What is the optimal storage temperature for carrots and what happens if it is violated?
Carrots are a valuable root vegetable that is a source of vitamins and microelements.
To benefit from the product all year round, you need to stock it up for future use in the fall.
About what the temperature is carrot storageWhere and at what temperature you need to store it, read the article.
Content
At what degrees should it be stored?
A unique feature of carrots is its adaptive capabilities. When the ambient temperature drops, the root crop “goes into hibernation”: all processes occurring in it slow down 10 times if the degree is close to zero.
Whole vegetables should not be frozen. It will lose all its nutritional properties and begin to rot. The optimal storage temperature for carrots is from 0 to +3 degrees.
Before sending vegetables for the winter, you need to sort them out, setting aside medium and large specimens. The tops are carefully cut off with a sharp knife, leaving a shoot 3 mm long at the very base of the root crop.
Even if the most favorable conditions are created, losses cannot be avoided. During the autumn-winter period, from 1 to 10% of the crop will be thrown away.
If above normal
If the temperature constantly exceeds +1-2 degrees, then the process of carrot rotting starts with accelerated force. With a one-time jump, nothing bad will happen.
If below
Carrots do not tolerate freezing very well. Even after a single drop in temperature below -1.5...-2.5 degrees, it will become flabby and tasteless, its surface will turn black. This indicates the death of vegetable cells.
If the cold passes only through the surface parts of the root cells, then its inner part will remain intact. This vegetable can be cleaned of dead tissue and eaten. Otherwise, it will completely rot and this will happen quickly.
Freezing reduces the natural resistance of fruits to microorganisms. They begin to actively reproduce in a moist nutrient medium.
Constant changes
If vegetables are stored in conditions of constant temperature changes, they will spoil very quickly.. In less than 10-20 days, the carrots will darken, mold will grow on them, they will become soft from the inside and will rot completely. Unstable temperature for storing carrots is the worst option.
Is the root vegetable stored in winter with other vegetables?
To save space, carrots are often stored with other vegetables. However, you need to choose a “neighbor” that will not lead to rapid spoilage of the root crop.
With beets
Beets and carrots feel good at temperatures from 0 to +2 degrees, so they are often stored together in one box.
With garlic and onions
Carrots cannot be stored with onions. Such a tandem is unacceptable due to the fact that it contains a lot of juice and water. By releasing moisture, the onions will cause the carrots to begin to rot and will have to be disposed of.
The orange “beauty” is left in bulk in the cellar for the winter; sand is often used. Onions, on the other hand, are hung from the ceiling or stored in nets.
Garlic is prepared in a similar way for the winter. Therefore, it is also not the best neighbor for carrots. Onion and garlic peels are great for storing carrots.
With radish, turnip
In addition to beets, carrots will feel great next to radishes and turnips. They are laid in layers, sprinkled with sand or peat. They should not touch each other. Although ideally, each root vegetable should be stored together with its “brethren”.
The most unpretentious varieties
The following varieties are stored longer than others:
- Sweet winter.
- Queen of Autumn.
- Red giant.
- Typhoon.
- Chance.
- Olympus.
All of them are late-ripening and are harvested in early autumn.
Important information
To preserve the freshness of carrots for a long time, The following recommendations should be taken into account:
Small, crooked root vegetables with many branches are the worst to store. They should be eaten first.- Only grated carrots can be stored frozen. It will lose a number of its nutritional and taste characteristics, but will remain quite suitable for preparing dishes that involve heat treatment.
- If there are no boxes, you can use sugar bags.
- Substances such as ash, sand, clay, sawdust and even moss can be used as a powder for root vegetables.
Conclusion
If you approach the issue of storing carrots correctly, you can get the maximum amount of vitamins from them all year round.The optimal air temperature for root vegetables is the range from 0...+2 degrees. It is important to prevent its fluctuations and choose the “right” neighbor for the vegetable..
