How to store garden carrots after harvest?

Although its influence on our health remains to be proven, the carrot is still the second most widely consumed root vegetable in France. Much loved by children for its sweet flavour, it's also ideal for livening up our winter dishes and accompanying our summer grills. Rich in vitamins A, B, C, K and E, it also contains carotenoids, which are well-known for their antioxidant properties. Have you just harvested the fruits of your labour and are wondering how to preserve these delicious vegetables? We tell you more about the four most appropriate methods of preservation.

How to grow carrots

The carrot or Daucus carotta is a biennial plant from the Apiaceae family that comes to us from the Middle East.
Present in our country since the 14th century, its orange pigmentation only appeared in the 17th century. Yes, it used to be white, like parsnips and strawberries!

If you want to know the best time to sow and harvest your carrots in the vegetable garden, don't hesitate to consult this calendar! To obtain beautiful vegetables, choose them a sunny exposure as well as a well cool and drained soil. It's best if the soil is loose too, to prevent the vegetables from becoming misshapen. Carrots cannot be transplanted. They should therefore be sown directly on the spot. Once your plants have sprouted, you can thin them out by pulling out any surplus plants. Personally, I space them about 10 cm apart. In hot weather, water regularly and don't hesitate to pull out the weeds! You can also use mulch to keep the soil cool and reduce the frequency of watering.

Which preservation methods to choose

1. Place them in sand

This technique is widely used by experienced gardeners! You should know that it also applies to all vegetables in the same family! Here's how to do it:

• Remove the tops and rootlets.
• Let your carrots dry for a whole day.
• In a wide-bottomed container previously raised to prevent pilferers, put a 10 cm thick layer of damp sand. Place the carrots on it so that they are not touching each other.
• Then alternate the vegetables and sand until your stock runs out.

Thanks to this process, you can store them all year round without any problems. However, make sure that the sand remains moist to avoid any risk of dehydration.

2. Leaving the carrots in the ground

This method is very practical, as you can retrieve your vegetables as and when you need them. To protect yourself from moisture, protect your plants with mulch.

3. Freeze them

If you have a large freezer, freezing your vegetables is the best method for preserving their nutritional qualities. To do this:

• Remove the tops and rootlets.
• Wash and cut your vegetables to the desired size.
• Plunge them for three minutes in boiling water to blanch. Don't neglect this step, as it's how your carrots retain all their vitamins!
• Then soak them in ice-cold water and drain.
• Finally, place them in the container of your choice and put them in the freezer.

4. Canning them

This method of preserving is not the one I'm most fond of. In fact, vegetables soaked in liquid lose some of their organoleptic and nutritional qualities. What's more, poorly sterilised vegetables can be dangerous to your health because of the risk of botulism. If you still want to use it, make sure you follow these steps scrupulously:

• Sterilise your jars in boiling water and leave them to air dry.
• Wash, brush and chop your vegetables.
Boil some salted water (1 litre for 20 g of salt), and add it to your vegetables. Close your jars and place them in the steriliser for 90 min.

The carrot's sworn enemy

The carrot fly Psila rosae is its main pest. This small black insect with an orange head is equally fond of parsnips, celery and parsley. These obnoxious bugs usually lay their eggs close to our vegetables. Once the eggs have hatched, the larvae burrow into the root, which eventually rots.

There are a few tricks you can use to prevent it from appearing. In permaculture, carrots are often planted near leeks, which have the virtue of keeping this fly away. Don't hesitate to use our tool to plan the crops in your garden! You should also be aware that there are insect nets specially designed to keep carrot flies away.