Cooking Advice & Recipes

 

24 Carrot Recipes

Eat a Carrot a Day

Shopping Storage Freezing

Marmalade

Do they turn Green?

Eat your green tops

Bread, spread and Pizza

Jam

Top 10 reasons for eating Carrots

10 great uses for Carrot Juice

10 uses for Carrot pulp

Veg or Fruit?

See also the A to Z listing for a recipe for each letter of the alphabet. Click here.

Burger - Pizza - Bread - Hotdog - Spread - ALL made with carrots. Here  Ice Creams here

Ten reasons why you should eat more vegetables. Click here.

People seem to have difficulty microwaving carrots, click here to see how we do it.


Carrots are grown all over the world and are readily available in all seasons. They vary in colour from orange, black, pinkish, red, yellow and white. This delicious vegetable is within the reach of rich & poor alike and is rightly called the "universal root". The carrot root is the main edible part and can be eaten raw, drunk as a juice, used in every conceivable salad, cooked as a vegetable,  made into jam, marmalade, syrup & sweet dishes. You can also eat the greens tops. 
The Carrot is a very versatile vegetable and can be used in a myriad of savoury and sweet dishes, mostly very healthy eating and good alternatives to stodge. It can be used as a starter, main course, sweet or just as a snack. Carrots may be eaten raw or cooked in almost any manner imaginable.

Carrots help to maintain acidic & alkaline properties in the system it is an invigorating & energizing tonic for eyes, skin, bones, heart & muscles of the body. Carrot is blood purifier, diuretic, carminative, digestive, anti flatulent, anti pyretic and vermifuge.
Check out the nutrition page for full details.

Carrots can be eaten sliced, diced, cut up or shoe stringed. They are sold in bunches, canned, frozen and dehydrated. They may be baked, sauteed, pickled, glazed and served in combination with meats, stews, roasts, soups meat loaf or curries. The mineral contents in carrots lie very close to the skin. Hence they should not be peeled or scraped off.

Dried roasted carrot roots can be ground into a powder and used as coffee substitute. Carrot syrup is sometimes employed as a sweetening agent. Alcoholic tincture of carrot twin carrotseed is incorporated in French liqueurs. Carrot oil is used for flavouring and in perfumery. Considerable honey is manufactured from bees visiting carrot, although the quality is poor. The flower clusters can be french-fried to produce a carrot-flavoured gourmet's delight. The aromatic seed is used as a flavouring in stews etc.

Here are some of the most usual and unusual recipes!

Click on the recipe to see the full detail.

If these are not enough try the A to Z of recipes. Click here.

24 Carrot Recipes

Carrot and Lentil Soup Carrot and Mango Salsa Curried Carrot Dip
Carrot Cake Carrot Spice Pie German Carrots in Beer
Indian Carrot Jelly Carrot and Sultana Pud Carrot Marmalade
Polish Beans and Carrots Chocolate Carrot Cake Carrot Pesto Slice
Carrot and oatmeal biscuits Carrot Mushroom Loaf Chinese Noodle and Carrot Salad
Algerian Carrots California Sushi Rolls Carrot Ice-Cream
Yugoslav Carrot Cake Gajjar Halva Italian Catarina
Sambhara Belgian Raw Carrot Dip Thai Carrot Salad

Try these late arrivals:  CARROT PIZZA - serves 2
(followed by Carrot Burgers, Bread and Spread)

2 whole wheat pitas, 2 carrots, shredded, 1cup muenster cheese, garlic powder, oregano and black pepper.carrot pizza

Preheat toaster oven to 300 F. Distribute carrots evenly on the concave side of whole pita. Distribute cheese on top of carrots. Top with loads of garlic powder, a dash of oregano and pepper. Bake in toaster oven about 15 min. Serve and eat.

Carrot Burgers

Ingredients (18 servings)
10 Carrots, peeled and cut into chunks; 2 tablespoons Oil; 3 Garlic cloves, minced; 3 Onions, cut into chunks; 2 Celery stalks, diced; 2 Green peppers, diced; 5 tablespoons Tamari; 1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon Basil; 1/2 ts Paprika; 1/2 ts Oregano;
1/2 ts Parsley; 1/2 c Tahini; 3 tb Peanut butter; 2 tb Cashew butter (opt); 1/2 c Wheat germ, bran or flour (opt)

Method

Place the carrots in a medium-sized saucepan containing 3 or 4 inches of water; steam over medium heat for 15 minutes, till soft. Drain and mash well using a potato masher.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat; add the diced garlic, onions, celery, and peppers; sauté for 7 minutes. Add the tamari, basil, garlic powder, parsley, and oregano; sauté for 2 minutes more, until vegetables are soft. In a large bowl, combine the carrots, sautéed vegetables, tahini and peanut butter. Season to taste. If the batter is too wet, add the wheat germ to make it hold together.

