22
Dec
This is the first time I have tried growing carrots and am a little startled pleasantly though at my success. Fill the crisper with a few inches of sand and tuck in root veggies such as turnip carrots beets or rutabagas as well as any firm-fleshed fruits like apples or pears.
Place the box in a cool place shed or garage and use them as needed.
Preserving carrots in sand. The best what we found from different sources is putting them into sand and then storing them in our cellar. What do you need. Stable 40x25 cm plastic boxes high enough for 3 to 4 layers of carrots - more than 4 layers get to heavy due to the amount of sand.
You could of course vary the box and layer size to your needs. Fill the crisper with a few inches of sand and tuck in root veggies such as turnip carrots beets or rutabagas as well as any firm-fleshed fruits like apples or pears. Cover them with sand leaving a bit of space between each so air can circulate.
Fruit should be kept at least an inch apart. Prepare the carrots like youre 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. To store them even longer bury unwashed carrots without greens in containers of damp sand or sawdust leaving plenty of space between them so the carrots dont touch and store them in a root cellar or basement. Carrots should be kept just above freezing with the humidity at 95.
For years my family has always consistently used play sand for storing which is sand that is washed screened and dried. It is the safest type of sand to use around your food. Typically you will find play sand in childrens sandboxes and playgrounds.
I buy my sand in 50-pound bags at the garden surplus store. Trim the greens but do not wash the carrots. Pack them into boxes or other containers surrounded with damp sand sawdust or straw.
Keep them around just above freezing 33-35 degrees with plenty of humidity. They should last for 4-6 months this way. Spread the sand out at the bottom of the box as the first base layer and then put the carrots inside.
The carrots should not be touching. Now continue adding layers of sand and the next harvest of carrots until you have stored the whole harvest. Youll need a large container and sand or sawdust for this storage option.
Remove t he tops but do not peel or cut the carrots. Place them in the large container and layer them with either sand or sawdust so that none of the carrots are visible. The sand or sawdust needs to be kept moist throughout the months in order to keep the carrots fresh.
Pour a couple of inches of damp sand or sawdust into the bottom of a bucket or box and set the unwashed whole carrots in a layer on the sand. Make sure that the carrots do not touch each other. Continue layering the moist sand and carrots until the bucket or box is full.
If you live in a cool growing zone leave the carrots in the ground. Root crops require cold and moisture when stored in sand. They are best stored at a temperature of 32 to 40 F.
With 90 to 95 percent relative humidity. High humidity helps keep carrots and other vegetables from shriveling. Apples and pears require the same cold temperatures with a relative humidity of 80-90 percent.
Root cellaring carrots is a great way to go and doesnt require much work at all assuming a person has a root cellar. They do like to be kept moist and cool. The easiest way to store them is in sand or damp sawdust.
Place the sawdust in the bottom of a box place carrots in a single layer top with more sawdust layer more carrots etc. I just harvested about 20 lbs of carrots from a home garden. Should I blanche them and place them freezer bags store them in a cool dark basement area or what.
Id like to be able to use them throughout the winter months. This is the first time I have tried growing carrots and am a little startled pleasantly though at my success. Brush off any loose dirt and then place the carrotsbeets in boxes full of SLIGHTLY damp sand alternating rows of carrotsbeets with rows of sand.
Place the box in a cool place shed or garage and use them as needed. If the carrotsbeets are too wet they will rot. If they are too dry they will split harden and be mostly disgusting.
Get a large container and some moist sand. Lay down the carrots inside the storage box and cover them with sand. You can do this in layers as long as none of the carrots are visible.
Your carrots can stay fresh for a few months as long as you keep the sand moist. How to store root crops in sand part 1. Spread a layer of damp but not wet sand on the bottom of your container then arrange your vegetables on top making sure theyre not touching.
Repeat alternating between layers of sand and vegetables. Cap it all off with a final layer of sand. A great option to preserve carrots is to dehydrate them for later use.
You can slice them thin and use a dehydrator to dry them until they are practically crispy. Keep them stored in a cool dry place airtight. And use your dehydrated carrots in soups stews and even stir-fries.
When it comes to long gangly roots like carrots and parsnips the best way to store them is to immerse them vertically in the sand. Ginger and cauliflower can.