How-to Guide
How to Store Carrots, Beets, and Root Vegetables
The short answer
Root vegetables keep best in cold, moist storage: roughly 32 to 40 degrees F at 90 to 95 percent humidity. Trim the leafy tops to within about an inch of the root right after harvest so they do not pull moisture from the root, then store carrots and beets in perforated bags in the refrigerator or packed in damp sand in a cold cellar.
Stored well, carrots keep four to six months and beets up to about five months. In mild-winter areas, fall carrots can be left in the ground under heavy mulch and dug as needed.
Prep and pack the roots
- 1Cut the tops — Trim carrot and beet foliage to about one-half to one inch above the root; leaving tops on draws moisture out.
- 2Choose a cold, humid spot — Aim for 32 to 40 degrees F and 90 to 95 percent relative humidity, such as the refrigerator crisper or a cold cellar.
- 3Hold in moisture — Use perforated plastic bags, or bury roots in layers of damp sand, peat, or sphagnum moss to prevent shriveling.
In-ground option
Where winters are mild, carrots, parsnips, beets, turnips, and rutabagas can be left in the garden under a thick mulch of straw or leaves and dug through winter until the ground freezes.
✔ Punch airflow holes in plastic bags about every six inches to release condensation and keep roots from rotting.
Sources
Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.
- University of Minnesota Extension — Storing Root Vegetables — Cold-moist storage 32-40 F, 90-95% humidity; trim tops; pack in damp sand or perforated bags.
- Iowa State University Extension — Storing Winter Storage Vegetables — Carrots store 4-6 months and beets up to 5 months when tops are trimmed and kept cold and moist.
- University of Missouri Extension — Vegetable Harvest and Storage (G6226) — Bury root crops in damp sand or moss; mulched fall carrots can be left in the ground and dug over winter.