Carrot top can evidence you a lot about the freshness of the veggies — plus , they ’re versatile , nutritive , and flavoursome .
Jacob Fox
These days , options abound when you ’re seek to buy in up on carrots . Would you rather the lunchbox icon that is orangish infant carrots , or the petite multi - colored form that ’s a signature in theTrader Joe’sproduce aisle ? How about a 1 - pound grip of Daucus carota sativa with the tops trim off , or perhaps a foliage - exceed bunch that search like it was pulled fresh from the ground ?
Credit:Jacob Fox
When extremity of our Test Kitchen are shopping , they almost always gravitate towards one of those option : “ In general , carrots with top on can be an indicator of cheekiness , so if there is the alternative , purchase whole carrot with the tops still on , ” recommendsSarah Brekke , M.S.,Better Homes & GardensTest Kitchen mark manager .
Once you have those various veggies home , we know that we can put the roots to gravid utilization . ( Earthy , naturally sweet , and sturdy carrots are a star of several of our favoritesavoryandsweetrecipes . ) But can you eat cultivated carrot greens ?
Can You Eat Carrot Greens?
Yes , you could eat carrot green . In fact , “ I think you are lose out if you do n’t eat them , ” says Garrett Kasper , executive chef at Timbers at Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City , Nebraska . “ Not only are you get more for your money if you buy or uprise carrots that have the whirligig on them , but you also get more nutrient , savour and use for the garden truck . ”
Carrot greens can be consumed raw or cooked , and every which way , they ’ll add vitamin A , C , K , and potassium to your diet , Brekke says .
What do Daucus carota sativa tops taste like ? suppose a flavor that ’s reminiscent of both earthy carrot and herbaceous Petroselinum crispum , all in one leafy green package .
How to Choose and Store Carrots and Carrot Greens
We ’re always rooting for the start of carrot season in ourvegetable garden , at the farmers securities industry , and the grocery store . While carrots are usable year - round at most retail merchant , the best time to determine local carrots is late spring and early summer . calculate for firm , bright , crack - free carrots with vibrantly - green , well - hydrous , and chirpy tops .
Once you have a bunch of carrots in your kitchen , trim off the greenness “ since the tops can attract moisture from the cultivated carrot and dry out them out quicker , ” Brekke corroborate .
wind your plebeian roots in a newspaper towel to suck any potential moisture , thenstore the carrotsin a zip - top bag or airtight container in your icebox ’s crisper drawer for up to 4 weeks . Peeling is not necessary , but scrub and wash the carrots well before using .
As for the greens , once you ’ve reduce them costless from the Daucus carota sativa , wrap the carrot height in a damp paper towel and place them in a zip - top bag . hive away the park in the crisper drawer for up to 2 days . Before you put them to good use , wash the carrot tops and dry out them well ( either with composition towels or asalad spinner , Brekke suggests ) .
The Best Carrot Top Recipes to Try
Now that we know we should n’t ditch the greens , we asked Brekke , Kasper and Jeb Aldrich , executive chef of Switchback at Cataloochee Ranch in Maggie Valley , North Carolina , to dish about the best carrot top recipes :
