How to Store Beets: Cold, Humid Conditions for Fresh Roots

How to Store Beets: Cold, Humid Conditions for Fresh Roots

ByKen

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Knowing how to store beets lets you hold a fall harvest for weeks or months instead of cooking everything at once. Beets keep best in cold and humid conditions, which slow the loss of water from the root and limit the growth of rot. The guidance below comes from Ohio State University Extension and Texas A&M horticulture publications. It covers the temperature and humidity target, the decision not to wash roots before storing, and the signs that a root should be removed from the batch.

Quick answer

  • Store beets in a cold, humid place at 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 90 to 95 percent relative humidity, according to Ohio State extension.
  • Do not wash beets before storing. Ohio State extension gives this instruction directly.
  • Ohio State says beets can be stored two to four months in a cold, humid cellar or pit under those conditions.
  • Check stored beets regularly and remove any root that shows rot.

How we chose

Two university publications were opened and read on 2026-10-27. The Ohio State University Extension fact sheet, “Selecting, Storing, and Serving Ohio Beets,” gives storage temperature, humidity, storage duration, and the washing instruction. The Texas A&M horticulture publication on beets gives an anticipated storage period at 32 degrees Fahrenheit and 90 to 95 percent relative humidity. Those two publications agree on the core conditions, so they form the basis for this article. Commercial gardening and recipe pages were not used as sources for any storage figure, because the figures on those pages differed from one another and could not be traced to a university source.

The conditions beets need

The Ohio State fact sheet is direct about the environment. Beets can be stored for two to four months in a cold, humid cellar or pit. For best results, the cellar or pit should be kept at 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit with 90 to 95 percent relative humidity. Those two numbers define the target for storage. Temperature keeps the root’s metabolism slow, and humidity keeps the root from drying out and wrinkling.

The Texas A&M publication puts beets in the same general range. It gives an anticipated storage period in months at 32 degrees Fahrenheit and 90 to 95 percent relative humidity. The two sources therefore agree on the temperature and humidity band, even though their exact storage periods are worded differently.

Most home spaces do not hit those conditions exactly. A root cellar, an unheated basement corner that stays above freezing, or a refrigerator set near the cold end of its range can each approximate the target for a limited time. A thermometer and a hygrometer placed at the storage spot show whether the space is close enough. The sources opened for this article do not describe a specific method for raising humidity in a storage space.

Do not wash beets before storing

The Ohio State fact sheet gives a clear instruction on this point: do not wash beets before storing them. The fact sheet does not give a reason in this sentence, so the instruction is reported here as written.

The Ohio State guidance on washing applies to storage. When you are ready to cook, wash the beets thoroughly in cold water, as the same extension publication describes for preparation. Do not use soap, detergent, or bleach, because the fact sheet notes that these liquids are absorbed by the vegetable.

The sources opened for this article do not say how much soil to leave on the root at storage time, so this article does not give a rule for it.

Preparing beets for storage

The Texas A&M publication describes beets as fairly cold tolerant, which is consistent with the cold storage target above. The sources opened for this article focus on temperature, humidity, and washing, and they give few details on trimming or handling, so this article does not add specific trimming steps.

Before putting the beets away, set aside any roots that already have soft spots or damage. Those roots are less likely to store well, so it makes sense to use them first and keep the sound roots for longer storage.

Checking stored beets

Storage is not a set-and-forget step. Look over stored beets from time to time. Remove any root that shows soft spots, mold, or an off smell. The sources opened for this article do not give a specific inspection schedule, so the timing is left to the grower.

The sources opened for this article do not discuss ethylene for beets. The separate parsnip guide on this site covers a commodity manual that warns about ethylene-releasing fruit for that root crop.

How long beets keep

Ohio State extension states that beets can be stored two to four months under cold, humid conditions. The Texas A&M publication gives its own anticipated storage period at the same temperature and humidity range. Both figures describe fresh whole roots, stored with the conditions above in place. Both publications tie these storage periods to the cold, humid conditions, which is why those conditions are the focus of this article.

For a broader comparison of cold-storage crops, the guide on how to store freshly harvested vegetables covers general handling. If you are growing your own beets, the planting and harvest timing guide how to grow beets explains when roots are ready to lift. For a related storage topic, see how to store potatoes.

What we could not verify

The two university publications agree on temperature and humidity and on not washing before storage. They say less about several other points that home growers often ask about. The sources opened for this article do not give a single fixed storage period that applies to every variety or every storage space, and the two publications describe the storage period in different terms.

Many gardening pages describe storing beets in damp sand, sawdust, or wood chips, and some describe layering roots in a box. Those methods were mentioned in search results, but no university publication on sand storage was opened and verified for this article, so the method is not described as a recommendation here.

What the sources do not say

The sources do not describe how to prepare beets for freezing or canning, and they do not give freezing times. They also do not say how beets store in a home refrigerator in the same detail as in a root cellar, so readers who plan to use the refrigerator should check their state extension service for current guidance. No figure for nutrient retention during storage was found in the university publications opened for this article.

Frequently asked questions

What temperature is best for storing beets?

Ohio State extension recommends 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit for storing beets in a cellar or pit. The Texas A&M publication gives 32 degrees Fahrenheit with 90 to 95 percent relative humidity as the storage condition for its anticipated storage period.

Should beets be washed before they go into storage?

No. The Ohio State fact sheet says not to wash beets before storing them. Wash them thoroughly in cold water when you are ready to cook.

How long can beets be stored?

Ohio State extension says beets can be stored two to four months in a cold, humid cellar or pit. The Texas A&M publication gives an anticipated storage period under the same temperature and humidity conditions.

What humidity do beets need in storage?

Both the Ohio State and Texas A&M sources list 90 to 95 percent relative humidity as the target. High humidity helps prevent the roots from drying out during storage.

What should you do with a beet that starts to rot in storage?

Remove it from the batch as soon as you notice soft spots, mold, or an off smell, and check the rest of the beets. Remove problem roots promptly and use the remaining healthy roots first.

Sources

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