What to do with carrot tops + 12 Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What can you do with the tops of carrots? ›

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.

And the carrot tops (AKA greens, AKA leaves) have a similar nutritional profile to carrots; they are rich in vitamin A, C, K, and potassium. Don't toss those greens. Reduce food waste by using the whole carrots and their leafy tops. Carrot tops can be used in soups, salads, and pesto, and you can also saute them.

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.

Use carrot tops anywhere you would normally use parsley. Carrots, parsley, cilantro, and dill are all in the same botanical family, so they make easy substitutes for each other. Try using carrot tops in a familiar recipe if you are uncertain about their flavor.

The leafy tops, which remind me of parsley, taste herbaceous and vaguely reminiscent of, well, carrots. They can be eaten raw in salads, although their taste can be a little bitter.

Though you can't actually grow carrots from scraps, those carrot tops that you usually throw in the compost can have a second life in your garden. There, they'll grow a new shock of bright, fresh greens with a lovely herbaceous flavor.

Yes, you are correct that you can cut off the top of the carrot and regrow the leaves only. 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 greens themselves are pleasantly bitter and tart—flavors that can perfectly balance out carrots' earthy sweetness in a dish. (And if the taste alone isn't enough to convince you, think about how many #wasteless points you'll get by using those tops rather than tossing them.)

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. They're a good, natural treat, and most dogs seem to like the flavor, too.

Let freeze for at least 2 hours. This step will prevent the carrots from freezing together in clumps and will make measuring out portions of frozen easier. Step 6: Place frozen carrots into a freezer-safe container. I like to use gallon silicone bags, but a gallon ziplock or reusable container will work just fine.

Is it better to freeze carrots raw or cooked? ›

Freezing carrots is such a great way to avoid waste. It will also make cooking them a little quicker from frozen. Like most vegetables, if frozen raw, the texture, taste, colour and nutritional value of carrots deteriorates. Make sure you blanch the veg to preserve these elements.

However, they will lose their texture and quality more quickly if you skip blanching, compared to if you blanch them before freezing. To do this, wash and trim the carrots, peel if desired, slice into thin circles, and spread the slices on a lined baking sheet.

Store carrot tops like fresh herbs.

Carrot tops, which look and taste a bit like parsley (the plants are in the same family), can be stored in a breathable cotton produce bag or in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel in the crisper drawer.

Their consumption lowers the amount of cholesterol deposited in the veins of the body. As a result, they are an important part of a heart-healthy diet. They also purify your blood, lowering the pressure on your heart and kidneys in the process. Carrot leaves are also beneficial for boosting immunity.

CHIVES – a member of the onion family, growing chives can help to deter carrot fly in a similar way, but also has the added benefit of improving the flavor of carrots. Chives have relatively shallow roots so don't compete for space with the carrots underground.

Carrot tops will sprout fine green leaves after sitting in water for 1-2 weeks. It's the time of year to stop discarding carrot tops and start recycling them into centerpieces for the spring holiday table. Kids will have fun watching these leftovers sprout new greens and then planting them in little pots.

When buying carrots from a farmers' market or growing your own in a garden, removing the green tops from your carrots as soon as you bring them into your kitchen is essential. The leafy green tops of carrots draw moisture away from the root, which makes them dry out faster.

Just remove the tops from the vegetables and store them separately. The tops won't last very long so plan to use them as soon as possible. Wrap a damp paper towel around them and store in a plastic bag for a day or so.