Preheat oven to 350. Form the mixture into patties, and place on an oiled cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden on top. Turn and bake on the other side until golden brown.

 

Carrot Ice Cream with Pistachios.

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup green pistachios
2 cups carrot juice
2 cups sugar
one table spoon flour

Combine the milk and sugar and set to boil in a deep pan. Ladle half a cup of the milk into a cup while not yet warm, and dissolve the flour in it. Add the dissolved flour mixture to the pan. The flour will thicken the milk and is a good substitute for eggs. (Eggs in ice cream raise the problems of salmonella from undercooking and an eggy smell. Furthermore, some people don't eat eggs. So, flour is a great substitute. Cornflour may be used, but I find that regular flour works better.) Stir the milk a few times with a spoon. Chop the pistachios and add to the milk. While chopping, some pieces may crumble to a powder. That is good. The powdered nuts will only make the icecream thicker. Add the heavy cream and boil some more. Over all, the milk should be boiled for about 35 minutes. Switch off the flame. Allow milk mixture to cool. Add cold carrot juice and place the entire mixture in the refrigerator to cool.

After it is cooled, pour into the ice cream container and make ice cream as per instructions of your ice cream machine. When ice cream is ready, spoon into a plastic tub and place in freezer for about 15 minutes to firm up some more. Serve scoops in bowls, garnished with additional pistachios if you wish.

Optional ingredients: The icecream can be made more interesting by adding half a tea spoon of saffron strands to the milk mixture at the same time that you add the chopped pistachios. Also, by adding powdered cardomom powder to the milk at the beginning of the recipe. Golden raisins are also optional--may be added into the ice cream machine, or boiled in the milk, depending on your preference.

Now that summer is around the corner, this is a great time to try out this recipe. The carrot juice and milk are very healthy--for children and seniors in particular. Carrots are indeed a dessert food, as fans of carrot cake know well. The creamy orange colour of this dessert is most attractive.

 

Carrot and Orange Ice Cream (needs ice cream maker)

Ingredients

2 cups carrot slices; 2 cups half-and-half; 2 cups heavy cream; 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise; 2 wide strips orange rind; 1 cinnamon stick; 9 egg yolks; 3/4 cup sugar

Method
In small saucepan, boil carrot slices in water until very tender. Drain, then make puree and reserve. In saucepan over medium heat, whisk together half-and-half, cream, vanilla, orange rind and cinnamon stick, stirring to make sure mixture doesn't burn or stick to bottom of pan. When cream mixture reaches a fast simmer (do not let it boil), turn off heat and let flavours infuse 10 minutes.


Whisk egg yolks and sugar together. In thin stream, whisk half of cream mixture into egg yolk mixture. Then pour egg-cream mixture back into saucepan containing rest of cream mixture. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon. At 160 degrees, the mixture will give off a puff of steam. When mixture reaches 180 degrees it will be thickened and creamy, like eggnog. If you do not have a thermometer, test it by dipping a wooden spoon into the mixture.

Run your finger down the back of the spoon. If the stripe remains clear, the mixture is ready; if the edges blur, the mixture is not quite thick enough. When it is ready, quickly remove from heat.

Meanwhile, in a bowl put 2 handfuls of ice cubes in bottom, and add cold water to cover. Rest a smaller bowl in the ice water. Combine the carrot puree with the custard, mixing well. Pour the cream mixture through a fine sieve (to remove vanilla bean pieces, orange rind and cinnamon sticks) into smaller bowl. Chill 3 hours, then continue according to ice-cream maker directions.
 

Carrot Bread
Ingredients
1 cup sugar; 1/2 cup shortening; 1 1/2 cups flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon allspice; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 2 eggs; 1 cup finely grated carrots; 1/2 cup raisins
Method
Cream together sugar and shortening. Sift together dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Add eggs, one at a time. Add grated carrots and raisins. Pour into greased and floured loaf pan (9 1/4 x 5 1/4 x 2 3/4).
Bake for 55 minutes at 375F.
Yield: one loaf -- 18 1/2-inch slices

Carrot Spread
Ingredients:

1(8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened ;  4 small carrots, grated;   1 cup ground pecans; 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion ; 1/4 cup mayonnaise;   salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

In a medium bowl, thoroughly blend cream cheese, carrots, pecans, onion, and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper. Cover, and refrigerate until serving. Serves 16, on a piece of bread or cracker

Carrot Chips (crisps in uk)

Carrot chips are a new and improved version of potato chips. The concept is the same: the root vegetable is washed, sliced, and fried or baked until it is crisp. It can be salted or seasoned much like a potato chip can. Carrot chips, in fact, look much like deep orange potato chips.

