Enjoyed both raw and cooked, whether simply snacking on them with some hummus or serving them roasted as part of a Sunday dinner, carrots are a staple ingredient in many UK kitchens. Coming into season from June onwards, it’s likely many of us will be stocking up on them over the summer months to make the most of the slightly sweet and crunchy vegetable while it’s in its prime.
Drizzling some honey over them to enhance their flavour, or simmering them instead of boiling them, there are plenty of ways to use carrots as an ingredient too. Storing them properly is essential to making the most of them in the kitchen, and there’s nothing worse than biting into a carrot that’s become soggy and flavourless. While they should be kept in the fridge, one TikTok user has shared an unusual method to keep them fresh here for months.
Knowing how to keep fresh produce can be confusing, and while carrots are often paired with potatoes and onions in cooking, especially for a Sunday roast, this doesn’t mean they should be stored together.
Keeping carrots in the fridge will ensure they stay fresh for longer, but you might notice that even in the fridge, they quickly become a soggy mess, and that’s in large part due to their high water content.
Removing them from plastic packaging is one way to prevent carrots from quickly spoiling, as this traps moisture, but you also don’t want your carrots to dry out either. When it comes to keeping carrots fresh and crunchy, it’s important to get the right balance, and one way of doing this is by placing fresh carrots into an airtight jar or container and submerging them in water.
In the video posted by TikTok user @sarah.robertson.barnes, she wrote: “Many veggies hold their crispness for weeks (even months!) when submerged in water. To do this, fill a large vessel or deep rectangular container with water to completely cover food and change it every few days.”
Carrots are sensitive to changes in temperature, which is why they can often spoil even when kept in the crisper drawer with other vegetables. Keeping them in an airtight container prevents them from being exposed to any changes in the environment.
It also protects them from ethylene-producing fruits and vegetables that you might have lying in the fridge, a harmless gas which can trigger food to ripen and quickly spoil as a result.
Carrots should be properly cleaned before being placed in the container, and the water should be changed every few days to prevent any bacteria from growing, which can ruin the taste and texture of the vegetable.