I used to struggle to keep my fresh carrots crunchy in the fridge. They looked so beautiful going in fresh from the garden or farmer’s market, but a few days later the carrots would be a wilted, rubbery mess. Then I asked my friend the Organic farmer how she manages to keep her bulk carrots fresh, crispy and crunchy in cool storage for so long. I’m going to tell you the secret trick she told me that works wonders to keep fresh carrots crunchy in the fridge!
I’m sure we’ve all been there: a gorgeous bunch of carrots harvested fresh from the garden or bought from a local farmer’s market. We happily place them in the refrigerator to eat over the next week, even placing them in the proper vegetable “crisper” drawer. But the carrots quickly deteriorate when stored this way. It is a sad event to open the crisper drawer and pull out the once beautiful fresh carrots now wilted and bendy. Carrots should not be bendy, what happened to my beautiful vegetable?!
The secret to keeping crunchy fresh carrots in the fridge
Figuring out how to store carrots in the fridge so they stay fresh, crisp and crunchy only takes a few simple steps. So what is the secret to keeping fresh carrots crispy and crunchy in the fridge?
You need to cut off the green tops and store them in an air tight container with water.
They don’t need to be swimming in a bath of water, but adequate moisture is needed.
Here’s what I do to store carrots long term in the fridge:
- Cut off the green carrot top if it is still attached
- Fill a one gallon plastic zip bag with carrots
- Splash in a few handfuls of water, seal the bag, shake the water around inside to disperse among the carrots.
- Put the bag in the fridge. Check the bag every week or two and add more moisture if needed. You can tell if the carrots start to dry out and need more water added in.
Several years our friend gifted us huge bags of seconds carrots from her Organic farm. We preserve some by shredding/freezing them and the rest we store in our fridge with this method.
We’ve kept bags of carrots in our fridge for several months this way. They key is to check the bags and add more moisture so they don’t dry out.
Paula
January 26, 2019 at 8:00 amI’ve got to try this. Thank you for the advice. Always look forward to your posts.
Annie Bernauer
January 28, 2019 at 8:14 pmThank you, I’m happy to share the tips we learn to help others!
Faye
January 26, 2019 at 9:42 amYou’re never too old to learn something new – I’ll have to try this, too! Thank you for your interesting and educational page! I’ve been gardening in western Montana for many years and grown lots of carrots.
Annie Bernauer
January 28, 2019 at 8:16 pmThat is so true, we are definitely never too old to learn something new! I enjoy learning new things and love to share them with our readers 🙂
Rachelle
January 28, 2019 at 6:54 amGreat post!
Annie Bernauer
January 28, 2019 at 8:16 pmThank you!
Val Brown
May 7, 2019 at 8:51 amWhy does mine get mushy with water in the bag when I store them like this?