Unlike potato chips, however, carrot chips are rich in Vitamin A, an essential part of a healthy diet. Fried carrot chips, like potato chips, can contain a large amount of fat. However, there are many health-food companies that offer baked carrot chips that contain all of the great vitamins, but a nominal amount of fat.

With health consciousness on the rise, people are always looking for better ways to eat. Snacking, it has been found, is a big reason why people gain weight; weight gain, of course, can lead to all kinds of circulatory and skeletal problems and can result in obesity and diabetes. Furthermore, many snack foods such as potato chips are full of fat and calories, but offer little nutrition. Therefore, choosing healthy snack foods like baked carrot chips can be very important to one’s health.

Interested in making your own baked carrot chips for a healthy snack? Here’s a great recipe:

1. Spray a baking sheet with a light coat of oil.
2. Slice your desired number of carrots into rounds that are 1/4 inch (2.54 cm) thick.
3. Place the slices on the baking sheet without overlapping them.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Place the baking sheet in an oven, preheated in 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius).
6. Bake the carrot chips for approximately five minutes, or until the edges turn brown.
7. Turn the chips and back for another 5-10 minutes.
8. Enjoy!

Carrot chips may, in fact, become a very important food in some developing countries University of Nebraska Scientists Ahmad Sulaeman and Judy Driskell have been working with carrot chip recipes. They believe that carrot chips might help to combat vitamin deficiencies in children who are growing up in impoverished circumstances. These scientists are working with deep fried carrot chips. Because people in developing countries have a hard time getting enough calories as well as vitamins, the fat content in deep friend carrot chips is not a concern. In fact, the extra calories can be quite important to their diet. Unlike baked carrot chips, deep fried carrot chips can contain over 50% fat.
 


Carrot Hot Dog - click here

three carrot bunch Top 10 reasons for eating Carrots

Have you had your carrots today? Maybe you don't realise there are 10 very good reasons why you should be eating this wonderful vegetable every day.

1. They taste good. Carrots have a mild, pleasant flavour that is great by themselves or blended with other foods.

2. Carrots can be eaten cooked or raw. Crunchy or soft, from soups to salad, it's entirely up to your mood or your menu.

3. Kids (even toddlers) like the mild taste of carrots.

4. Raw carrots are great to carry in a sack lunch, to your next picnic, or in the car when you are on the go.

5. Carrots are available and in season all year long.

6. Carrots are inexpensive all year.

7. They are a great source of Vitamin A and Beta Carotene. Vitamin A is very important for healthy skin, eyes, hair , growth, and helps our bodies resist infections. Beta Carotene is linked to reducing chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. (see nutrition page).

8. Carrots are a good source of fibre. Fibre is important of our gastrointestinal tracts and is linked to reducing cholesterol in our bodies.

9. Carrots are low in calories. One average carrot contains about 30 calories.

10. Carrots are a great source of alpha carotene, probably more powerful than beta carotene in inhibiting processes that may lead to tumor growth.

Try to eat a carrot a day.  Here's how:

The basic rule of this diet is to add a carrot at or near the beginning of every meal. Why should this work? This works because a bulky carrot at or near the meal's beginning leaves five fruits a dayno room in the stomach at the meal's end for the extra ice-cream or cheesecake. That saves perhaps 500 calories a day, which translates to a weight loss of about a pound a week. Even plain water at the beginning of a meal will tend to create a full feeling in the stomach sooner in the meal. This will reduce the amount of food consumed at the end. But eating carrot is more fun.

Getting your carrot-a-day is easy, considering the vegetable's versatility and blendability. And subtlety: carrots enhance but don't overwhelm. Here are ways to put power on your table.

Cook grated carrots with beans, split peas, lentils, rice, pastas. Good in stuffing. Try them roasted - split large carrots lengthways and brush with a little oil then put on a roasting tray  in a 200c oven for about 45 minutes until tender and browned. Try roast carrots, potato, sweet potato and pumpkin serve with steamed green vegetables and a nice sauce.

Toss grated carrot with potatoes for hashbrowns. (Toss in grated zucchini and minced onion, too.)

Add to sauces, white or red. Grated carrots give body and impart subtle flavour, and they fit any tomato or creamy soup, sauce, or casserole.

