Rules for storing carrots in the refrigerator
After harvesting, the carrots need to be stored somewhere. Large quantities of vegetables are usually stored in cellars in private houses or on balconies in apartments. But if the harvest is small, it is realistic to store the carrots in the refrigerator. It has optimal conditions for vegetables to retain their qualities. For this, it is important to follow certain rules.
Rules for storing carrots in the refrigerator
Preparing carrots for storage
For carrots to be stored for a long time, they must be properly picked from the garden and prepared for storage. The fruits are harvested in warm and dry weather. The most suitable time for harvesting is September. Some varieties are late-ripening and are frost-resistant. This crop is usually harvested from mid-October.
Extraction of young carrots from the soil plays an important role. In order not to damage it, the earth is loosened and the fruits are carefully poured in with a suitable tool. For this it is better to use a pitchfork with blunt ends. After digging up the carrots, they must be dried, otherwise there is a possibility of rot or disease. Dry and warm weather will shorten the drying time to a few hours, while crops harvested in rainy weather will need to dry for 1 to 3 days.
After drying, the carrots are peeled from the ground and the tops are cut off, leaving only a few millimeters of its base at the end of the fruit. Try not to damage the vegetables so as not to put them to rot.
Whole root vegetables are chosen for storage. Damaged vegetables are not stored for long: they quickly begin to rot. They try to eat such carrots faster.
Features of storing carrots in the refrigerator
Can be stored both in the refrigerator and in the freezer.
Carrots, like beets, should be stored in a suitable home environment so that they do not wilt, become flabby, rot or sprout. In an apartment in winter, the owners usually take it out to the balcony, since the air temperature there is lower than in the living room, and the humidity level, on the contrary, is higher.
There are other options for keeping: dry or freeze the fruits. In order for this vegetable to retain its taste and marketability, the carrots should be properly stored in the refrigerator. Subject to all storage conditions, it is capable of not deteriorating for 2 months or even until summer.
To maximize the shelf life of carrots in the refrigerator, and the fruits themselves retain their characteristics, they adhere to a number of rules:
- You can not wash the fruits, because after that they are not stored for long. Be sure to dry washed carrots.
- Unwashed carrots also require drying. Be sure to look through all the fruits and select the damaged ones or those that start to rot. You can not store spoiled fruits with healthy ones, since the disease spreads quickly.
- Carrots are stored in special plastic containers for vegetables and fruits, which are found in all refrigerators, or on shelves near the freezer.
- If cellophane bags or cling film were used for saving, the fruits are tightly placed there and hermetically sealed so that there is no access to air in the bag or film. In this state, carrots can lie all winter.
Some housewives clean the root vegetables before placing them in bags. But peeled carrots are stored less unpeeled. It darkens over time.
Freezing in the freezer
The low temperature in the freezer will maintain the quality characteristics of the root vegetables. Even peeled carrots will not spoil.
The big disadvantage of this storage option is that at low temperatures, vegetables lose their natural taste and become less useful. 65-80% of microelements disappear in them. However, they can be kept frozen for a whole year.
To fit more root vegetables in the freezer, it is best to cut them into pieces and pack them in airtight bags. Before doing this, be sure to peel it: this will save time on cooking.
Storage in bags
Storing carrots in the refrigerator in plastic bags is a simple and reliable option. If the roots are packed according to the requirements, they can lie for 2-3 weeks without losing their characteristics. However, there is no guarantee that they will not start to deteriorate ahead of time.
From time to time, the condition of the fruits is checked, the spoiled ones are selected and the bag is carefully tied again.
The bags are tied so that air does not enter them. It is better to choose sealed containers or seal the polyethylene with tape. This will keep the carrots fresh and healthy.
Optimal varieties of carrots for storage
Almost all varieties of carrots are suitable for saving root crops in the refrigerator. But there are some that can be stored for much longer:
- Moscow winter is a mid-season variety. It has a pleasant sweetish taste, is resistant to temperature changes and rot, and has good keeping quality, which makes it one of the best varieties of carrots for long-term storage. This type of culture easily tolerates winter and can be stored in the refrigerator for more than a month.
- The Nantes variety is early maturing. Its roots are tasty, aromatic and juicy. When sowing early, they keep well until mid-winter. When sown in winter, fresh carrots can keep their qualities for a long time.
- The Shantane carrot variety also has suitable characteristics for refrigeration. Root crops are large, fragrant, have a sweetish taste. They are resistant to disease, do not bloom or crack. They have good keeping quality: under the right conditions, they can be stored for up to 10 months.
If you do not adhere to the basic rules for preparing and storing carrots in the refrigerator, even strong varieties will not be able to lie for a long time.
Purchased vegetables processed with chemicals are also poorly stored.
Conclusion
In order for the carrots to be stored in the refrigerator for a long time and not flabby, first of all, it is necessary to harvest the crop on time, then prepare it and fold it according to the requirements. Various factors affect storage time, including the type of carrot.