One of the universal food products is the carrot, which you presumably have in your refrigerator. However, probably, you aren’t extending the root vegetables‘ shelf life, causing them to get limp and soggy earlier than necessary. Fortunately, a few easy storage tips can help you extend the life of your carrots and reduce food waste.
Carrots should always be kept submerged in water to avoid browning. Additionally, to keep them crunchy, freeze them if you can. By taking these steps, you may enjoy crunchy carrots all year long. They can also be used in recipes like carrot cake that don’t call for a crisp texture. You can save money by storing them in the refrigerator rather than buying carrots that won’t last long.
How to Store Carrots in the Fridge?
Carrots are best kept fresh in the refrigerator and an airtight bag, such as a zip-top bag, if you won’t be using them within a few days. The refrigerator’s naturally dry air can dehydrate the carrots, so this method combats that. The bag is closed, and the environment remains damp and humid, keeping the carrots crispier overall.
It’s also suggested that you wait to wash your carrots before using them if you’re using this strategy. According to Brooklyn Farm Girl, washing carrots before storing them may provide excessive moisture, possibly increasing mold formation.
They keep fresh carrots in the same storage space as any product that releases ethylene gas, a hormone that hastens the ripening process. Carrots will deteriorate more rapidly when exposed to ethylene. Fruits, including apples, pears, bananas, mangoes, and peaches, are the majority of these foods.
Store Carrots in Water in the Fridge
If you don’t have access to a root cellar, you can keep carrots fresh by putting them in a sealed plastic bag, large glass or plastic container, or jar submerged entirely in cold water. The carrots should be unpeeled and unwashed. To conserve space by keeping the carrots vertical, consider using a tall, narrow container or perhaps a pitcher. Don’t forget to change the water every four to five days, or if it becomes hazy.
Reference: Effect of Storage and Cooking on β-Carotene Isomers in Carrots (Daucus carota L. cv. ‘Stefano’)
Do Carrots Need to be Stored in the Refrigerator?
This is the most sensible choice for the majority of people. However, carrots can be preserved in a cold, dark spot, like a root cellar, just like many other crops, like potatoes and apples.
Before keeping your carrots, avoid washing them. This will only promote the growth of mold. Ensure the stems and leaves are gone so they don’t rob the roots of all their moisture.
Then place the carrots in a bucket with a lid and cover them with leaves, sawdust, or wet sand. Doing this may keep carrots in storage for several months while keeping them crisp and fresh for five to six months. Many people use this to preserve large quantities of carrots for the winter.
Should I Wash Carrots Before Storing Them?
Carrots should be washed before being peeled and used, not before being stored. The only exception is if you just took them out of your garden, and they’re covered in dirt and are likely to make a mess in your fridge. The carrot’s surface can accumulate water-borne particles even while submerged in water. Therefore, always prepare to wash vegetables shortly before using them.
Do not wash your carrots if you intend to store them for a long time. The additional moisture will be directly trapped around the root, where it will begin to decay and produce mold. Keep the carrots in their natural state, remove the tops, and store them tightly packed in sawdust or wet sand. This will keep them moist while preventing moisture from building up directly on the roots.
Once more, when you are ready to utilize some, remove them from storage and wash them off immediately before using or eating them.
Why do Carrots Get Soft in the Fridge?
Moisture loss is the main cause of carrot softening. Carrot cells lose their moisture when they dry out, becoming less stiff and softening the entire root system. Therefore, removing anything that will rob the root of its moisture is the first step in preventing this. Most carrots you buy at the grocery already have their tops removed. Most carrots you buy at the grocery already have their tops removed, which means the greens. Because of this, carrots from the garden tend to “go bad” more quickly than carrots from the shop.
The second step is to preserve them carefully. Although it’s simple to assume that throwing a root vegetable in the crisper drawer will be alright, carrots don’t enjoy this. They require a wet setting. This is why you keep them contained and dark while storing them for a long time in damp sand.
They can also freely swim in a cold water bath in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to one month of short-term storage. They should remain crisp and fresh for up to a month in the refrigerator and up to six months when kept in long-term storage.