Mix finely-ground carrots into peanut butter. New kind of crunch. (If you want to make a really GOOD Peanut Butter & carrot sandwich, smoosh in a banana.)

Hot and Cold Salad: Sautč onion, green pepper, and grated or finely sliced carrots. Remove from heat and pour your preferred salad vinegar over hot veggies. (It will hiss and steam.) While hot, add to chilled salad greens. Toss and serve.

Herb and Vegetable Bread or Biscuits: To your regular dough, add finely grated carrots; minced onion (dried flakes or fresh green); parsley; garlic powder; sprinkle of basil and skosh of oregano or sage. We like to add some dried or pesto tomatoes and a few hearty shakes of parmesan cheese.

For some reason, males and small children who normally turn down veggies like those baby carrots. They come washed, peeled, prepackaged - meaning they cost more than their bulk-buy counterparts. But it's still more nutrition per penny than fast food.

Lose weight  - no problem! -Click here!  

The Wonder of Carrot Juice

The cookware we use for food preparation, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the pesticide-sprayed leafy greens we eat, can lead to an exposure to heavy metals. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, October 1985, carrot juice can pull these heavy metals from fatty tissue where they reside, bind them up, and discharge them from the system.

Carrot juice, because of its many healthy benefits, is frequently called the "miracle juice." A large number of people in all walks of life suffering from various ailments have found that the inclusion of carrot juice in their diet has greatly improved their health. Countless others have found it to be a valuable "protective" agent in the building and maintenance of health in both children and adults, while its delicious flavour makes it popular with all members of the family as a beverage, plain or combined with other juices.

 Carrot juice is a very important source of vitamin A. Scientists in the U.S. estimate that this juice contains the largest source of vitamin A, than any other fruit juice. Carrot juice provides an important source of dietary fibre and has approximately 24 calories in each 2 oz. Serving. It contains important nutrients such as calcium, phosphorous, iron, sodium, potassium, vitamin B complex, vitamin A, and as mentioned - mostly vitamin A.

Carrot juice is a therapeutic agent used for over 150 years as an ancient practice. It is twin carrotreported to contain healing properties that have proven to treat varied diseases. Even complexion problems can be eliminated with the intake and digestion of needed potassium in carrot juice to help neutralize excess acid to the skin. The vitamin A in carrot juice helps the liver flush out toxins from the body - toxins that cause complexion problems.

 Learn more about your favourite beverage at Carrot Juice Com here: All about Carrot Juice

Fresh juice has the ability to distribute an additional significant variety of nutrients, recognized as enzymes, which are your body's labour power. Performing as catalysts in hundreds of thousands of chemical reactions that occur throughout your body, enzymes are crucial for digestion and amalgamation of food, for conversion of food packs into body tissue, and for the creation of energy at the cellular level. In fact, enzymes are vital for most of the metabolic actions taking position in your body every second of every day.

Fresh juices are a wonderful resource of enzymes. The freshness of juice is one of their key features, since enzymes are damaged by high temperature. Given that fruits and vegetables are juiced uncooked, the enzymes are still there when you drink the juice!

Fruit and vegetable juices are also excellent sources of the traditional nutrients. Citrus fruits (grapefruit, oranges, etc.) are packed with vitamin C. Carrot juice contains vitamin A, in the form of beta-carotene. Green juices are excellent sources of vitamin E. Fruit juices are also a source of essential minerals like iron, copper, potassium, sodium, iodine, and magnesium, which are most easily assimilated throughout digestion.

Since juicing eliminates the hard to digest fibre, nutrients are obtainable to the body in a great deal of larger quantities than if the piece of fruit or vegetable was eaten whole. For instance, since a lot of of the nutrients are in the fibre, when you eat a raw carrot, you are only able to absorb about 1% of the beta-carotene. When a carrot is juiced, eliminating the fibre, virtually 100% of the beta-carotene may be assimilated.

Fruits and vegetables offer another substance that is completely fundamental for good health - water. Over 65% of most of the cells in the human body are made of water, and in some tissues, such as the brain, the cells may be made up of as much as 80% water. Water is extremely necessary for good health, yet most people don't consume enough water each day. Fruit and vegetable juices are free of unnecessary substances and are bursting with pure, clean water.

(reference http://www.soymilkquick.com/juice.html)

 


Make Carrot Juice
1. Wash fresh, whole carrots. Trim off the ends.
2. Following instructions for your model, push carrots through juicer, catching juice in cup as directed.
3. Clean pulp from strainer as you go along, if necessary.
4. Drink juice immediately or within a few days. Carrot juice does not keep for long and tastes best when fresh.

