Can carrots stay in a raised garden bed over winter? If not, what is the best way to store them, so they don’t go bendy?

Your carrots should be fine in a raised planter box all winter – ready to harvest as you need them. The tops may look tatty if they get frosted, but the roots are okay underground. In fact, carrots are tough enough to survive cold weather and if the soil freezes the carrots taste sweeter. A raised bed should provide adequate drainage, but it may be safer to harvest carrots grown in ground that stays boggy all winter to prevent them rotting.

Alternatively, if you need the space to grow another crop or want to put the bed the sleep under a green crop or a thick layer of mulch, you could harvest the carrots now.

READ MORE: * How to grow carrots * Recipes: Carrot & mandarin muffins and carrot salad with mandarin ginger dressing * Garlic: growing tips and variety guide

Carrots can last for up to three months in the fridge if you store them properly. They need to be clean, dry and have the tops removed. Put in a sealed container – ideally suck the air out with a vacuum sealer. Keep away from any other fruit and veges that emit ethylene which makes the carrots go soft.

Or freeze them. Either blanch and freeze free-flow chopped cubes or larger chunks if you like to roasted carrots. You could try freezing small packs of grated carrot to use in baking too.

I personally find my own homemade frozen carrots aren’t as good as the commercial ones which are snap frozen more quickly than a home freezer can manage. Instead, I prefer to cook up large batches of carrot soup and carrot cake, loaves and muffins as these freeze extremely well and come in handy for winter meals, take-a-plate events, and lunch box fillers.

If you have a juicer, whip a supply of fresh carrot juice – add some lemon juice to stop the colour changing due to oxidisation and a piece of ginger for extra zing. Fresh carrot juice does not keep very well so don’t make more than you can drink in a day or two. It is possible to freeze carrot juice but the taste and texture are disappointing once it is thawed.

Depending on how big your crop is, you could hedge your bets – leave some in the garden, keep some in the fridge and freeze some. That way you'll find out which method works best for you and the way you like to cook.