How to keep your carrots fresh all winter: Expert tips

Plump, crispy, and juicy carrots are not just the anthem of peak vegetable season. In winter, we can also enjoy the taste and crunch of this popular vegetable. You just need to know how to store them.

We start eating the first varieties of carrots in June and July, but we want to keep the carrots from late summer in the best condition for winter. Late varieties are best suited for storage. The question is how to do it without losing kilograms of prime vegetables. The best method is my uncle's patent.

It is best to store carrots in the basement for winter. My uncle places the roots in a wooden crate so that the carrots do not touch each other and covers them with sand. To ensure the vegetables have the proper humidity, it is good to slightly moisten the sand, for example, by sprinkling it with water. Prepared in this way, carrots will remain fresh for 3-4 months, and if the basement is well-ventilated, this time can be extended to even five months.

However, the carrots need to be adequately prepared beforehand. It's a good idea to cut off the end of the vegetable to prevent it from sprouting during storage. Also, remember not to wash the carrots; instead, clean them of soil by brushing them dry. Otherwise, the vegetables will start to rot.

People living in apartment buildings have less room for manoeuvre. Storing carrots in the refrigerator is sufficient for a short period, as the vegetable will begin to lose water and wrinkle over time. The optimal conditions for storing unprocessed carrots are a cool and dark place with good ventilation. The kitchen might not be the best choice, but a balcony (necessarily sheltered; temperatures should not drop below 0°C) might be suitable.

You can store carrots on the balcony in a crate. In this case, however, ensuring good insulation from frost is essential, so the crates should be lined with thick pieces of Styrofoam covered with black foil. Then, it is enough to alternate layers of moist sand and carrots. It is good for the carrots not to be in contact with each other.