup and pour boiling water over it. Insist half an hour. You should drink no more than one cup per day. The course of treatment is 2 months;
• with allergic rashes, dermatitis. In a small container, place 2 tablespoons of chopped tops, pour boiling water, leave for several hours. Make lotions with the resulting infusion.

Important! Before using the leaves as a treatment, check with your doctor.

In cooking. The stems are used in the preparation of various soups, casseroles, and pickling other vegetables. Greens can be dried, put in plastic bags and stored in the freezer. For use, choose only green branches, without the slightest deformation.

Topping is a mandatory process before storing vegetables for storage. You do not need to throw it away, as it may be useful to you.

The peel of the root crop is thin and tender - this explains their difficult storage. Harmful bacteria easily penetrate through a loose skin, carrots quickly germinate, freeze or rot. For be sure to select only dense and healthy fruits, on which there are no traces of mechanical damage, diseases.

Carrots are 80% water. Sudden fluctuations in temperature, excessive humidity or dryness in the room, dampness, bad housekeeping basement - a complex of factors leads to the fact that the water from the fruit begins to evaporate (carrots become soft and flabby). Suitable :

• - 1-2 degrees above zero (you can find out more about the storage temperature of the root crop);
• humidity indicators - 90-95%;
• moderate level of ventilation (no drafts).

Reliable long-term storage will provide a room with artificial air ventilation, where a constant temperature and humidity are maintained. Before harvesting, be sure to dry and trim the tops of the carrots.

We select suitable varieties for harvesting

One of the conditions for quality preservation is the choice of hybrids. For laying for the winter, it is recommended to select mid-season or late-ripening species. Early varieties do not retain moisture well and are suitable for immediate use - eating or preserving.
When choosing planting material it is advisable to pay attention to the packaging - the average ripening time is always indicated here.

General requirements for fruits: correct form, high yields, intended for long storage. Subject to right technology carrots will keep up to 6-8 months.

What varieties to choose:

1. Forto.
2. Vita Long.
3. Shantane.
4. Autumn queen.
5. Karlen.

You can find out in more detail about which varieties of carrots are best suited for storage.

What is pruning: the purpose of the procedure

Before the trimming procedure, it is also dried. When digging, it is forbidden to hit the carrots against each other, shaking off the ground. This leads to microcracks, loss of integrity and reduced shelf life. If required, then after washing, dry the crop well (keep hanging in warm air for at least 1-3 days).

Pruning carrots is the removal of the top green part. This procedure will help preserve in the fruit useful components, stop the processes of decay and drying out. If the tops are left, they will actively grow, taking water and nutrients from the fruit. It is necessary to carry out pruning, based on the goals and storage period.

• The term does not exceed 3 months. Pruning green mass 2-3 cm above the head of the vegetable.
• 2-4 months. Further use - to obtain seeds. Cropping is identical to the first option.
• Long-term storage (until the next season). It is necessary to trim the tops along with 2-3 mm of the root head itself. This will stop germination and keep the carrots juicy and flavorful.

Do I need to remove the tops for keeping in the cellar?

Cutting off the green part is mandatory for any carrot storage technology. If the carrots remain in the ground for the winter, the tops are cut off without affecting the root crop itself. For storage in the basement, you need to cut the greens and remove the growing point - cut 2-5 mm from the top edge of the fruit, if desired.

How to prepare carrots for wintering: detailed instructions

Preparing carrots for storage milestone, which needs to be given maximum attention (on how to prepare carrots for storage in winter period, read in).

It is forbidden to carry out the procedure with your hands, breaking off or twisting the tops. Be sure to use a sharp knife and do not leave even small cuttings. Due to the cutting off of the upper part of the carrot, the growth points are muffled, germination is stopped, and the original properties and taste are preserved.

How to carry out the procedure correctly?

1. Pruning of the main green mass. It is necessary to leave a small tubercle, cutting off the tops a little above the upper edge of the fruit.
2. Dry carrots in the sun for 24 hours.
3. Cut off 2-4 mm from the root head. If there are ring cracks or other lesions on the surface, cut off from 5 mm to 1-2 cm.
4. Removal of the root part - tails, since it is from them that decay begins. The root must be cut off at the point where the diameter of the tail is 5 mm or less.

Further actions - laying out carrots in one layer on polyethylene film on the ground, drying in the sun for 2-3 hours. During this period, the cuts will be covered with a protective crust, which will improve the quality of storage. After that, the fruits are placed for a day in a cool place and only then lowered.

