How Long Do Carrots Last in the Fridge: 6 Storage Tips

Published on

3.15.24

by

You never plan to let your carrots spoil, but it happens sometimes. Prevent spoilage with a look at storage and how long carrots last in the fridge.

When you're at the grocery store purchasing the week's produce, you don't intend to let your fruits or vegetables spoil, but sometimes, that's what happens. You might have forgotten about the carrots you brought home last week, only to check on them and find a weird-looking substance growing on the orange surface.

The carrots and hummus snack you planned for lunch? Out the window! Luckily, a few storage tips can help you avoid rotting carrots and allow you to enjoy your produce for longer. We'll go over these tips and then show you a few carrot recipes to use up those carrots in your fridge this week.

Why Do Carrots Go Bad?

One of the reasons most fresh fruit and veggies go bad is because of the gas they emit as they ripen. Carrots, like other vegetables, give off a gas called ethylene as they mature. In some circumstances, they might emit this gas more quickly, so knowing how to store your carrots in a way that slows this emission is essential. 

How To Tell Your Carrots Are Bad

Carrots don't typically come with an expiration date stamped onto them. Despite this, you're probably familiar with the fact that carrots can go bad when forgotten. 

If you're unsure how to spot spoilage on your carrots, there are essentially three things to keep in mind:

How Long Do Carrots Last in the Fridge?

How long your carrots will last when refrigerated depends on a few factors. If they’re raw, carrots will generally keep in your fridge for around three and a half weeks. If you're dealing with chopped carrots, they'll last about two and a half weeks. 

Baby carrots are the trickiest carrot to deal with. Although they may be bite-sized and lovable, these bad boys will only last in your fridge for around a week and a half. 

Can You Freeze Carrots?

There's good news! If you're nervous that you might forget about the carrots you just purchased at the grocery store, you can choose to freeze them. Whether you blanch them first or keep them raw, freezing carrots is a terrific way to help eliminate food waste. 

6 Tips To Store Carrots 

Investing in a variety of produce can help you stay nourished. However, when you stock up on multiple veggies like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, squash, and bell peppers, it's easy to forget some of the food you purchase.

Luckily, you don't have to mourn the loss of forgotten carrots anymore. You can enjoy these orange vegetables for much longer by implementing a few storage ideas!

1. Freeze Them

You can freeze your carrots for later use if you feel that you might forget about them. To freeze your carrots, follow these simple steps:

  1. Peel off the skins and chop the carrots into small rounds.
  2. Toss the circular carrot coins into boiling water for several minutes to blanch them.
  3. Scoop them out and add them to a large bowl full of ice water.
  4. Drain the water and place the carrot coins on a lined baking sheet to flash-freeze them. 
  5. Then, you can transfer these separate slices into a freezer-safe bag for long-term freezer storage.

2. Keep Them in the Fridge

One way to extend the life of your carrots is to store them in jars of water. 

Alternatively, you can wrap them in a paper towel and store them in a zip-top bag in your fridge for later use. 

3. Blend Them Into Puree

Carrot puree makes excellent baby food, but don't let that limit you. Grown-ups and babies alike can enjoy a carrot puree from time to time. 

Blending your carrots can also allow you to enjoy them for longer. To blend them, you'll want to peel and chop your carrots.

Next, cook your carrots with your preferred cooking method, and put them into a food processor.

You can add water or milk to get your desired consistency. To store your carrot puree, you can freeze it into ice cubes and re-blend it in the future. 

4. Store Them in Your Pantry

Storing your carrots in your pantry isn't the best idea, but it works for a few days if it's your only option. Choose a cool, dark area if you must store carrots in your pantry. 

5. Can Your Carrots

Since carrots rely on moisture to stay good, canning them is an excellent option for keeping them fresh. If you've got a pressure canner lying around, this method can help you enjoy them for weeks into the future rather than having to throw out moldy carrots.

6. Dehydrate Them

Dehydrating your carrots is another way you can keep them tasting fresh. For this method, blanch your carrots and slice them into 1/8th inch slices. Then, spread them on a dehydrator tray and dehydrate them for ten hours at 125 degrees.

Blanching your carrots is especially good for preserving beta-carotene, a beneficial ingredient in carrots!

Ways To Cook Carrots

After storing your carrots, you can eat them raw or cook them! Here are a few options you have for preparing your carrots:

Mouth-Watering Carrot Recipes To Try This Week

After storing your carrots, you can enjoy the fun of using them in tasty recipes. If you've got carrots that are ready to be used, you're in the right place! We've rounded up some of our favorite recipes that feature yummy, nutritious carrots. 

The best part? Each recipe is ready in minutes!

Honey Mustard Chicken and Carrots

Incorporating a healthy amount of protein and vegetables into your meals doesn't have to feel like a chore. Our Honey Mustard Chicken and Carrots recipe makes it easy to enjoy every filling bite with delicious tangy honey mustard seasoning. It may become a staple meal for your household!

Carrot and Coconut Soup

There's nothing quite like a warm, comforting soup. Our Carrot and Coconut Soup makes an excellent dish to enjoy solo or complement another dish. You only need two ingredients to prepare it, so what are you waiting for?

Honey Roasted Carrots With Quinoa

If you're someone who doesn't include meat in your diet, finding a flavorful meatless recipe is always a win. Our Honey Roasted Carrots With Quinoa allows you to fill up with nourishing ingredients with only a few minutes of prep work!

Butter Cod and Carrot Puree

Do you enjoy the creamy taste of mashed potatoes? What if we told you pureed carrots could be your next favorite side dish? 

Our Butter Cod and Carrot Puree is a flavor match made in heaven. It's ready in half an hour, so this is a meal you can prepare even on busier days!

Italian Wedding Soup

Here's another soup recipe you may want to keep readily available. Our Italian Wedding Soup includes filling meatballs, tasty carrots and other veggies, and delicious pasta in one flavorful soup. It's a dish that offers a little bit of everything!

How To Make Your Cooking Easier

At Jow, we're happy to help you take a load off when it comes to meal prepping and cooking. One of the main problems people run into when buying food at the grocery store is picking out ingredients without an idea of what they might prepare that week. That can lead to spoiled carrots and more!

At Jow, we like to help you start your grocery shopping with easy recipes in mind. We help optimize your grocery cart so you'll have enough ingredients to prepare your favorite recipes for your household size. It allows you to avoid spending too much on unnecessary ingredients, and you'll always have enough for everyone!

Knowing how to store your vegetables can allow you to enjoy them for longer. But when you team up with us at Jow, we can help customize your groceries to fit your needs and put your food to use!