So here goes. I hope the pictures make the method clearer.
I take regular gallon-size twist and tie plastic storage bags and with my husband's help as he holds the bags taut, I use scissors (blades closed) to randomly poke 6 holes in each bag.
Then the carrots are stacked in the bag and the bag is closed with a twist tie.
I'll readily admit I don't feel great about the use of the plastic bags for this method of storage but it truly does provide better keeping quality for the carrots than any other method we've tried over the years.
The same method is used for all the carrots, the orange and the purple ones I've been growing. The purple carrots looks almost black, don't they?
About half of the purple variety grew so big this year that they won't fit in a gallon size bag, so they went into a plastic bucket and will be covered with a damp towel to help hold the moisture in. (I'm calling them prehistoric black carrots as they look a little scary to me.)
The bagged carrots were stacked in an open, shallow tote box and are now happily (I hope) relaxing in the root cellar.
I know pictures do help almost any explanation so here's hoping you have a better idea of the way I do it, tpals!
21 comments:
Thanks for posting this useful info. I am going to have a go at growing carrots but only in the raised beds which do not have any stones in. But they will be the normal coloured carrots!
Thanks for the tips. If I do get my root cellar dug. Some day....some day...
Hi, Vera - Mine are always grown in a raised bed (with some stones/gravel, I must admit) but the purple ones, especially, got so long I think they must have broken up (or maybe moved aside!) any stones they encountered!
Kristina - You will, you will! :o}
Those "black" carrots are something else! Have you given them a taste test yet? I have given up trying to grow carrots, which is a good thing. I would be suffering badly from carrot envy after reading this post.
Susan - No, we haven't tasted the "black" ones yet. I made grated carrot-raisin-toasted pecan salad last night using orange ones and Papa Pea requested I try the same salad with purple carrots tonight. So if all goes as planned, we shall find out if the purple carrots taste significantly different . . . or not.
Over the many years I have been gardening, my luck with carrots is never great. If I get one good one I am doing well. But this a genius way of storing! If I ever get lucky with carrot growing - this is what I am going to do!
MrsDM - I'm always surprised that so many gardeners have trouble growing carrots. I will be sending you good carrot growing vibes next season!
Thank you, Mama Pea! Very informative.
I have a good carrot crop this year too. I’m finding, though, that many of them crack as they’re pulled from the soil. A consequence of our very wet growing season, perhaps. Do you have this issue? Any suggestions on storing those cracked roots so that they don’t rot?
tpals - You're very welcome!
Joy - Very few of my carrots would pull right out of the ground without snapping off part way. I use a spading fork to slide down into the soil as far as it will go (about 3-4" away from the carrot top) and then gently pry up under the carrots to loosen them all their length down before pulling them out by hand. That said, I did have a couple crack in half. (Our soil is very wet this fall, too.) I didn't try keeping these long-term, but put them in the refridge to use up asap. Don't know how they would keep long term.
Better put a brick on that plastic bucket to make sure those purple carrots stay put lol! They look like they could get curious and start exploring a little...You know Mama Pea, I'm not a fan of plastic either, but sometimes it's the best thing to use. I made it a mission to replace all tupperware with glass. And I got close! But even though I was careful with my method and followed lots of instructions and tips, ALL of the glass jars I used for the freezer cracked. Some people say that's all they use, I can't figure out my error, but after about a dozen lost mason jars, I went out and bought some tupperware again. I use plastic to seal my cheeses for aging, I'm not set up for anything more natural...yet! Gotta get Alex working on the plans for my future cheese cave lol!
Mama Pea,
I recently found 2 gallon, heavy duty freezer bags at Walmart. These bags come in handy for storing large vegetables. Another bag I use for storage are those large straw basmati rice bags with a zipper from Sam's club. Great looking carrots!
Hugs and love to you and your family.
Sandy
First - come by my blog and see!!!! ;)
Great post yourself, and I can truly relate about the dilemma of plastic. What I truly envy is your root cellar. Everything here has to go into our second fridge which has trouble holding it all! Love to see all those beautiful carrots of yours. Lots of yummy eating this winter.
I am wondering, you did already say that adding the purple carrots to soup makes the colour bleed into the stock, like beets do I suppose. My question is, do they lose their colour being cooked on their own or are they still purple when they reach the plate?
Rain - Yepper, the old plastic bugaboo is still around. I have gotten a lot of Pyrex glass containers for the freezer, but they still have the plastic snap-on lids . . . which I find crack after time. It's a dilemma.
I made just one of those big, purple carrots as a veggie side dish for four of us at noon today. They are scary! ;o}
Sandy - Oh, good to know there are 2 gallon freezer bags out there. I will look for some. Thank you!
Leigh - Ha! Even with our wonderful root cellar, I still have our second fridge packed full! Don't know what I'd do without either one . . . the root cellar or spare refridge!
I saw your post this morning. Going over there to comment right now!
Mrs Shoes - No, they don't lose their color when cooked! Matter of fact, I cooked one of the purple monsters as a veggie for our noon meal today and when they were served (buttered, salt and peppered) on the plate, they looked for all the world like beets! Have to admit, I ate a couple slices raw while preparing them and I like them that way over how they taste when cooked! Oh well, raw carrots are good for us, right?
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