Any uses for carrot greens?

Taiji · Sat Jul 23, 2016 10:22 am

I'm trying to think of some uses for carrot greens other than just a few sprigs in a salad or a garnish on a plate in place of parsley. Have been pulling carrots and eating them right in the garden, but don't want to eat the whole bunch of greens! So far, I just toss them down as mulch which works ok, but I don't like to waste anything. Maybe I could cook them up with swiss chard and kale? I suppose I could put them thru my juicer too.

rainbowgardener · Sat Jul 23, 2016 11:04 am

They are very nutritious!

Here's a nice little article about eating the carrot greens, with several recipes, including carrot top soup, carrot top pesto, and others:

https://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/carrotops.html

Taiji · Sat Jul 23, 2016 11:17 am

Cool!

Thank you.
Addendum: Like the idea of carrot top tea. Never would have thought of that.

applestar · Sat Jul 23, 2016 11:54 am

I like eating them, too. To save tops intended for cooking, I rinse thoroughly, trim thicker stems -- those go in stock veg collection freezer bag -- then (spin dry) then freeze the tender tops because every time I tried keeping them in the fridge, they start to go in bits and pieces all tangled in the big mass. Once frozen, you can even crumble and spoon or pour out as needed.

...but I also use them as mulch like you when I don't feel like processing them.

JayPoc · Sat Jul 23, 2016 5:08 pm

A few years ago, I googled various searches on eating carrot tops. Some articles said they were toxic, while others listed many fabulous recipes. Weird....lol...

I eat some occasionally as an herb really, and the rest go in the pile. I seem to have some sort of blight or mildew anyway, and most of mine are at least partly brown and crumbly by the time I pull the carrots anyway...

Gary350 · Sat Jul 23, 2016 6:30 pm

I like carrot greens in, salads, soups, stews. I cut the tops into small pieces and let them dry they are good seasoning.

Taiji · Sat Jul 23, 2016 9:24 pm

Thx.

I especially like the freezer bag idea. That way, you can decide at a later date how you want to use them!

rainbowgardener · Sat Jul 23, 2016 9:25 pm

Since we talked about this, I just chopped some up into the soup I made tonight!

Thanks for the reminder!

Taiji · Sat Jul 23, 2016 9:39 pm

Ha! Me too. I just chopped up a goodly amount and put them in a swiss steak dish!

jal_ut · Mon Jul 25, 2016 11:16 am

Mulch!
Compost

ButterflyLady29 · Sat Jul 30, 2016 12:16 am

Rabbit food.
I never tried eating them because I had always heard they would make you sick. Now I'm getting ready to do a late carrot planting so I can try some greens.

Taiji · Sat Jul 30, 2016 1:08 am

I'm going to chop some very fine(ly) this weekend and put them in my mashed potatoes. (garden potatoes of course!)

jal_ut · Sat Jul 30, 2016 6:36 pm

Growing up on the farm, Dad had cows, and chickens, so we had milk and eggs. He always grew a big garden for veggies. Mostly potatoes, corn and beans, but he would plant onions, carrots, turnips and lettuce. Things were slim, tho Dad often worked out on construction jobs, we basically ate off the farm and garden. Yes he grew carrots, and so did the neighbors, yet I never heard of anyone eating carrot greens......... likely for good reason? No I am not suggesting they are poisonous, but am suggesting eating them is not a popular thing. (for whatever reason) Want some good greens? Plant beets.