You can also learn about preparing carrots for storage for the winter from.

A photo

Below is a photo of examples of how to cut a carrot:

Winter storage methods

The qualitative preservation of the root crop is ensured by being placed in sand or sawdust, plastic bags or in boxes with clay. The simplest - storage in the basement in wooden boxes with lid. You need to place containers at a distance of 10-15 cm from the walls, as the walls can become damp, which will affect the carrots. You need to put containers on shelves or low stands. No more than 20 kg of fruits should be placed in 1 box.

What filler to put in the box?

• .

  The material contains phenol, which will prevent rot and other diseases. Carrots are put into a box and sprinkled with sawdust.

• .

  Root crops should be laid out on a thick sandy pillow (lay a shelf or the bottom of the box). Each new layer must be re-filled with sand. Use lightly dampened sand.

• Chalk mortar.

  Chalk must be diluted with water to a homogeneous consistency. Dip each carrot into the solution, put in boxes and send for storage.

• Slurry.

  It's a dirty but effective way. Suitable for those cellars in which root crops often rot and deteriorate. From clay and water you need to make a talker - a stretching mass. Dip the carrots in the solution, dry. Clay should completely cover the fruit. After drying, put the carrots in boxes or baskets, lower them into the basement.

• .

  Dry root crops should be folded into tight bags and lowered into the cellar, placed on the floor on protective stands. Make a few holes at the bottom of the bags so that the condensate has an outlet. Do not close or tie the bag.

What if something went wrong?

Throughout the entire period, it is important to ensure that it does not rot, does not grow, does not lose its taste and commercial properties. Of the physical processes, the most high risk carries the evaporation of moisture. Carrots have a small skin thickness, contain many colloids - this affects the intense loss of moisture. Possible results include weight loss, wilting, loss of marketability.

To prevent such changes, it is important to ensure good air exchange and a constant temperature. If rotting was found, the affected fruits should be discarded, the place of decay and neighboring root crops should be sprinkled with slaked lime or chalk. With mass decay, all carrots need to be sorted out and sold (used) as soon as possible.

The primary processing of carrots before storage is cleaning, correct pruning tops and drying. At the time of harvest, it is imperative to cull damaged vegetables. After cutting the greens, you need to wait for the formation of a dry crust at the cut site and only after that lower the carrots into the cellar.
The final result depends on the chosen technology:

1. clay and sawdust will help preserve the fruits until the new crop is harvested;
2. moistened sand - 7-8 months;
3. ordinary wooden containers without filler - 4-7 months;
4. plastic bags - 3-6 months.

Regular inspection of the crop, removal of damaged fruits and pruning of regrown tops already in the basement will extend the term and improve the quality. It is important to consider that the condition of the tops plays a decisive role during storage. How larger size left hemp, the faster the root crop will begin to germinate.

ATTENTION! The only unwanted neighbor for root crops is an apple. The fruit releases ethylene, which affects the taste of carrots.

If the basement freezes, boxes with carrots must be additionally covered with felt or any other heat-insulating material. Small and thin fruits should be used first, as they dry faster. More large carrot with the right approach, it will lie until spring-summer. Be sure to isolate vegetables from direct sunlight and moisture.

Pruning carrots before laying for the winter is a mandatory procedure. The final term and quality of storage of the crop depends on the quality of its implementation. You need to cut the tops with a sharp knife or scissors, leaving no growth points and stumps. Root crops should be lowered into the basement only after the cut points have been covered with a protective film.

If there was a rich harvest, then the owner will definitely have a problem how to save carrots for the winter. There are rules under which the storage of carrots is not a difficult process. The main thing is to comply with all conditions and maintain them throughout the entire period until spring.

Preparing carrots for storage

1. Remove root crops promptly.
2. Cut off all tops.
3. Dry and ventilate for 2-3 hours.
4. Keep root crops for a week at a temperature of 10–14 ° C.

Immediately before storage, all carrots are carefully inspected and fruits with damage and stains are removed.

How to prune carrots for storage

If pruned incorrectly, carrots can germinate in winter. If the tops are not cut at all, the carrots will wither, because the greens will suck out all the moisture from it.

Proper pruning in preparation for storage involves two stages: first, the greens are cut before the root crop begins. The second stage is cutting the head to a thickness of half a centimeter. This will keep the carrots from sprouting during winter storage and will keep appearance and quality for a long time.

