Purchase or harvest a fresh bunch of carrots with the greens attached to use the whole plant.
The thinner the carrot, the thinner the peel. The thicker the peel, the more bitter and likely to need to be peeled, so buy thinner — sweeter — carrots and skip the peeling step.
Choose full-sized carrots. “Baby carrots” are simply carrots that are bred to be skinny and long with a narrow core. They are harvested and cut into small pieces and then tumbled or “polished” in water with chemicals to rub away skins (and some nutrients) and then packaged into small bags for “convenience.”
Baby carrots are frequently discarded produce items — they often become unpalatably dried or slimy before they can be eaten and are tossed, often right in the bag, adding plastic to the landfill.
Lop off the green tops of fresh carrots to dry or pickle right away.
Cut any soft or brown spots off the carrot, leaving a 1/2- inch (1.2 cm) margin, and use the rest.
A brush or vegetable scrubber gets any dirt off the outside of the carrots.
A sealed container with a little water is best for storing carrots. Cut just enough of the vegetable to fit, every cut costs nutrients.
Store in the crisper to retain as much water as possible and keep nutrients from leeching into the surrounding air.
Each cut and exposure to air or water causes the carrot to lose nutrients
Never give up on a carrot; even the wilted ones can be saved. The first step is to give them a good scrub and pulse them into bits in the blender or food processor.
This pulp freezes beautifully and can be used in baking, soups and stews or Carrot Sauerkraut.
or more things to do with your carrots:
