How to Store Home Grown Carrots

Image of carrots

Carrots are best planted between February and May and grown to harvest between June and October. They prefer sunny conditions in well-dug soil and should be watered every few days. If planted in early spring, a netting tunnel called a cloche can be placed over the carrots to protect them from the frost and then the carrots will be ready to harvest in early June. Once harvested, carrots can be prepared for storage to last through the winter.

Things You'll Need

• Carrots
• Garden
• Dry cloth
• Cardboard boxes

Instructions

1. Make sure the carrots are ready to harvest before pulling them out of the ground. Most crops take between 12 and 16 weeks to grow. Wait until the greens on top of the carrots start to brown slightly to indicate full ripening.

2. Wipe the dirt off of the carrots with a dry cloth once pulled from the garden. Do not use moisture as this will encourage rotting. Lay the carrots in shallow, clean cardboard boxes.

3. Close the top of the boxes once full.

4. Store the boxes in a cool dark place where insects and rodents cannot get to them.

5. Note that storing carrots near apples or other fruits that produce ethylene gas can cause the carrots to overripen and taste bitter when consumed.

References

• Virgin Media
• World Carrot Museum
• Colorado State University

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish