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

FAQs

Is there anything you can do with carrot tops? ›

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.

As soon as you get a bunch of carrots with bright green tops, clip off the greens. Wrap them up and store them in the crisper drawer in your fridge until you're ready to use them, or freeze them to make vegetable stock. Wash and dry them well.

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.

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.

They are a good source of dietary fiber, which promotes digestive health and helps regulate blood sugar levels. In addition, carrot tops contain several vitamins and minerals essential to overall health, including vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium.

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.

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.

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. That's why carrots are such an appealing alternative if you want to mix up your daily dog treat routine.

If your carrots feel slimy and look discolored, are wilting or soft, or show signs of mold, they should be tossed. The white blush on carrot skin is OK to eat—it just means the carrots are drying out and need water.

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.

What happens when you put carrot tops in water? ›

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.

There are also some cases when you can leave the peels on, regardless of your personal preference. For example, if you are shredding carrots for a carrot cake, juicing for a smoothie, or chopping mirepoix for a soup, you might leave the peels on to save time and get the benefit of the additional nutrients.

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.

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.