Harvesting carrots correctly and at the optimal time is the key to obtaining a high-quality harvest that will not only be tasty, but will also last a long time. We’ll talk about this later.
When to pick up
A few days before the start of the last ten days of September, it is extremely important to finish picking carrots, especially if you live in the northern regions. This is due to the fact that at temperatures below +5 degrees, carrots stop growing, and with the first frost, they can even start to rot. In southern regions, the harvesting period may be delayed as frosts occur later.
Pickup too early is also not recommended. Carrots that are harvested prematurely and placed in the basement can spoil due to sudden changes in temperature. This is especially true for late varieties. The average time in which it is recommended to start harvesting is 110 days after planting. In early varieties, the first sign of ripeness is the yellowing of the tips.
How to Store
The best place to store carrots is in the basement. Use wooden or plastic boxes with shallow edges and fill the bottom with 2-3 cm of dry sand. Alternatively, you can use dried sawdust or onion skins. The carrots are placed in a layer and then covered with filling. You can make multiple layers, as long as the last layer is putty. Under such conditions, carrots can last up to a year.
Another storage method is to use plastic bags. The carrots are placed in bags, sprinkled with pine sawdust, removed from the air (sometimes with a vacuum cleaner), and tied tightly. Carrots can be stored this way for 2 to 4 months.
For extended storage in the refrigerator, carrots should be washed thoroughly, dried, the ends cut off, and allowed to dry. Then place in a plastic bag or vacuum, remove the air and tie tightly. These carrots will keep in the fridge for 1 to 2 months.
