Maincrop turnips left in the ground once a hard frost sets in turn woody and can split, so the window to lift them for store is now, while the roots are still firm. Layered in slightly damp sand inside a box, in a cool shed or garage, they keep for months rather than the week or so they'd last on a kitchen shelf, with no root cellar or special kit needed.

Lift and Store Turnips for Winter Keeping

What you need

1 wooden crate or box slatted sides for airflow, or drill holes in a solid one
10 litres sharp sand lightly damp, not wet
1 pair gardening gloves optional, useful if damp sand irritates your hands

Step by step

Loosen the soil along the row with a garden fork, pushing it in a hand's width from the row rather than through the roots, then ease each turnip out by the leaves.
20 min
Knock off loose soil by hand or with a stiff brush. Don't wash the roots — trapped damp is what starts them rotting in store.
10 min
Twist or cut the leaves off close to the crown, leaving a short stub rather than cutting into the root itself.
10 min
Sort the roots: anything split, soft or holed by slugs goes aside to use first, not into store.
10 min
Spread a 5cm layer of damp sand across the bottom of the box.
5 min
Set the sound turnips on the sand so they don't touch each other or the sides of the box, then cover them with another layer of sand.
15 min
Repeat the layers until the box is full, finishing with sand on top, then move it straight to a cool, frost-free shed or garage.
10 min

Afterwards

Check the box every few weeks. Pull out anything that's gone soft or started to smell before it spreads to the roots around it, and top up the sand with a light misting if it's dried out. Keep the box off a cold concrete floor on a pallet or a couple of bricks so it doesn't freeze from underneath.

Questions

How long will turnips keep this way?

Three to four months at a steady cool temperature, around 1-4°C. A heated shed or a mild spell indoors will shorten that considerably.

Can I store swede the same way?

Yes — swede roots are larger and tougher-skinned and generally keep even longer in sand than turnips do.

Do I need to wash the roots before boxing them?

No. Brush off loose soil but leave them unwashed; the moisture from washing is what starts rot in storage.

What if I don't have sand?

Dry sawdust or shredded newspaper will do the same job of keeping the roots apart and out of the air, though sand holds damp more evenly over a long store.