Carrots can go bad quickly even if they have just been freshly bought from the supermarket, but this may be because you are storing them the wrong way.
It may seem obvious to simply keep carrots in the bottom drawer of your fridge but turns out this can cause them to dry out quickly and spoil as they are highly sensitive to cold environments.
Kristin Marr, a homestead expert and founder of Live Simply, explained that carrots need a balanced moisture level and temperature to stay fresh, which they cannot get when stored in their plastic packaging in the fridge.
She said: “Carrots go limp when exposed to the dry fridge air for an extended period of time. The dry air of the fridge causes the carrots to experience moisture loss. Just storing these veggies in the crisper drawer isn’t enough.”
If the humidity is too low in an environment, it can cause carrots to dehydrate and shrivel up. However, a carrots plastic packaging can lead to too much humidity which will cause them to go mouldy.
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How to make carrots last two weeks longer (mason jar method)
To begin, cut whole washed carrots into a smaller size and make sure to remove the carrots’ green tops if they are attached vegetables. The green tops will continue to draw moisture when the carrot and cause it to wilt at a faster rate.
Next, add the carrots to some wide-mouth mason jars with lids and fill the jars with cold water. Providing carrots with a source of water keeps their moisture content level and keeps them “crunchy” for longer.
Then, secure the lid tightly and place in the fridge, and change the water every few days with fresh water, and carrots will last two weeks longer.
How to make carrots last months longer (plastic bag method)
Place unwashed whole carrots into a large freezer bag or plastic bag, then seal the bag so that it is aight-tight.
Store the bag in the coldest part of the fridge, which is usually the very back. This will make them last much longer.
Kristin said: “My preferred method is to use the plastic bag method. Using this method, carrots will last several months in the fridge.”
This works better than plastic packaging as the environment being airtight prevents condensation in the bag. Plus, this method protects carrots from the harsher conditions in the fridge which also prevents spoilage.
However, you can also help make the carrots last even longer with this method by storing a dry paper towel in the bag alongside the carrots, which will absorb any excess moisture.
Kristin added: “Some people like to wrap all the carrots in a paper towel before placing in the bag to capture the moisture that can build up over time (or just line the bag with a paper towel).
“I haven’t found this necessary, but you’re welcome to do so if you find moisture builds up on the bag over time causing rot on the carrots.”
