How to store carrots

Three ways to keep carrots through winter

Carrots store well, Garden Organic says. The RHS describes three ways to do it.

1. Leave them in the ground under a thick cover and pull them as you need them. 2. Lift them and box them in moist sand, in a shed or cellar. 3. Build a clamp, an outdoor heap of roots covered with straw and soil.

Which one suits you depends on your soil, your winter and how many carrots you have. The RHS says roots are stored from summer to autumn to last through the winter.

This page is about keeping the crop. For sowing dates and varieties, see when to sow carrots.

When to lift carrots for storing

Carrots are ready about 12–16 weeks after sowing, the RHS says. Garden Organic gives an average of 10 weeks for early varieties and 16 weeks for maincrop, and a harvest season from June to November. One sign it suggests looking for is the carrot's shoulders peeking out of the soil.

Early sowings are for eating fresh. The RHS says spring-sown carrots are best young, sweet and crunchy. It is the main-season carrots that are worth storing. They are harvested through summer and into early autumn, the RHS says, and can also be left in the ground into winter.

Carrot fly changes the sums. The RHS storing guide warns that carrot fly can become worse in late summer to early autumn. Its carrot guide says a crop lifted before late August avoids the second generation. So if carrot fly is bad on your plot, an early lift into boxes may save more of the crop than leaving it in the ground.

Leaving carrots in the ground

This is the least work. The RHS says carrots can be left in the ground until needed.

How. In late autumn, remove the leaves and cover the row. The RHS storing guide gives a 15 cm layer of straw, cardboard or bracken, held down with netting or fleece so it does not blow away. Garden Organic also suggests straw or cardboard. The cover protects the roots from frost and, the RHS notes, makes them easier to dig.

How long. Protected like this, carrots will keep until March if necessary, the RHS says.

Where it works. Only on well-drained soil. The RHS does not recommend it on wet soils, and says roots left in the ground are vulnerable to cold damage. If the soil becomes waterlogged over winter, lift the remaining carrots and store them indoors.

Where it does not. The RHS says that in cold regions, indoor storage is necessary. It does not name the regions or give a temperature. As a guide, the colder and wetter your winters, the stronger the case for lifting in autumn.

One more limit: the RHS keeps roots in the ground only until the space is needed for other crops.

Lifting and preparing the roots

Lift with a fork. The RHS says to lift carrots carefully using a fork, to avoid snapping them, especially on heavy soil.

Sort them. Check that the roots are in good condition, the RHS says, and discard or use up any damaged ones.

Remove the leaves. The RHS removes the foliage, and in a clamp it says top growth is removed to avoid rot. Garden Organic's carrot guide twists the leaves off, while its harvest and storage article snips them. Either way, the tops come off.

Shake off loose soil. That is all the cleaning the RHS asks for before storing.

Storing carrots in boxes of sand

Some roots lose moisture and shrivel in store. The RHS lists carrots among them, with celeriac, swedes and beetroot, and packs them to stop it.

The method. Store them in layers of moist sand or a peat-substitute, in boxes. The RHS carrot guide says a crate or box keeps carrots in good condition through late autumn and into winter.

The place. A frost-free, dark place such as a shed or cellar, the RHS says.

None of the sources read for this page gives a storage temperature in degrees or a spacing between the roots, so we have not added one. They agree on the principle: moist, dark and free of frost.

Building a clamp

A clamp is the traditional answer when you have a lot of roots and little space indoors. The RHS gives these steps.

1. Choose a sheltered, well-drained site. Near a house wall is suitable. 2. Dig a trench around the area to help drainage. 3. Make a base layer of light, sandy soil or sand, 20 cm deep, and cover it with straw. 4. Remove the top growth from the roots. 5. Stack the roots in a pyramid, with the largest at the bottom. 6. Cover with a 20 cm layer of straw, then a 15 cm layer of soil. Leave a tuft of straw poking out of the top as a chimney. 7. Aim for a height of around 1 m, and pat the soil smooth so that rain runs off.

Garden Organic describes a clamp in much the same way: 20 cm of sand, a layer of straw, the largest roots at the bottom, then straw and a layer of soil to keep out frost. It says that, given the right conditions, roots in a clamp can last from autumn to spring.

The RHS adds a warning. Rodents can cause problems in clamps.

In the kitchen: fridge and freezer

For carrots in the kitchen, Love Food Hate Waste says to keep them at the bottom of the fridge. Keep them in their packaging or a suitable bag, and remove any leafy green tops first. Cooked carrots go in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Freezing. Garden Organic says root crops can be peeled, chopped, blanched and frozen. Its blanching method is boiling water for three minutes, then a bowl of iced water. Love Food Hate Waste chops or dices carrots and freezes them on a tray until solid before bagging them.

How long frozen carrots keep: the sources differ widely. Garden Organic, writing about roots that are peeled, chopped and blanched, gives 8–12 months in a freezer. Love Food Hate Waste, writing about cooked or uncooked carrots frozen without blanching, says up to 2 weeks. Neither explains the gap, and we could not find a third UK source to settle it. If you want carrots to last for months in the freezer, blanch them first, as Garden Organic does.

What goes wrong in storage

Rot. The RHS says storage rots can affect roots kept in inadequate conditions. Damaged roots are the weak point. Its carrot guide explains that carrot fly larvae tunnel into the roots and leave holes that are susceptible to rotting. Keep those roots out of the store.

Shrivelling. Carrots lose moisture, which is why the RHS packs them in moist sand.

Frost. Roots left in the ground are vulnerable to cold damage, the RHS says. That is what the 15 cm cover is for.

Waterlogging. If the soil becomes waterlogged over winter, the RHS lifts the remaining carrots and stores them.

Rodents. The RHS says rats, mice and voles may need control where roots are stored, especially in clamps.

Other roots you can store the same way

The RHS storing guide covers the neighbours of carrots too. The figures differ a little from crop to crop.

- Beetroot. Cover with a 30 cm layer of straw, cardboard or bracken. Protected, it can last until March. It also stores in boxes of moist sand. - Parsnips. Lift when needed. The RHS says their flavour improves as frosts start to turn starch into sugar. Protect the ground from freezing. - Swedes. A 15 cm layer of straw or bracken. They can last until March. - Turnips. A 15 cm layer of straw or bracken. Best used before late winter. - Celeriac. Best fresh from the ground, but it can be stored in moist sand in boxes. - Salsify and scorzonera. Extremely hardy. Leave in the ground and use as needed until March.

Potatoes are a different matter, and the RHS covers them separately.