Store the old-fashioned way

Enjoy homegrown root veg at Christmas...

Extend the shelf life of homegrown roots from the veg patch or allotment. When lifting vegetables such as carrots, turnips and beets, eat the damaged carrots fresh now and keep the perfect ones for storing. Undamaged late-sown crops can be kept in trays of dry sand. Remove the excess soil, cut off the foliage and lay them in a box on a few inches of sand so that they aren’t touching. Cover with sand and store the box in a cool, dry room such as the garden shed. Every so often look at the roots and remove any that are rotting to prevent it from spreading. They should last up until Christmas if you’re lucky!