Where to store carrots

Storage of carrots in winter can be carried out not only in the cellar or basement, but also in a city apartment. The main thing is to create all the conditions so that the root crops do not germinate and do not rot. When withering, the product loses all its juice, which contains most of the vitamins. If available, then a cold pantry is also suitable, but only if the temperature regime corresponds necessary conditions storage.

Flat

There are several options for storing a rich crop in an apartment. First of all, apartment owners do not have a basement, and therefore there are two ways to create the necessary temperature conditions: a refrigerator or a balcony. Root vegetables can be stored in the refrigerator or in plastic bags or with a freezer. In the latter case, the carrots need to be grated.

Balcony

For this purpose, a glazed, but unheated balcony is suitable. You can choose any method: peat, sawdust, sand. Important rule- Root crops should be isolated from each other. In this case, there is no risk of rot and its spread to all stored root crops. On the open balcony it will not be possible to save the crop, because it will freeze with temperature changes.

The box that stands on the balcony with vegetables should be closed, and in severe frosts it is recommended to cover it with warm clothes or wrap it in another way. At a positive temperature, it is not worth wrapping a container with root crops, since it can prohibit and the process of decay will begin.

Cellar

Cellar in a private house - best option for proper storage carrots in winter. Here you can create best conditions. Including temperature and humidity. In the cellar, the root crop is stored in any kind of bags, wooden and plastic boxes with filler. It can be sand, sawdust and even earth with clay.

To preserve the crop in the cellar, it is important to disinfect and disinfest the premises in order to remove insects, rodents, and also destroy fungal spores. All this can interfere with the safety of root crops, and you will lose the harvest.

garden bed

The original way of storage is a garden bed. It is important to understand that in this case, the carrots remain until spring, since the bed cannot be opened. Thus, the root crops are preserved until the spring heat, and you can eat them until fresh greens appear.

Storage in the garden begins with the fact that all the tops of the carrots are cut to the very base. Then the bed is sprinkled with coarse-grained wet sand. Then they stretch the film, on which peat, sawdust or humus are poured. As a result, everything is covered with another film or roofing material. In this form, carrots will successfully overwinter until they are dug out and will not deteriorate. It is important that there is no close occurrence of groundwater.

How to store carrots for the winter

The correct bookmark for the winter depends on what exactly the root crop is stored in. Much depends on the filler, since each gardener chooses the best option for himself. But each method has its own nuances that you need to pay attention to.

In sand

The most common method. The main advantages of sand are that it allows you to maintain the temperature regime necessary for carrots and at the same time does not allow root crops to come into contact with each other.

For storage you will need a box, sand and water. Use 1 liter of water per bucket of sand. This is enough to moisturize. Sand is laid out at the bottom of the box with a layer of 5 cm thick. Top with a layer of carrots so that the roots do not touch each other. Sand on top, then another layer and repeat until the box is full. Dry sand is also acceptable. It makes sense to add ash or slaked lime to the sand.

in sawdust

Sawdust should be exclusively coniferous, since such a filler prevents infection with a fungus and kills pathogenic microbes. In sawdust, carrots are also stored in layers. In addition, phytoncides, which are contained in sawdust, will prevent germination during storage.

in the ground

Experts do not recommend storing the entire crop in the garden, since these root crops will be available for consumption only in the spring. This method is only suitable for those who have supplies for the winter. A vegetable in the garden will help you get enough vitamins in spring and early summer.

in polyethylene

Polythene bags are great for storing root vegetables over the winter. If stored in the refrigerator, bags are perfect.

When laying root crops in bags, it is also recommended to use sawdust coniferous trees to sprinkle root crops for preservation. This prevents the fruits from touching, kills pathogens, as well as fungus. tie plastic bag it is impossible, because carrots must have access to air. The bag must be placed in a dark and cool place. If in winter there is a risk of a strong change in temperature, then the bag will need to be covered with warm clothes.

Important! When placed in polyethylene, carrots need to be dried as much as possible, because, otherwise, the process of decay will accelerate.

in a saucepan

A great way to save a small amount of vegetables. This will require enamel pan. You need to harvest, dry and cut each instance, and then lay it vertically in a pan. Top with a newspaper or napkin, and cover the pan with a lid. Thus, you can keep the crop in a cool place until spring.

In onion or garlic peel

As a filler for boxes and bags for storing root crops, onion or garlic peel. The impact of such bedding is the same as when using coniferous sawdust. Onion and garlic husks contain special essential oils that will prevent rot from spreading and repel rodents and insects. This method is especially useful when stored in a cellar. You also need to lay in layers. The first layer of the husk in the box should be thicker, and then we simply pour all the layers of carrots, avoiding contact between the root crops.

