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If you have carrots growing in your garden and you want to know how to harvest and store them, then this page will guide you. It covers everything from when to harvest, how to remove carrots from the ground and a variety of ways of storing carrots including keeping carrots in the ground. If you are looking for information on growing carrots, check out How to Grow Carrots.
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Carrot Harvesting and Storing Tips
- Carrots can be harvested before they are mature.
- Damaged carrots should be used immediately.
- Carrots can be stored in the ground until they are needed.
- If stored properly, carrots can be kept for months.
- Store carrots in a cool area with high humidity.
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Introduction
- Growing carrots in your garden is great, but making sure those homegrown carrots last through the winter is even better. To get the most out of your carrot crop, it is essential that you store your carrots correctly. Carrots can be stored for several weeks and even months, depending on their age:
- Immature and fresh-market carrots (which are usually immature) can be stored for four to six weeks if they are kept in an area with 32 F and 95 to 99 percent humidity.University of Minnesota Extension: Carrots (Vegetable Crop Management) North Dakota State University: Carrots
- Mature carrots can be stored for four to five months or even longer if kept under similar conditions.North Dakota State University: Carrots Salescene.com/Victoria Storing Carrots
- Damaged carrots cannot be stored and should be used right away.Home & Garden Television: Harvesting Root Crops
- Videojug: How to Harvest Carrots (Time: 1:11)
When to Harvest Carrots
- Carrots can be harvested at almost anytime of their development.University of Illinois Extension: Carrot In general, younger carrots are usually juicier, sweeter and more tender. However, mature carrots have a higher sugar content.The Essential Garden Guide: Garden Harvesting & Storage
- Begin harvesting carrots when they are 1/2 inch in diameter or about finger size.The Essential Garden Guide: Garden Harvesting & Storage Ohio State University: Growing Carrots in the Home Garden
- Carrots are usually ready for harvesting about 60 to 80 days after they are planted.Iowa State University: Growing Carrots in the Home Garden
- Be sure and harvest carrots before they are over mature because they will be less tasty and may have a tough, woody core.University of Illinois Extension: Carrot
- Avoid harvesting carrots in hot weather because they are more likely to decay.University of Minnesota Extension: Carrots (Vegetable Crop Management)
Deciding Not to Harvest: How to Store Carrots in the Ground
- If desired, you can leave carrots in the ground provided the soil is well-draining and doesn't freeze.Salescene.com/Victoria Storing Carrots Here's what you need to do:
- Allow the tops to die down.World Carrot Museum: Cultivation of the Carrot
- Cover your carrots with a black polythene sheet or a board.World Carrot Museum: Cultivation of the Carrot The Essential Garden Guide: Garden Harvesting & Storage
- Place at least a foot of mulch on top of the boards or plastic.Home & Garden Television: Harvesting Root Crops You can use hay, straw, leaves or grass.The Essential Garden Guide: Garden Harvesting & Storage
- If in a windy area, bend wire over the mulch to hold it down.World Carrot Museum: Cultivation of the Carrot
- Harvest carrots as needed.Utah State University: Carrots in the Garden November 2004
How to Remove Carrots from the Ground
- Generally, carrots can be removed from the ground by grasping the greens at the crown and tugging gently.Home & Garden Television: Harvesting Root Crops If you want to be extra careful, there are a few tips you can try when pulling up your hard-earned crops:
- Try pushing the root to the side and then pulling out the carrot.University of Minnesota: Growing Carrots and Other Root Vegetables in the Home Garden
- Use a spade to use loosen the soil next to the carrots before pulling them.AgriLife Extension: Easy Gardening: Carrots
- If you've pulled too hard and the top snaps off, use a small garden fork to help lift the carrot out of the ground.Home & Garden Television: Harvesting Root Crops
How to Prepare Carrots for Storage
- Here are a few tips on how to prepare your carrots for storage.
- There is some disagreement if you should wash carrots.
- Some advise not washing them before storing them.North Dakota State University: Carrots
- However, others advise to wash carrots because unwashed carrots are harder to clean later.EnjoyGardening: The Best Way to Store Carrots (December 13, 2005)
- The University of Minnesota advises people to wash carrots using clean water that contains 100 ppm of chlorine to remove decay-causing organisms and increase air circulation.University of Minnesota Extension: Carrots (Vegetable Crop Management)
- Remove excess soil and any rotting carrots.North Dakota State University: Carrots
- Trim the tops off of the carrots to avoid wilting.AgriLife Extension: Easy Gardening: Carrots Tops of carrots should be cut about 1/2 inch above the roots.Iowa State University: Growing Carrots in the Home Garden
- Avoid storage rots by making sure carrots are not damaged during harvesting and cooling the carrots quickly after harvesting.North Dakota State University: Carrots
- Carrots can become bitter if they are stored with fruit.Utah State University: Carrots in the Garden November 2004
- Again, damaged carrots cannot be stored and should be used right away.Home & Garden Television: Harvesting Root Crops
- You can avoid problems with storage rot by:
- Cooling the carrots to 32 F as quickly after harvest as possible.North Dakota State University: Carrots
- Using a new or disinfected storage container.University of Minnesota Extension: Carrots (Vegetable Crop Management)
- Handling carrots carefully to avoid injuring them.University of Minnesota Extension: Carrots (Vegetable Crop Management)
- Avoiding temperature fluctuations during storage.University of Minnesota Extension: Carrots (Vegetable Crop Management)
How to Store Carrots Indoors
- Carrots stored in the vegetable crisper drawer of your refrigerator can last several months.The Essential Garden Guide: Garden Harvesting & Storage However, you can keep carrots even longer by properly storing them in a wooden box:
- Line the bottom of your box with about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of nontoxic insulation material.Home & Garden Television: Harvesting Root Crops This can be sand, soil or newspaper.World Carrot Museum: Cultivation of the Carrot
- Lay a single row of your carrots on the material.
- Cover the carrots with another layer of material.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 until all the carrots (including the top layer) are covered.
- Place the box in a frost free environment that stays between 32 to 40 F such as a shed, cellar or garage.The Essential Garden Guide: Garden Harvesting & Storage Home & Garden Television: Harvesting Root Crops
How to Store Carrots Outdoors
- To store harvested carrots outdoors you need to find a sheltered location on well-drained soil.
- Cover the ground with about 7 inches of straw.World Carrot Museum: Cultivation of the Carrot
- Place the carrots into a heap on top of the straw.World Carrot Museum: Cultivation of the Carrot
- Cover the carrots with another 7 inches of straw and 6 inches of soil.World Carrot Museum: Cultivation of the Carrot
Conclusion
- Now that you have your supply of carrots, you might want to check out Mahalo for some great carrot recipes such as those for carrot cake and carrot soup. You could also make a nice ranch or onion dip and eat the carrots raw.
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- Growing carrots in your garden is great, but making sure those homegrown carrots last through the winter is even better. To get the most out of your carrot crop, it is essential that you store your carrots correctly. Carrots can be stored for several weeks and even months, depending on their age:
