I have to admit, it has never even occurred to me to eat them. They go straight in the compost pile. But I was looking at our produce bin delivery list this week, and it said "Carrots (with tops!)" and I thought "why in the world would they go out of their way to advertise that they are just giving me garbage." So I googled it. And apparently people do eat them? I never knew. Am I just totally out of the loop?
Here are a couple recipes I'm thinking of trying out:
I know people include them when they're juicing carrots (if they have the appropriate type of equipment that can incorporate the green portion). As for just eating them, I don't know how people prepare them. Interesting. Anything that gets us to not waste food is a good thing in my book.
Also I think for some recipes the aesthetic of having the top on is pretty. Especially during the holiday season if you have the smaller slender varieties, they look pretty cooked whole with the tops intact.
Also I think for some recipes the aesthetic of having the top on is pretty. Especially during the holiday season if you have the smaller slender varieties, they look pretty cooked whole with the tops intact.
That's the only way I've ever used carrots with the tops on. I'll roast or saute them like this. They look pretty on the plate, but we usually cut the tops off while eating them.
One of my farmers market vendors says people prefer to buy them with the tops on because it feels so farmy, but really, they stay fresh much longer if you cut them off. It's a root, and it's job is to provide nutrients to the leafy part. If the leafy part is left on the root keeps pumping its nutrients into the tops. This goes for beets, radishes, and etc. I assume people who want the tops on feed them to horses or rabbits.
One of my farmers market vendors says people prefer to buy them with the tops on because it feels so farmy, but really, they stay fresh much longer if you cut them off. It's a root, and it's job is to provide nutrients to the leafy part. If the leafy part is left on the root keeps pumping its nutrients into the tops. This goes for beets, radishes, and etc. I assume people who want the tops on feed them to horses or rabbits.
Innteresting! I never thought about it pumpin nutrients away like that, although now that you say it, it seems so obvious.
I kept meaning to come back and update you guys on my recipe tests, but since I wrote this post I've gotten about 3 bunches of carrots and always cut the tops off with grand plans to actually make something with them, but then never actually doing it. Sigh.
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