Don't bin your carrot tops - other uses and recipes - Skint Dad (2024)

FAQs

What can carrot tops be used for? ›

Greens from younger carrots are milder than those from older carrots. Carrot tops are high in vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium. Use them as you would parsley, or in place of parsley in recipes. Strip the leaves from the tough stems, add them to stock or soup, put them in salads, or make chimichurri.

It has been rumored that carrot tops are poisonous and potentially deadly, but that's actually not true. In fact, they are very edible and loaded with vitamins and minerals.

While carrot greens do contain alkaloids, there is little evidence that they're dangerous to consume. "If you are allergic to celery or parsley—which are members of the same family as the greens—then refrain from having them," says author of Eat Your Vitamins and registered nutritionist Mascha Davis, MPH, RDN.

Once the taproot (carrot) is removed it cannot grow another. When cut from the top, the growing point for the taproot is removed, however the growing tip for new leaves is not removed. The growing tip (meristem) that forms the leaves can also grow new adventitious roots (fibrous roots), but not a taproot.

You can freeze carrot tops, cut the tops off the carrots, wash and dry them well, then place them on a baking sheet in the freezer in a single layer for 2 hours. Transfer the frozen tops to an air-tight container (with the air squeezed out) and store in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Prepare for garden magic! Over the next few days, you'll notice the carrot tops will start to sprout new leaves from the center. Change the water in the bowl every two to three days.

Before we get to the sauce, let's talk carrot tops! They have a lightly sweet, earthy flavor that's like a cross between carrots and parsley, and they're delicious raw or cooked. This recipe uses most of the tops from one small bunch of carrots, or half the tops from a large bunch. That means you'll have leftovers!

The potassium in carrots also can help keep your blood pressure in check. Red carrots also have lycopene, which helps prevent heart disease. They boost your immune system.

The edible part of the carrot is the Carrot Root. This is where the plant stores its nutrients, making it sweet and nutritious for human consumption. Other parts of the carrot, like the leaves and stems, are also edible but are not usually eaten.

Carrots also pack several other sleep-promoting nutrients like potassium and vitamin B6, as well as vitamin A and biotin. A veggie sticks, such as carrots, can be an easy to digest late night snack.

Do carrots help hair growth? ›

Whether you eat or apply, carrots immensely benefit your hair. Being one of the main food sources of vitamin A (beta-carotene) and others like vitamin B, C, E, and K, makes it an excellent hair growth promoter. Both as a vegetable and oil, carrots can be included in your regular hair care routine.

Eating carrots in excess, however, can cause a condition called carotenemia. This refers to yellowish discoloration of the skin because of the deposition of a substance called beta-carotene that is present in carrots. This change in skin color is more obvious in people with lighter skin tones.

Cut the green tops off your carrots to lock in nutrients. The leaves of root veggies steal their nutrients - even after they've been picked!

Carrots should be ready for harvest about 60-80 days after sowing seeds, depending on the variety. The tops of the carrot roots will be about 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter and likely starting to pop out of the soil, though not necessarily. They will also be vibrant in color.

Once you've set your carrot scraps in water, it should only take a few days for the carrots to start putting out new growth. The green shoots usually appear first and grow fairly quickly. After few days, the carrot piece will also begin to grow tiny, hair-like roots.

But often, bunches of small, slender, younger carrots come with a healthy flush of feathery, green leaves that are perfectly fine for chopping up as a parsley substitute. Making a tabbouleh salad and need tons of parsley? Swap in some finely chopped carrot greens—no one will notice.

Carrot leaves are still commonly discarded but they are beneficial to one's health when consumed as juice, vegetable, or chutney. People consume carrots in salads, vegetables, puddings, kheer, among other things.

Carrot tops can be used in a variety of ways. You can stir them into soups, toss them with salad greens, use them in place of herbs, add them to veggie burgers, or blend them into smoothies or green juice.

Yes. Like many other fruits and vegetables, dogs get health benefits from carrots. In fact, every part of this vegetable, from the carrot itself to the leafy green tops, is safe for dogs to eat.