How to Store Garden Carrots

Store carrots at temperatures between 32 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit.

If getting your children to eat vegetables is a chore, try carrots. These sweet and crunchy vegetables appeal to kids when cut into sticks and served with a low-fat dip or peanut butter. According NutritionData.com, carrots contain 428 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C and are high in vitamins A and K. Growing them in the home garden provides an abundance for snacking during the summer and plenty for winter storage as well.

Things You'll Need

• Peat moss/sand
• Spade/garden fork (optional)
• Crates
• Knife

Instructions

1. Harvest carrots in late fall before the ground freezes. These hardy vegetables tolerate light frost, but must be pulled or dug out with a spade or garden fork before the soil freezes.

2. Examine carrots for any sign of damage or disease. Discard (or eat) any carrots with cuts or bruises, as these will decay quickly in storage. Use a knife to cut the top of the carrot back to 1 to 2 inches. Leaving an inch or two of the top prevents carrots from losing moisture in storage.

3. Place carrots in a crate or bin partially filled with moist sand or peat moss. Cover lightly and store in an area slightly above freezing. Temperatures between 32 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit are ideal. A root cellar or unheated room of the home works well.

4. Check carrots for any signs of shriveling or rotting. Remove any decaying vegetation. Moisten the sand or peat moss to increase the humidity level if carrots show signs of drying or begin to shrivel.

Tips & Warnings

• In mild climates, mulch carrots heavily with 3 to 4 inches of hay or straw to prevent the ground from freezing. Harvest throughout the winter for fresh carrots all year.

References

• Nutrition Data: Carrots
• Wisconsin County Extension: Storing Vegetables at Home

Resources

• University of Illinois Extension: Carrots