If you are growing a vegetable garden, you must consider adding carrots. Even if these sweet and crunchy cool-season veggies can be tricky to grow, with the proper care, they’ll reward you with plenty of harvests. Additionally, you’ll realize that home-grown carrots taste nothing like those you buy at the supermarket! But you may be wondering, ‘how long can carrots sit out?’
Carrots have a natural sweetness and flavor and are rich and nutritious. Don’t expect your carrots to come out in perfect shapes. They will most likely grow in less “aesthetically” pleasing forms. But don’t worry: how they look won’t affect their taste!
If you do things the right way, you will get lots of carrots before the temperatures become too hot in the summer. After all, these plants grow continuously and don’t take too long to mature. But how long can carrots sit out? And what more should you know about harvesting fresh carrots?
Keep reading this essential guide if you want to learn everything you must know!
How To Harvest Carrots
We suggest you check their widths before picking your carrots: they should have a diameter of about your thumb’s size (at least half an inch). You can also test whether your carrots are ready by twisting and pulling your veggies out of the soil: if it takes too much effort, you may have to wait slightly longer.
Don’t pull too harshly, or you may break the carrot. Check on your carrots daily to avoid harvesting them too late. Consider losing the soil with a fork or a spade to ease the process. Also, remember that smaller carrots bring the best taste.
Count between 70 to 80 days after planting your carrots to get a sense of when to expect harvests. However, factors such as temperatures and growing conditions might speed up (or slow down) their time to maturity.
Don’t forget that carrots are biennial: if you don’t manage to harvest them in the same year, you can leave them on the ground and wait for the top flowers to produce seeds. You’ll get to enjoy your sweets and cool-season veggies the following season.
How To Store Carrots
When harvesting carrots, you should consider how many you’ll consume. You can store clean carrots (without the green tops) in the fridge: they will last two to four weeks.
Don’t forget to clean your veggies under cold running water and air-dry them before storing them. Also, keep in mind that carrots produce ethylene gas, which quickens ripening and might result in a bitter taste.
Avoid storing your carrots next to apples, bananas, or tomatoes, as they might make them go bad faster.
Consider placing your carrots in an airtight container or plastic bags with some dry paper to soak up any moisture they might release. Humidity will harm your veggies and mature them quicker.
While you don’t have to store carrots in the fridge, this solution will keep them fresh for longer. If you prefer freezing them, remember you’ll have to peel them.
Also, because the freezing process damages the cells, you shouldn’t store them in the freezer whole. Cut them or slice them depending on your preferences.
And to avoid impacting the flavor, consider blanching them in boiling water for a couple of minutes. Drain and dry your carrots and place them in ziplock bags. Following these steps, you’ll be able to store your carrots in the freezer for up to one year.
Have Your Carrots Gone Bad?
While telling if your carrots aren’t safe to eat anymore isn’t a challenging task, you can have an easier time if you look at some symptoms. For instance, most carrots will develop dark spots as they rot. Still, that won’t make your carrots unedible.
However, ensure you eat them as soon as possible (of course, you’ll have to remove the dark areas). Avoid eating your carrots if you notice mold: while you can attempt to cut it off, it will get deeper into the food, making it unsafe to eat.
If your carrots feel soggy, they aren’t good to eat anymore. Finally, if your vegetables release a strong smell, you shouldn’t have any doubts: your carrots are in the rotting process, and you should throw them away.
How long can carrots sit out: Final thoughts
To save yourself from issues, consider leaving your carrots on the ground for a little longer. While this might be a successful strategy, you may not be able to do so if you are dealing with pests and diseases.
Related article: What Do Carrot Sprouts Look Like?