Clamping Experiment

Back in October I clamped some roots as an experiment in storing some of our produce. Pushing it to the limit I left it until last week to get the carrots out of the shed and see how they faired.

Roots starting to grow again

 It's been an exceptionally mild winter and I know that will have altered the results somewhat as the shed they've been stored in is less than ideal, It's uninsulated and the temperature does fluctuate quite a bit, but we still had edible roots from that little tub.

Some had lost their colour

 I sorted through them and we had enough for tea that night and possibly more if I wasn't being so fussy. Some carrots had completely lost their colour and others were fine. Most had started growing again, although I think this is more to do with the temperature in the shed and once the tops were cut off they were fine, I'm not sure if this alters their nutritional value much as well.

Enough for a meal

The need for picking perfect veg for storage as amplified by this little experiment, as the slightest bit of root fly or a blemish means that the carrot didn't store and in turn it starts to deteriorate which can damage roots around it.

The downside to this whole thing was the fact that the weathers been so mild that they would have stored in the ground just fine with a covering of straw to keep out the light frosts. But you can't predict the weather, and if I ever get round to building a proper root store, knowing we've got a supply through the winter will be a keep part to future self sufficiency. 

Did anyone else store roots over winter? If so how did they fair?

Clamping roots

I've never clamped roots before so this is a first for me.

I thought I'd have a go on a small scale this year as next year I want to try to store enough to last us through the winter if possible (big plans brewing but more on that later).

 Just carrots and beetroot to left to try this on (Parsnips do better in the ground and are tastier if they've had a frost on them). So I pulled all I had and sorted them into two piles - perfect veg and veg that needs using sooner rather than later - as I've read that if there is any damage then it won't store well.


I layered them in plastic containers with holes in the bottom (a large plant pot in the case of the beets), on a bed of moist sand (builders sand because I'm a builder) with a layer of sand between each layer of veg. I'll store these in the garden shed now until we need them and hopefully they won't go bad!
Any tips on storing roots through the winter?