In a refrigerator

In the refrigerator, the root crop is stored on the bottom shelf, in a plastic bag. In this case, the carrots must be absolutely dry, and the bag tightly closed to prevent the penetration of foreign odors from the refrigerator.

With a small amount of vegetable, there is a way in which you need to wrap each root crop with a stretch film and then put it in the refrigerator.

In the freezer

The freezer is suitable for storing a small amount of product. Pre-root crops must be washed and grated on a coarse grater. Then distribute the resulting mass into bags, close them tightly and put in the freezer.

The amount of frozen vegetables in this case depends on the size of the freezer. If the owner has a large separate freezer, then you can save more useful root crops.

How to store washed carrots

Washed carrots do not last as long as dirty ones. Therefore, for long-term storage, it is not recommended to wash root crops.

The washed root crop is only suitable either for short-term storage in the refrigerator with early use or, as an option, for freezing. In the latter case, it is necessary to wash the vegetable.

Important! If the harvest is large, and it is planned to save the fruits for the whole winter, then you just need to shake off the ground and clean the root crop with your hands. Store washed carrots for a long time will not work.

At what temperature to store carrots

Storage conditions for carrots suggest high humidity and low temperature. Optimal option:

1. Temperature 0–2 °C .
2. Humidity 90–97%.

It is important to monitor the humidity, because at elevated rates, the crop will simply rot.

To control the temperature in the room where the root crop is stored, there must be a thermometer. In case of frost, be sure to protect and cover the crop so that it does not freeze. Otherwise storage is useless.

Shelf life

The term depends on the selected storage method. The maximum period during which the product retains its taste and nutritional qualities is 12 months. But this requires constant compliance with all storage conditions. The storage temperature of carrots should not fall below zero, since the root crop loses its taste and can no longer be stored for a year.

Conclusion

Saving carrots for the winter is easy. Subject to temperature regime and humidity, root crops will be stored through the winter and even more. It is important to properly prepare them. Experienced gardeners know that, ideally, you also need to choose the right variety. Optimal for storage are varieties of conical shape and medium size. You should also pay attention to the timing of the harvest. The product, both unripe and overripe, cannot be stored for a long time. Right grade, proper preparation, bookmark for storage - three pillars on which the long-term storage of root crops in winter is based.

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If the autumn turned out to be warm and sunny, you should not rush to harvest carrots, but this should be done before the onset of frost.

Everyone has heard about the benefits of carrots, but few manage to keep it until spring. Its proper storage, as, indeed, of other vegetables, begins with proper cleaning, and before that - with the right choice of varieties. For long-term storage, medium-low and late varieties and hybrids.

Let's soak up the sun

For carrots to keep all their useful qualities, it is harvested before the onset of frost. At a temperature of minus 1 degree, the head of the root crop will freeze, and such carrots are no longer suitable for storage: even slightly frostbitten in winter will quickly rot. But do not rush to dig. In September - October, if the weather is warm and sunny, each root crop gains about 3-4 g per day in weight. Therefore, carrots harvested late (but before the onset of frost) ripen better and are stored longer. And there are more vitamins and other useful substances in it.

Carrots for winter storage are harvested in good dry weather. They dig with a garden pitchfork, pull it out of the soil and immediately remove the tops. Otherwise, it will pull juices and nutrients from the root crop, which will become lethargic and dehydrated from this. Such a vegetable is unlikely to last until spring, and there will be almost no vitamins left in it. But the tops are not cut off, but unscrewed, leaving a small (about 0.5 cm) “tail”. So the head of the root crop is not injured. Twisted tops dry out faster and do not allow various microorganisms to penetrate inside.

Sometimes carrots have a lot of root fibers. They also need to be carefully removed.

Then harvested crop must be dried under sunbeams. This is done so that the earth adhering to the root crop is easier to shake off. Yes, and vegetables will not hurt such " ultraviolet disinfection". After sunbathing shake off any remaining soil. Although, as experience shows, carrots with adhered soil are stored better.

It is not recommended to wash root crops before storage. But it is necessary to sort carefully. With dark spots or damaged ones, they must be immediately discarded: having deteriorated and started to rot, they can infect other root crops. Only healthy ones are suitable for storage.

