The Best Way to Store Root Vegetables 🥕 🥔 

I totally agree with you - and what great news to hear you're starting growing veg - you'll absolutely love it!

I think you're right, I only really got into gardening in my thirties and soon wished I'd started in earnest far earlier.

Stick at it for a lifetime of fun and satisfaction at what you manage to produce each season.

I'm glad you are enjoying growing your own food, you're decades ahead of me, I'm 50 and second year grower. your "less than enthusiastic friends" will not get to enjoy almost free, healthy fresh food, while paying many times more for a microwave meal that will make them unwell, obese/diabetic, full of hidden sugar etc. I just ate some of my first crop of early potatoes in a potato salad, I'm amazed at the taste, my own tomatoes, onions in one soon. Walk your own path, against the crowd if you know that is the right direction for you. Had a younger friend, more friend of best mate mention an allotment, seems to have forgotten about it, I didn't, I checked for my nearest one, local growing groups etc, improving my yeild while helping food banks is my aim. Sorry to write you an essay, but we need people like you! I am trying to get everything I grow to be "heritage varieties", none of the hybrid, possibly GM (seedless tripe). Plus saving seeds is just common sense, which isn't common.

So pleased you tried the trellis and were pleased with the result. I reckon gardening takes on a whole new level of skill up there in Alaska!

Great advise . What type of bins do u use pls metal ? And do u drill holes it then for them to breath ?

Does the peat moss need to be damp also? I saw another person recommending using dry.

Thanks Valorie - and yes, I rather this she's adorable!

Will have to give carrot top pesto a go. :-)

Brilliant advice, thanks so much John. :-)

Worth a mention Tim, thank you. Humidity seems to be the key to keep them from shrivelling, and that cool-but-not-too-cold temperature ideal.

😊 & where do u put all the. Lp Records in meanwhile😅

Yes, the tops can be frozen in zip locks. Good for adding to souls, stews, etc.

Thanks for watching Deb.

I give mine to my chickens!

My goats adore them

Cheers Alexander! Thanks for watching.

Great stuff Louise - definitely worth doing. :-)

That sounds like a great place to keep them ticking over.

That's a smart move for such a humid climate. Canning is so satisfying!

Hi Andreas, thanks so much for your support and encouraging words. Very best of luck with this year's growing season - how exciting to be expanding your growing ambitions!

Great move!

How do you use them in spaghetti sauce?

@@sparkymikey25 I just chop up like a parsley and add to sauce not too much though … they have a strong flavor… so eat a small piece first and gauge from that how much to add… hope this helps😁

I best having one onion spoil a whole bag must be an incredible heart-stopping moment!

Thanks for the suggestions Heidi. I don't really have the climate to grow sweet potatoes where I am, but may try one season in the greenhouse. And if so will discuss curing and storing them. :-)

Glad you found the channel too - a very warm welcome to you! :-)

Fingers crossed they grow and store well for you Jessica.

@@GrowVeg Thank you, and I noticed this morning, some missed potatoes are coming up from 2 or 3 years ago too! :)

You might like to try dehydrating or freezing your root veg instead.

And thanks again for watching Fiona, glad you found this one handy.

Thanks Mark. It's very satisfying to be able to lay something down for the winter.

Hmmm - interesting....

Perfect timing!

Thanks, I should definitely try that. Thanks so much for the sub! :-)

Cà rốt rất thú vị để trồng

Haha yes - I guess that might be confusing. The odd frost and snow shower is fine - that's a mild winter. But weeks or months of solid freeze - like they have in parts of the US and Canada, would be intolerable for these roots.

@@GrowVeg There is so much relativity in describing the weather to people not in your region 😁

Carrot tops are awesome! I love to make a Cashew and Carrot top Pesto. If your into that type of thing of course.

I make carrot top soup with them.

I have also made carrot top pesto & dehydrated tops to use as aromatics for soup

I haven't eaten carrot tops except very young ones in salads. Loving all the suggestions from others here, so may give a few of them a try, thanks. Thanks for the kind comment about Isla - she is adorable some of the time!

I like to dry them and use them exactly as I would parsley.

I need a rethink. I don't think there's enough air circulation in the 4' crawlspace under our house where they're stored.

Air circulation is important Laurie I'm afraid. Thanks for watching. :-)

How well does a chamber vacuum perform.? I have just started to look into them. Does the initial price of the machine and the price of bags worth the benefits of the results?

