Storing Carrots....

[Betty123]

Any advice please?

I’ve got quite a lot of carrots which the family can’t use up any ideas on the best way to store carrots ?
As a child i remember putting them in a box of sand with my dad but not sure if that’s the best way.

[ESBkevin]

In the ground?

These days we see farmers covering them in straw and plastic. They peel it off and harvest fresh carrots right through the winter.
I have done similar in the past and have just planted fresh seed to enable me to do this again this winter. They are best if they mature just before the cold retards growth and then 'hold' in the ground.
You might need to surpress growth by blocking the light on your mature carrots else they might bolt and get woody.

If you have space, prepping and freezing is useful.

Otherwise, lift and dry, place in a darkened dry place in dry sand not toughing one another.

[Can the Man]

I would go with the tried and tested, cool dry dark place in a box of sand

[SarrissUK]

If you don't need the ground for any other crop, I'd leave them in for as long as possible. They don't lose any flavour that way I think. But yeah, sand works too, just keep them in the dark

[Jungle Jane]

They last a long time frozen,I chop them into circles,into the boil for a minute then straight into ice cold water,then into freezer bags. Easy to pop out the freezer ready prepared & everything

[Mark_Riga]

It's too early yet to put in sand. Leave in ground as long as possible. I've never been very successful with sand, they tend to sprout and shrivelled up somewhat.

[ameno]

I just leave mine in the ground. Carrots are biennial; they're designed to survive the winter in the ground. They may need some protection in colder areas, though.

[Betty123]

Thank you I was going to leave them in the ground I’ve been played with woodlice eating the topics that poking out of the ground maybe I should come up a bit?

[ameno]

Thank you I was going to leave them in the ground I’ve been played with woodlice eating the topics that poking out of the ground maybe I should come up a bit?

That's not woodlouse damage. Woodlice have soft mouthparts and could never get through the skin of a carrot.
It will be slug damage, and the woodlice just move in later. Try earthing them up so that the root is fully underground. Hopefully that will stop the slugs.

[Aberdeenplotter]

leaving them in the ground risks damage by slugs etc. SOme one else put it nicely, stick with the tried and tested.

[Betty123]

Brilliant thank you !