There are options

You can store carrots in a CLAY SHELL in winter. From water and clay, knead the solution (not thicker than sour cream), dip the roots into it for 2-3 minutes, and then dry. It is important that they are completely covered with a clay shell. Carrots prepared in this way can be kept in open boxes or baskets. The drying layer of clay forms a thin coating on the roots, protecting them from moisture evaporation, wilting and various diseases. Compared to other methods, this is the most waste-free - the losses are no more than 4--5%.

Helps preserve carrots and CHALK SOLUTION. Chalking can be either dry or wet. When wet, spray the root crops or immerse them in a 30% chalk suspension. After that, they should be dried as soon as possible. Dry coating is dusting with chalk at the rate of 150-200 g per 10 kg of carrots. The layer of chalk formed on the surface of root crops creates a slightly alkaline environment, which prevents the development of diseases, the appearance of putrefactive bacteria and mold.

Carrots are perfectly preserved in SAND. In the cellar, it is better to fold it with a collar or a pyramid no more than 1 m high. Pour 2 cm of sand under the bottom row. Then lay the root crops with their heads out and again pour a layer of sand. Vegetables should not touch each other. Sprinkle the top layer of sand, as well as the sand on the sides of the pyramid or collar, with water as soon as it begins to dry out. This method is suitable if the storage is cold enough, but does not freeze through. Approximately 0.5-1 kg of sand is used per 1 kg of carrots. You can mix sand with slaked lime or chalk at the rate of 9:1.

Many owners store carrots in POLYETHYLENE BAGS made of thick (100-150 microns) film. With this method, natural losses and the number of germinated root crops are practically reduced to zero. Put the vegetables in bags, and put the bags upright and do not tie them - they must be open: inside them is created high humidity air and increase the content carbon dioxide. Without cross-ventilation, carrots fade and dry out less, and lose weight less. It almost completely retains vitamins, and its taste qualities do not change.

If temperature fluctuations are possible in the storage, condensed moisture forms, which flows down the walls and collects at its bottom. To prevent condensation from accumulating, make several small holes in the bottom of the bag. You can pour 2-3 handfuls of dry onion peel inside the bag.

You can also store carrots in coniferous sawdust. Arrange shelves in the storage at a level of 20 cm from the floor and fill them with wet (18-20%) sawdust. Lay root crops on them in layers, which are also sprinkled with sawdust. Sawdust should be taken exactly coniferous. They contain essential oil(turpentine), which, having disinfectant properties, prevents germination and the appearance of white rot. With such storage, carrots remain juicy and dense for a long time.

If the area does not allow, carrots are stored in BOXES small size, with a capacity not exceeding 20 kg. This method will help save space for other vegetables. Boxes should be with tight walls and a lid. In them, carrots will be stored better than in containers with holes. Set the boxes on a stand 15-20 cm high above the floor and at the same distance from each wall.

If the boxes are stored on the balcony, with the onset of cold weather they must be covered with something warm. And in severe frosts, it is better to bring it into the apartment and put it next to the balcony door.

Unwashed carrots can be placed in a plastic bag, rolled tightly and put in the REFRIGERATOR. To keep it longer, it is better to put no more than 2-3 root crops in one bag. This will prevent excess air and moisture from entering the bag. But before laying out the vegetables, refrigerate them during the day in the refrigerator, uncovered. Otherwise, condensation will form later, and the carrots in the bag will begin to germinate and rot.

AT recent times Another option for laying carrots for the winter is being practiced. In dug and dried root crops, the head is cut off (0.5-1 cm): it is from here, as a rule, that the vegetable begins to rot. Cut carrots are dried until the wound becomes coarse and heals, and stored in any way.

KEEP IN MIND

Without proper storage conditions, carrots are invariably threatened with rapid wilting, germination, and disease. Therefore, from time to time, sort out the root crops, sorting out the rotten ones and just starting to deteriorate. Never leave them in storage! If you think that spoiled carrots can still be saved, transfer them to another place and sprinkle with chalk.

SHELF LIFE OF CARROTS

In plastic bags (in the refrigerator) - from 1 to 2 months.

In a clay shell (in the cellar) - until the new harvest.

In the sand (in the cellar) - from 6 to 8 months.

AT coniferous sawdust(in the basement) - up to a year.

In closed boxes (in the basement) - from 5 to 8 months.

HELP NG

The ideal temperature for storing carrots is zero degrees, and air humidity is 90-95%. At a temperature close to zero, biochemical metabolic activity slows down by 10 times. If the temperature rises, the root crops will begin to germinate and rot, which will significantly reduce their value, reduce the amount of vitamins and nutrients.