@@MolloRelax simply from my perspective I'd say yes it's worth the money. Here are the reasons why I think it's worth the money. 1. If you were to buy a regular FoodSaver the machine is significantly cheaper however when vacuum ceiling something as simple as ground meat I use a small bag and weigh them out into about 1 lb roughly. These bags would cost me $0.68 a bag for the food savers and for the vacuum sealer it's only about $0.05 a bag. If your ceiling a lot of stuff you will be saving a lot of money. 2. Using the chambered vacuum sealer I can seal liquids and marinate. 3. I like doing pre meals and sealing them in the bag so all I have to do is drop it in a pot of water to heat it up cut it open and pour it in a bowl good to go I do it with rice in one bag for example and chili in the other the only thing I have to wash is the bowl and the fork I used to eat it very convenient. 3. With a chambered vacuum sealer people are concerned you can only seal something that will fit in the chamber however if you have a roll of FoodSaver bags and you wanted to freeze something like a whole salmon you would seal one end of the bag like you would on a food saver machine and put your fish in and then put the bag inside the vacuum chamber close the lid with the bag and the fish on the outside and it will still seal it. However it does have to be a FoodSaver bag as your ceiling it outside the vacuum sealer but yes you can vacuum seal large items. 4. You can take any jar as long as the seals on the jar are still good put it inside the vacuum sealer and reseal the jar making it airtight again. I sometimes by canning jars and I can vacuum seal dry goods preserving them which is great. 5. I also use my vacuum sealer for curing meats for example making my own streaky rashers and back bacon. I take the belly of pork or pork tenderloin rub it down with the appropriate amount of curing salt put it inside the bag add the rest of the salt seal it up put it in the drawer of the fridge flipping it daily for 5 to 6 days take it out slow cook it in the oven thinly slice it and I have bacon I then put the bacon in strips vacuum sealed them up again and put them in the freezer. You could do this product for salting other meats if you so wished. 6. You can do sous vide cooking. Buy vacuum sealing your protein with oils herbs spices salt you will infuse it into the meat . Plus this is the most tenderest way to cook any kind of protein. 7. My all-time favorite thing about it is how long it increases your food life span. Dry goods for your pantry normally last a month vacuum sealed 2 years. Cheese in the refrigerator 2 weeks vacuum sealed 8 months. Fish Frozen 6 months vacuum sealed 2 years. Cooked meat frozen 6 months vacuum sealed 2 to 3 years. Ground meat Frozen 4 months vacuum sealed 1 year. Vegetables Frozen 8 months vacuum sealed 2 to 3 years. Berries Frozen one month vacuum sealed one year . So yes I think it is a wonderful piece of kit.I believe it is worth the money and if you're using it and all these different ways it easily pays for itself. I believe it to be an essential piece of kit for basic home economics. Sorry for the long response wanted to give you as much information as possible.

@@russellwood8750 My gosh, I was not expecting this elaborate response. Thanks a lot. Although the extended shelf of all the products that this machine can accomplish; I find it a bit un-necessary to go beyond the 6 or 7 months that the growing season is not there to accommodate....In my area anyway... I would not hesitate to grab something fresh from the garden in the growing season, even if I knew that I have a good supply of well preserved items in a freezer. But ; whenever I will become incapable of sustaining a garden ; that machine shall be a strong candidate for my long term preserves plan. Again..thanks for your exquisite input.

@@MolloRelax you're very welcome no worries at all. Although having stuff in the freezer that can go beyond six seven months is a major benefit. Because you could have situation where your garden crop fails and you may wish to fall back on the food you have in your freezer and canning. I understand harvesting straight from the garden and the advantages to having the fresh produce it's nice to have but sometimes things can go wrong weather doesn't cooperate or you get an infestation of something that you weren't expecting. Sometimes life throws you a curveball it's always good to have a backup. Also preserving your meats and fish for longer period of time is good. I buy my proteins directly from Farmers I get completely organic so when I buy a side of beef for example it's good for 2 years therefore I only have to buy it once for 2 years. Like you I try to eat as fresh as possible but I also find it comforting to have a fall back position.

@@russellwood8750 all good points you make here.I guess I have been lucky so far. No major weather related crop failures.we had a good hail episode a month ago..but the damage was not too severe....but who knows what's in store I keep my fingers crossed ✌

From memory 'Autumn King', which is a great variety for storing.

Not a silly question at all. You shouldn't need to water the potting mix over the winter - keeping it in a dark, cool place will be enough to stop it drying out and the roots going soft.

That could work, yes. I might perhaps prop open the lid of the chest freezer on all but the very coldest nights to get some air in there.

Cheers from wet B.C. 🎉

I prefer to use old compost/potting mix or sand, as the roots are less likely to dry out and shrivel. That said, some people do store their carrots in sawdust/shavings with success.

