how to ensure carrot pieces stay longer in the refrigerator?

Question

I blanched a big carrot and cut them into pieces and stored them in a airtight container in the refrigerator. I ate them for about 5 days - one piece out of the container for each meal. But after that, they've gone stale - some sour liquid leaking out of the pieces, and sour taste and smell. I had to threw them out. What can I do next time to make them stay longer? What sauce should I sprinkle to the pieces for better preservation? Would it be better if I put them in the freezer? Would it be worse?

This is a big/thick carrot, so it needed to be cut to pieces before a human mouth & teeth can handle it. They don't sell thin weaponized carrots like in Shoot Em Up where I live.

By the way, that sour taste and smell, I encountered the same taste when I blanched nappa cabbage and stored it in an airtight bag in the refrigerator. I was probably making the same mistake.

Edit: I should mention that I haven't used salt when blanching them. I also forgot to put the vegetable in cold water after. Maybe the problem was I didn't blanch right?

Answer 1

First, how many days would you like them to last? A week? Or even more?

Try to add to the container cold water, and change this water periodically, this way, they can last for about a week (I do this method),

or try adding some citric acid to the water.

If you want them to last even more than a week, try to make them as pickles.

Answer 2

Sounds like fermentation to me. Without some preservative (salt or acid like vinegar, for example), you're going to pick up some bacteria out of the air and they'll eventually have their way with your food. You can't expect cooked vegetables to last but so long in the refrigerator, especially unpreserved food that you're dipping back into regularly.

I'm curious why you feel the need to cook a week's worth of carrot in one go. As I'm sure you know, blanching doesn't take all that long. Surely you could just cook one or two days' worth at a time, and know that while you'll have to cook your carrot more often, you will also have a lot less risk of having to throw any spoiled carrot out.

That's the solution I'd recommend.

Answer 3

I would not blanch before refrigerating stored vegetables, especially if I wanted to take my time using them up. Carrots store very well immersed in cold water, however the water should be changed daily. This keeps them fresh and hydrated. I have done carrots this way for years, and can keep them for at least two weeks (until they are used up). A general rule of thumb for most vegetables would be to keep them hydrated until used.