problems storing carrots

[hedgewizard]

Harvested my carrots around three weeks ago, but didn't leave them sitting on the soil surface as the weather was crap. Instead, I shook the worst of the soil off them, cut the tops down to an inch long, and layered them in damp sand (not touching) in solid-sided plastic boxes which went into the cool garage. The weather then turned warmer, which isn't unusual for Dorset.

Now I find the damned things have started to sprout, and unless I act fast the crop will presumably be lost. What have I done wrong, and can I fix things?

[Martin]

last week's gardener's question time had this one!
According to Bob Flowerdew, you slice the tops right off, and take a bit of the top of the carrot off too - then dip the cut end in dry woodash, and then store as normal in damp sand!

[hedgewizard]

Thanks for that Martin, I'll give this a try with one of the two boxes. I have to do SOMETHING.

[hedgewizard]

Right, done... not terribly impressed by the wet-sand thing as the leafy tops sprouted and then rotted. Perhaps the garage is too warm (10C most of this month) or the sand was too wet. How do you lot store your carrots?

[Millymollymandy]

In the ground!

Last year I tried the damp sand thing but didn't dig them up until Jan/Feb. They were in layers with parsnips. The parnsips sprouted, the carrots rotted.

This year I'm finding some of my carrots have already rotted in the ground. They are enormous as well.

Maybe I'll plant winter carrots a lot later next year!

[adekun]

I didn't know what to do with the summer lot. Ended up, spending five hours grating them. Still have loads in the freezer (for carrot cake). Not very practical but at least they didn't rot.
Keen to find a good solution as have a lot more growing at the moment.
We add the ends of the tops to cha-han (fried rice) and miso soup.

[hedgewizard]

I'm going to ask Stoney about this I think, since he grows oodles of carrots. He's in Scotland mind, and it's cooler up there...

We dried two big jars of carrots by the way, and froze a load as well. I'm determined to find a way of keeping big carrots ready for immediate use!

[Millymollymandy]

I didn't know you could eat carrot tops!

Yesterday I dug up the biggest parsnip ever, more than a foot long and a bulb at the top the size of, well, bigger than a tennis ball. It was fine but I didn't use the woody bit of it. Just as well really!

[Wombat]

What about cubing and drying them? I've done that in the solar drier and it works OK!

Never thought of eating carrot tops! Thanks Adekun.

Nev

[adekun]

I should add to the carrot top suggestion, that it is best to use young carrots. The older ones tend to be too bitter.

[Wombat]

No worries!

Thanks mate.

Nev

[Millymollymandy]

OK silly question time.

If you cut off the green bits from the (young) carrot, will the carrot still grow?

If not, this might be a way to prevent mine turning into monsters! I really DON'T want these giant things that take me an age to excavate from the ground! And of course when they are all young and lovely looking there are a million other veg needs eating - you know, like courgettes!

[adekun]

I can't answer that. Although, I can say they don't like being moved. I had sown to heavy and have tried to thin and tidy them up. Perhaps if you top them they might rot?
My wife said that when is was young her Grandfather had a small farm. The carrots were dug up and laid flat in a hole and covered with soil. I guess, like clamping. Unsure if the tops were chopped off, I wouldn't think so.

[hedgewizard]

Progress report on that one - the ash-dipped carrots have since stored fine. Thanks, Martin!

I doubt that cut carrots would sprout again since they need the growing tip, but feel free to prove me wrong! I grew beta-III this year (from HSL) but they were so spookily orange that they freaked visitors out a bit. Next year I'll try something different, so I'm not worried about saving seed.

[Rough Jack]

Gidday

I don't really have the slightest clue what your winter is like, but, down here, even though we get snow on the ground and the odd frost to go 20 bellow, I just leave my carrots in the ground and dig them when needed.