I have used slightly damp sawdust with success

It should do. I imagine it will be nice and cool down there, but not too cold (frosty).

Most cardboard boxes would probably be well ventilated enough, but there's no harm in cutting a few holes in the sides to aid ventilation. You shouldn't really need to remove bubble wrap if it's not completely airtight. You may find scrunched up newspaper offers similar benefits but is more breathable.

What a great idea. :-)

Early potatoes are ready to start lifting when the plants begin to flower. Just harvest them as needed. They are best stored in the fridge and used fairly quickly. Maincrop potatoes are harvested later in summer as the plants themselves start to yellow/die back. These can be stored in hessian/burlap sacks, or any breatheable sack, in a cool, dark, dry place. Stored potatoes can last in store for a number of months.

Hi again Ben I follow you on RU-vid and through my subscription too the kitchen garden magazine in your wonderful greenhouse house do you have a potting table or bench I can't remember because I'm making one my self for my greenhouse and also watching your amazing videos you can sow some seeds now when would you put them out once they have germinate and what potting mix do you use many thanks nick

Hi Scott. Thanks for watching. I think you would struggle to keep roots fresh in those sorts of temperatures. You could try storing modest amounts in a refrigerator, keeping the roots spaced apart so they don't touch and rot. But otherwise I think canning may be your best bet. I also like slicing and dehydrating produce.

@@GrowVeg Hi Ben, Thanks for the reply, I really appreciate it. Guess I'll have to keep canning then. Although I think I'm going to try retort canning as the packages take up less space.

They are best blanched for up to four minutes before freezing, yes.

You can store root vegetables in what are called 'clamps'. More on this and other useful methods here: www.growveg.co.uk/guides/storing-root-vegetables-in-sand/

Apparently, yes. I've never tried this though - I just use old potting mix, which I have in abundance.

Yes, when the snow and frost is only brief. I'm in quite a mild climate, so days and days of frozen soil is rare.

Shop-bought spuds could potentially be stored this way, though there's no way of telling how hold they already are, so check them regularly. Parsnips could be stored this way, and turnips too.

@@GrowVeg Many thanks and best wishes.

Not with smaller radishes, no. They're just a bit too small and would likely dry out or become a bit woody. The larger winter radishes might keep that way though.

@@GrowVeg Thank you!

Yes, they can be stored in a very similar way - just like carrots. Leave them where they are if it's relatively mild, but bring them in to store if it's going to get freezing cold for weeks on end.

Good point Antoinette - nothing need go to waste. :-)

If they are completely dry they they would work to insulate around a box, to keep the frost off. But I wouldn't recommend them specifically for packing.

@@GrowVeg Okay thanks what were the different materials you mentioned or didn't mention that can be used for packing? I was also worried about mice too.

Just right at the start is usually enough if the storage area is cool.

I would say you want to keep them above freezing - so perhaps a minimum of 2-3 Celsius (36 or so Fahrenheit). I'd work to keep to a maximum of 10 Celsius (50 F) if possible.

I am afraid I don't have any experience of growing sugarcane, so wouldn't be able to advise. It may be worth doing further research into this though, as it does sound like a possible fungal disease such as rust. But I would ask a sugarcane expert for more on this.

If they were relatively freshly harvested then yes, this method would also work well.

@@GrowVeg Thank you!

Sorry to hear that Jacob. They're best planted once it's getting a little warmer - around early April here in the UK.

The type of sand doesn't really matter. It just needs to be damp & not too wet and kept in a cool dark place. If you use beach sand from a salt water source I would probably rinse it thoroughly to remove as much salt as possible...you probably don't want brined carrots, lol.

Yes, exactly what Jeff says!

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@@GrowVeg Thanks

Good question. I suspect the larger types may have already been cured to some extent. I'm not really sure though. I'd suggest it might be best just to use up and buy store-bought potatoes as needed though.

I buy 50lb sacks of potatoes from my local grocer, and they come in very thick triple layered paper sacks. As long as I keep the bag tightly closed (roll top over after initial opening) they keep until we use them up (two pensioners who eat modest amounts of pots most days). Two bags normally do a winter. I also keep the paper sack in a galvanised dustbin with lid on, to prevent rodent access. The greengrocer stops selling sacks as the newbies come in, as she tells me earlies won't store. I also keep these sacks, they're ideal for loading all the freezer contents into, while defrosting the freezer, everything stays frozen until time to put back in the freezer. Demonstrates how good thick paper sacks are!

Hey Danny - great to see you here! Hope you enjoyed the video. :-)

@@GrowVeg yes I did