Can I Eat Soft Carrots?
Yes, you can still eat mushy carrots. For anything that calls for cooked carrots, they are ideal if they are soft but not rotting and slimy. Carrots naturally soften when cooked, and it might be challenging to get them soft enough. Your cooked carrots will turn out wonderfully if you start with tender carrots.
Additionally, soaking carrots in a cold water bath could revive them if they have just begun to turn soft. So if you’re using them in a meal that isn’t cooked, it might be worth a try.
Can I Freeze Raw Carrots?
Vegetables at their freshest can be frozen to preserve nutrients lost when produce is kept in the refrigerator or on store shelves after its prime.
It’s best to vacuum-seal your carrots or use a heavy-duty freezer ziplock bag with as much air removed if you’re throwing them in the freezer. However, most people don’t enjoy doing this. The natural enzymes in the carrots might continue to break down even as they are frozen, lowering their pleasant flavors and altering their color.
Carrots are best frozen after being blanched. Blanching is an easy way to stop the root’s enzyme activities from keeping its wholesome flavors and colors when frozen.
Boil some water in a pot first. Put the carrots peeled into the boiling water for a few minutes. Then remove them right away and completely immerse them in an ice-water bath. After that, you may freeze them until you need them by placing them in a freezer-safe container, whole or diced up.
Although frozen carrots can last up to a year, it is usually preferable to utilize them as soon as possible.
How Long do Carrots Last?
The time a carrot lasts depends on how it is stored and what form it is in. In a refrigerator, raw, unpeeled carrots can keep for three to four weeks with proper storage, whereas peeled or sliced carrots will keep for two to three weeks. Carrots that have been cooked can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days when properly refrigerated.
What’s the Best Way to Store Fresh Carrots?
If your carrots still have green tops on them, you must first remove them before storing them. The greens will continue to draw moisture from the root until their separation. The carrots will get limp and dried out if this takes place. Yuck.
However, you don’t have to discard the greens! Use them in various delectable dishes, but my favorite is to use carrot tops to make homemade vegetable broth.
The easiest way to keep fresh, unpeeled carrots is to put them in a container with water and in the refrigerator, where they can maintain their moisture.
- Put the carrots in a large, airtight container or bag, then completely cover them with water. Put a lid on the container or cover it with plastic. Discard the water after it seems hazy (every 4-5 days), refill the container, and refrigerate it again.
- This storage method allows you to simultaneously keep the young carrots you purchase at the store fresh.
How to Tell if Carrots are Bad?
Usually, rotten or bad carrots have an unpleasant smell, a slimy texture, or dark coloring. They could also be soft or withered. Throw away carrots if you find mold forming on them. When carrots get a white flush, they begin to dry out. You can still eat carrots with a white blush as long as you give them a quick rinse to restore some moisture.
Are Old Carrots Less Nutritious?
Carrots can produce somewhat higher vitamin concentrations when kept from heat and light. Fresh carrots provide 73% of the daily recommended requirement for vitamins A, K, and C in a half-cup serving. High concentrations of these vitamins can even be found in the carrot’s green top, which needs to be preserved separately. So instead of simply discarding carrot greens, utilize them to make the salad, pesto, or broth.
How to Freeze Carrots?
Do you run a carrot farm and need to keep many carrots fresher for longer? Are you a big lover of carrot cake and want to keep your main ingredient on hand whenever you feel like baking? Or perhaps you’re just learning about food preservation and want to broaden your horizons.
Carrots must be blanched before freezing to avoid the growth of any hazardous microorganisms. So, you’ll undoubtedly need to know how to freeze carrots. So, if you follow these straightforward instructions for the ultimate Glad guide, you’ll be a frozen carrot pro before you can say “carrot.”
Conclusion
Cooking carrots until they are tender is the best method to use them in a recipe. The food can then be added with them if it doesn’t require a crispy texture. For later usage, cooked carrots can also be frozen. You can eat roasted carrots as a snack and use cooked carrots. The crunch and texture of these two varieties of carrots distinguish them from one another.
