Clever carrot storage trick keeps them 'perfect' for six months - with no mould
We've all got carrots lurking in our fridge, but keeping them fresh isn't easy.
If you buy your carrots by the bag instead of getting loose ones, you'll know that they don't last very long before it's time to throw them away - and unless you're eating them with every meal, getting through the whole bag is a struggle. But according to experts, there's a better way of storing your carrots that guarantees they'll last for up to six months without growing mould or going rubbery.
Nancy Birtwhistle, an expert gardener and baker best known for winning the Great British Bake Off, discovered the storage hack after her husband bought two bags of carrots when there was a sale on, as she was concerned about wasting food.
She wrote in her book, The Green Gardening Handbook: "I knew that if I left these carrots in their plastic bags within a few days the whole lot would be soggy and would end up being tossed into my compost bin."
Nancy then decided to conduct a food storage experiment, and after five weeks she had used up all her carrots except one - which she kept in storage to see how long it would stay fresh. She added: "My carrot experiment went on for six months - can you believe it? At the end of this time, I decided to peel and chop the carrot even though by this time I had gotten quite attached to her. The carrot was still moist, had no blemishes once peeled, was firm and a perfect colour, and had the same taste and texture as any other carrot."
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So what did Nancy do to keep her carrot so perfect for half a year? Well, the first step is to remove the orange veggies from their original plastic packaging and make sure not to wash them unless you're about to cook them. The expert said: "I go for unwashed carrots as I find they keep well in a cool garage for several weeks whereas washed supermarket carrots sold in plastic bags last just a matter of days, going soggy, mouldy and sprouting if not looked after."
Carrots are sensitive to moisture and need a balanced humidity to stay fresh. Placing them directly in the fridge can sometimes be too dry an environment, so there's one thing you need to do before you store them - wrap them in a clean cotton cloth such as a tea towel or handkerchief.
Nancy shared: "Take a clean cloth, dampen it with cold water, then lay it out onto a work surface portrait style. Starting from the top, lay two carrots or other veggies side by side and fold over the tops and sides. Continue with additional carrots, tucking under the side flaps then rolling the cloth into a huge sausage."
You can then stick the wrapped-up carrots in the fridge, where they will last for as long as six months. And what's more, this trick can work with other veggies too - as long as you make sure you don't mix multiple vegetables in the same cloth. "Stored like this in damp towels in the salad compartment of the fridge, your salads, fruits and other veggies will keep for weeks rather than days," Nancy said.
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