500 Carrots! What Now?

[Mackay]

After my first two seasons of lousy carrots I've hit the jackpot!

But how do I store them?

I have a root cellar that averages about 40 degrees and plan to keep them there but how should I pack these guys? Anyone know about packing in sand and do you recommend it? Other ideas?

 

[so lucky]

Digits' can answer this, I think.

 

[baymule]

I AM SO JEALOUS!!!! And here I was so proud this spring when I actually was successful at growing a carrot! I got a few -- the first time I ever pulled a carrot that I raised. And you got FIVE HUNDERD??????

Sorry I can't help you with the storage for winter. Here if I tried to store anything like that, in our heat (even in winter) I would have a sand pit full of orange goo. Steve is the man!!


http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=36264

 

[Smart Red]

UNDERGROUND ROOT CELLAR - For extended fresh storage of carrots, use underground root storage. Prepare the carrots like you're going to store them in the refrigerator. Then pack into containers surrounded by straw or moist sand or sawdust for keeping in any outdoor storage pit or root cellar. Place them in an area just above 32 degrees Fahrenheit with 95 percent humidity.

Traditionally, this was done in a pit or clamp with a layer of straw and soil on top, along with potatoes. The clamp keeps the roots cool and slightly moist too. If an old fridge is available, it makes a very good store. Plastic bags with holes are quite good too, but the roots must have cool conditions or they will sprout. Storage in sand and soil is sometimes recommended but this can create earthy, woody off-flavours in carrots. Do NOT store near apples!

The method of preserving the root vegetables was known as 'clamping' and it involved storing the vegetables in what was known as a 'clamp'. The principles were:

to store only those vegetables that were in sound condition and to remove excess stalks and leaves that could rot in storage
to keep the stored vegetables slightly moist so that they did not dry out while keeping out the wet which would have made them rot
to prevent the frost getting to them
to prevent the light getting to them.
SAND BOXES - If you have the space, say in a garage, try the sand box method -

Lift the carrots for storage carefully with a fork and try not to damage or bruise them as damaged roots are subject to soft rot, which attacks through the wounds and causes a slimy decay, spreading out from the centre of the carrot.

Put the damaged carrots aside to eat immediately. Cut off the leaves of the carrot tops as near to the crown as possible without damaging them. Clean any soil off. Using slightly damp sand in boxes place the carrots in layers in a frost proof shed that is well ventilated. Remove for eating as required.

Be sure that the carrots are not stored in very damp conditions as they are likely to get Sclerotinia rot a fluffy fungus that causes them to become black and hard.

HOW TO STORE CARROTS (from World War Two pamphlet - but still relevant!) Official leaflet here.

The secret of storing carrots is in lifting them (pulling them up) in good condition. Lift them during dry weather, not later than the middle of October. Reject all blemished carrots and all damaged or forked roots. It is not necessary to clean them, but be careful to see they are quite dry.

You will need a dry shed for your storing, if possible with a stone or concrete floor, and some slightly moist sand. If you cannot get sand, earth taken from the top of the ground, shaken through a very fine sieve and slightly moistened, is the best substitute.

Lay alternate rows of carrots and sand (or earth) either on the ground, in pyramid shape, or in boxes. Cover your pyramid or box with sand (or earth). Put over it a layer of straw as a safeguard against frost. The carrots should be stored crown to tail in rows. Use the carrots as you require them, but take care that the remaining pile is always well covered. It is a wise plan to rebuild your pyramid at least once during the winter.

LEFT IN THE GROUND - Carrots can also be left for storage in the ground where they grew. Leaving in the ground is an option but roots left in the ground too long become woody and are prone to cracking.

To make winter digging easier cover the rows with leaves or straw then a layer of plastic then another layer of leaves or straw. The plastic keeps the bottom layer of mulch dry to make it easier to dig the carrots when ground is frozen. Make the top layer of mulch a foot deep and weight it down to prevent the leaves or straw from blowing away. Carrots will keep this way for 6 months. Be sure to dig carrots in the spring before warmer weather causes carrots to begin to grow again. Store in refrigerator when warmer weather comes.

 

[Jared77]

Sh'ore make a lotta carrot cake!

 

[Mackay]

Thanks Smart Red. Guess I will try the sand method. I have a couple of 18 gallon rubber maid tubs with holes drilled near the top for ventalation and on the bottom also. Will cover the bottom with some screening material to keep the sand from leaking.

I thought about leaving them in the ground to harvest as needed through the winter but our soil freezes up to 5 feet down and its too much of a problem. I can just see me out there digging carrots when its twenty below.. but I might try leaving a few to see how it would be to try to harvest them at the end of March or April when the ground thaws.

 

[digitS']

Oh, you should never brag with such BIG numbers in your topic title, Mackay .

It has taken me all this time to read your thread - and, this won't be a memorable carrot year for me. This was a good year:

I have these clamps most every year and they are real simple when I do it. The hole just allows me to get about 8" of soil and about 12" of pine needles on top the carrots.

Lynn has done such a good job covering the subject I can't really add anything. I will say this: I hauled sand down (and up) my basement stairs just once. H.e.a.v.y! I'm not doing that again!

Steve

 

[bj taylor]

a root cellar averaging about 40 degrees. that sounds heavenly!
steve - that is beautiful!

 

[Smart Red]

I remember Mother Earth magazine doing a story on assembling in ground storage for winter. Probably was quite a while ago. Involved a hole, lots of straw or hat (oops! Hay not hat), some tarps and plywood to keep it accessible all winter. You might want to give them a google.

 

[Mackay]

Bragging was not my intent... more like stunned! .. and hit with the problem of what to do with them. The last two years my carrots had not been much bigger than 2 inches and most got tossed they were so grotesque. If that is not a memorable for year for carrots then you must have a memory problem! Thats got to be close to 200 carrots in that photo!

We have several inches of gravel on our root cellar floor so I think digging a hole like that may be out. DH I dont think would like it.

Our soil freezes to about 5 feet down around here. I really dont want my carrots to freeze so I dont know if putting them in a hole outside of the root cellar would work. any ideas on that?

40 degress for our cellar is not exact and we are not yet living in the house above it yet so we had to run a heater a little bit last year. Maybe that need will go away after we move in. It gets up to about 50 to 55 in the summer so lots of veggies dont like that and thats a problem I haven't had to deal with yet as so far we have eated everything except potoatos by the end of April. The potatos complain until they get planted June 1st.

I've been thinking of what it would take to haul sand up and down also and I am not thrilled about the prospect either but maybe if I use a small bucket I wont kill myself and maybe some of the sand once it gets down there wont need to come up again? But I keep thinking that if some of the carrots rot that sand aound them would have to be tossed, right? Im also thinking several smaller containers would be more managable that a big one.

I love that way you put your carrots in a hole, digits. Now I would have laid them on their side but standing upright is something to think about for ease of access. I suppose I could do it that way in a container of sand, too?

I'll try to find that article Smart Red... Im still skeptical that it wouldnt freeze around here, but I have a lot to learn