Will last all winter: how to store carrots and beets properly

On the one hand, root vegetables are exactly the kind of vegetables that can survive the winter and serve as a constant source of vitamins during the cold season. On the other hand, they spoil or sprout at the slightest mistake.

The Good Harvest magazine has described how to properly store beets and carrots in winter in detail. If you follow these instructions, the fruits will retain their flavor and remain juicy until spring.

Harvest the right way

The suitability of carrots and beets for storage depends on timely harvesting. Root crops should not only be well ripe, but also without damage. This is what protects the flesh from drying out or rotting.

Usually, in the Ukrainian climate, carrots should be harvested before the onset of frost, and beets should be dug up in September. These fruits are harvested in dry weather so that they have as little moisture as possible, which reduces the shelf life. The tops of each vegetable are cut off with a sharp knife. The cut should be as close to the point of attachment as possible without touching the flesh. Before storing, carrots and beets are sorted out, spoiled or damaged fruits are thrown away or eaten immediately, and the rest are dried well.

Storage methods for carrots and beets

The best conditions for winter storage of root crops are a cellar or basement. The temperature in such rooms is kept at an average of 2 degrees Celsius, and optimal humidity is maintained. However, good ventilation is a must.

Root crops are stored in the basement in different ways:

• in boxes with calcined sand, to which you can add 2% slaked lime or chalk - this will protect vegetables from pathogenic flora;
• in open dense plastic bags or sacks - closed containers will create a greenhouse effect and the fruits will begin to rot;
• in air-permeable baskets or boxes - they should have holes in the walls, additionally, you can put layers of vegetables on thick paper or cardboard;
• in containers with fresh sawdust - the best choice is coniferous, which should be generously sprinkled over all the fruits;
• beets can be placed on top of boxes of potatoes or stacked in pyramids on shelves covered with straw.

In a city apartment, root crops can be stored on an unheated but sheltered balcony. To do this, it is best to put them in boxes and sprinkle them with sand. However, be sure to protect them from frosty periods. For example, cover your supplies with a warm blanket.

In the city, you can also store carrots and beets frozen or dried. This storage method allows you to preserve the flavor of the fruit well. Still, it should be borne in mind that after defrosting once, it will not be possible to re-freeze the vegetables - they will lose their properties.

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