Why We Love Carrot Tops (2024)

FAQs

Why We Love Carrot Tops? ›

Carrot greens taste a lot like parsley and make a great addition to pesto or chimichurri sauce. Beet greens are almost the same as chard and work really well in sautés and salads.

In addition, carrot tops contain several vitamins and minerals essential to overall health, including vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium. A diet rich in these nutrients has been associated with many health benefits, such as improved immune function, reduced risk of chronic disease and improved heart health.

(In fact, the perkiness and freshness of the greens are a good indication of how fresh the carrots themselves are.) But that's not the only reason to buy intact, green-topped carrots. The greens themselves are pleasantly bitter and tart—flavors that can perfectly balance out carrots' earthy sweetness in a dish.

Carrot greens and tops are not poisonous, and they are most certainly edible. Carrot greens do contain alkaloids, but so does nearly every leafy green vegetable. Alkaloids are chemical compounds that serve as the plant's defense mechanism against pathogens.

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.

Don't toss those tops! Carrot greens are just as edible as carrots themselves, and they're delicious in this tangy chimichurri sauce, pesto, and more. Today, we're making chimichurri out of carrot greens! I don't know who ever spread the idea that vibrant carrot tops should be tossed.

Beta-carotene, a form of vitamin A, is also in the peel, but the phloem has equally high amounts. Lastly, the inner core of the carrot (the xylem) has the majority of the vegetable's calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. You certainly won't peel those nutrients away.

Things changed for Carrot Top forever in 1992 with his first appearance on "The Tonight Show." That appearance exposed his unique brand of comedy to every home in America. After an impressive 31 appearances, Carrot Top had the distinct honor of appearing on the very last episode of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

There has been little research on the health benefits of carrot tops, but they are rich in nutrients, containing around six times more vitamin C than the root, as well as lots of potassium, calcium and phytonutrients.

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.

What do carrot tops taste like? ›

Not surprisingly the carrot greens taste a lot like parsley! A little bitter, a little carrot-y. Greens from younger carrots are milder than those from older carrots. Carrot tops are high in vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium.

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.

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.

Biennials Overwinter

Instead, the carrot is a biennial: it lives for 2 years. The first year, it produces a rosette of deeply cut leaves and also the long, thick, tasty taproot that we know so well. Its root serves as an energy reserve for the carrot's 2^nd year. The root will die, though … after year 2!

Deer can be a little lazy about digging up root vegetables, but this doesn't mean they won't eat their aerial foliage. For example, they are very fond of carrot tops but rarely eat the carrots.

Storing Carrots in the Fridge

Carrots store the longest if kept at just above 32°F. and about 95% humidity. Most refrigerators are warmer and drier than this, but still do a fair job of storing carrots for 2-3 months if you prep the carrots correctly and provide humidity to keep the carrots from drying out.

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. Or make this carrot top pesto.

Carotenoids give carrots their orange and yellow colors, while anthocyanins cause the red and purple coloring. They help your heart. All those antioxidants are also good for your heart. The potassium in carrots also can help keep your blood pressure in check.

A Quick Review

Carrots are full of benefits—they may promote healthy vision, balance your blood sugar, help with weight management, lower your risk of cancer, regulate blood pressure, reduce heart disease, improve immunity, and boost brain health. You won't regret incorporating more of this vegetable into your diet.