Important rules for trimming carrots for winter storage

Carrots are harvested in the fall and stored until warmer weather arrives. To prevent the crop from spoiling, you need to prepare it properly.

Read the article about whether you need to cut the tops off a root crop, how to properly trim carrots for storage and why to do this.

Do I need to cut the tops?

Trimming carrots is a mandatory procedure that allows you to extend the shelf life of the vegetable crop.

The upper green part of the plant must be removed. Thanks to pruning, all the beneficial substances are retained in the root crops, so they will not dry out and rot.

If the tops are left, they will actively draw moisture from the carrots. The vegetable consists of 80% water, most of which will be taken up by the greens. As a result, it will remain fresh, but the body of the carrot will simply wither.

In addition to water, the tops take vitamins and microelements from the vegetable., which he needs to maintain his own life. Therefore, pruning is a way to preserve the benefits of the harvested crop.

If store carrots the whole winter is ahead, the tops are cut off completely. At the same time, they grab the head of the root crop, cutting it off by 2-3 mm. It is at this depth that the green growth point is located. Removing it prevents further germination of the vegetable and prevents it from losing its rich taste.

Pros of pruning

Pruning has a number of advantages:

• extending the shelf life of vegetables;
• preservation of the vitamin and mineral composition in the pulp of root vegetables;
• “sealing” moisture inside vegetables;
• maintaining the original taste.

Pruning is a mandatory procedure that cannot be ignored if the crop is planned to be stored for a long time.

What will happen if this is not done?

If you do not trim the root crops in time, they will begin to wither after a short time. Vegetables deprived of moisture have their natural defenses reduced, making them vulnerable to attack by fungi and microbes.

Which is correct?

Pruning must be carried out according to the rules. Violation of the sequence of actions will lead to the fact that the vegetables may spoil.

Instructions to follow:

1. Dig the vegetables out of the ground and carefully shake off any lumps of dirt.
2. Cut off the main tops, leaving a small tubercle. It should rise slightly above the head of the root crop.
3. Dry the harvested crop in the sun.
4. After a day, you need to arm yourself with a sharp knife and cut off the head from the root crop (at a distance of about 2-3 mm).

If there are ring cracks or other damage at the top of the carrots, they must be removed without regret. In this case, the head can be cut off by 2 cm.

It is possible that inexperienced gardeners will want to perform full pruning immediately after harvesting. This idea should be abandoned.

Fruits recently removed from the ground are too fragile, so they may break and burst during the pruning process.. That’s why it’s so important to dry vegetables for at least a day.

After removing the head, you need to place the crop in the sun for 2 hours.This is done so that the cut dries and becomes covered with a protective crust. After this, you can put the vegetables away for storage in the cellar or other suitable place.

Where and how to store?

Trimmed carrots can be stored in the following way:

1. In a refrigerator, in plastic bags.
2. On a glazed loggia in wooden or plastic boxes. If the room temperature drops below zero, vegetables need additional insulation.
3. In the basement, cellar in a closed container. You can sprinkle the carrots with sand, sawdust from coniferous trees, and onion peels.
4. At home, in the pantry.

Helpful information

To keep carrots fresh longer, The following tips should be taken into account:

1. In addition to the tops, you need to trim the tail part. This is where the vegetable begins to rot. Trimming is carried out in the place where the width of the tail is 5 mm.
2. If you plan to store vegetables all winter, you should not leave even small cuttings.
3. Only healthy fruits, without cracks or signs of rot, are removed for storage. The cut area should dry out and become crusty.
4. Carrot tops do not need to be burned. It is left in the garden bed, sprinkled with a thin layer of compost, manure or soil.

Video on the topic

This video will tell you how to trim carrots before storing:

Conclusion

Trimming carrots is a mandatory step in preparing them for storage. If you leave the tops on root crops, they will quickly dry out and rot. Therefore, this procedure should not be ignored.