Best carrot for juicing or eating raw? - almost any but a variety called Neptun is an excellent long season 'Flakee' type carrot with large conical roots up to 12in/30cm long, with an intense orange colour and are particularly sweet for their type.

Preparing Carrots for Juicing. Wash carrots thoroughly in cold water, using a stiff vegetable brush. Scrape lightly, but do not peel, as valuable vitamins and minerals lies close to the surface. The juice should be taken immediately it is made, if at all possible. If not, let the juice flow directly into glass jars which should then be covered with screw-on lids. After pouring the quantity to be used immediately, keep the remaining juice tightly covered, in the refrigerator to prevent loss of vitamin and mineral content through oxidation.

Carrot juice blends with practically all other juices. It is a delicious nourishing beverage for all members of the family at all times and it should be an important part of the diet in cases of illness. One pound of carrots will make approximately six to eight ounces of carrot juice. The large, firm, dark-yellow carrots should be selected for juicing, rather than the light-yellow ones, because of their greater carotene content.

Black Carrot has been planted in Turkey for over a century and is juiced  for fresh drinking and manufacturing a local sharp summer drink called "Salgam". Tameks Tarim is the Turkish producer and their site is www.tameks.com.

Tips

It is not necessary to peel the carrots, but if they are not organic, you may wish to.
Try running an inch or so of ginger root through the juicer with the carrots for a zesty variation.
Yes, you can freeze carrot juice, but:
1. It will be very thin and separated when thawed (so you can use it for cooking, for an ingredient in salad dressing, etc, but not so great for drinking)
2. It may pick up flavours in the freezer, so be certain to wrap it very tightly.
3. A small amount of nutritional value will be lost.
4. There is no need to blanche the carrots first, just make juice as normal in a juicer.
5. It should last a month, but it's never as good as fresh.


Now try Jamaican Carrot Juice - with a kick!


This carrot juice drink, made mostly on Sundays, is the crowned king of Jamaican dinner juices. This is one of the methods used to make this juice.
Ingredients:
2lbs. Carrot
1 can Condensed Milk
Ľ lb Sugar
2 tablespoon nutmeg
2 tablespoon vanilla flavoring
3 cups water
Tools:
Electric Blender
Fine grain strainer
Wash the carrots to remove any dirt or foreign matter, then cut the carrots into tiny pieces, let us say 1/8 inch (please, do not measure the pieces just estimate).
Put carrots into the Electric Blender one handful at a time until the Blender is ľ ways full, each time. Add about ˝ cup of water to the carrots in the Blender. Turn the Blender switch to puree and allow carrots to process until they are ground to a pulp.
Remove pulp and place into a large mixing bowl. Add 1 cup water to pulp. Using your clean hand, squeeze the pulp in your palm, allowing the juice to flow through the strainer.
Put the squeezed pulp on a plate to the side. Repeat this process until all the pulp is squeezed.
Add water to the squeezed pulp that you put on a plate earlier, in a mixing bowl.
Squeeze this pulp again. Drain carrot juice into another container through the strainer so as to stop any remaining pulp from getting into the final product.
Mix in the condensed milk with the carrot juice, add sugar to taste. Add nutmeg and vanilla flavoring.
You can add more water or more ingredients if you like, to bring about the taste you desire.
Add a capful of white rum to the mixture to enhance the flavour!
 


 

three carrot bunch 10 Great Uses For Carrot Juice

I guess most people think of carrot juice as a health-food store item for "cranks". In fact it has been available on supermarket shelves for years. You will find cans of carrot juice where other canned fruit and vegetable juices are. And although a freshly "squeezed" glass of carrot juice made in a juicer may seem like it's better for you, the canned juice has no preservatives, no added ingredients, and every bit as much beta-carotene as the fresh stuff.

So why not give it a go and discover these inventive uses for this "wonder drug":

1.  In Breads & Muffins:

Substitute carrot juice for some or all of the liquid in a bread recipe. It works for yeast breads as well as for quick breads and muffins. The carrot juice gives the bread an incredibly rich, golden colour and a hint of sweetness

2 .In Risottos & Pilau:

Instead of cooking rice or barley or couscous in water or broth (canned broth, after all, doesn't add much to food except salt), try simmering or steeping it in carrot juice. You'll wind up with golden grains that look like they've been cooked with saffron (at a tiny, tiny fraction of the price, and a huge health benefit that saffron does not have

3. In Soups & Stews:

Don't even think about making soup with water when you can use carrot juice instead. Savoury soups and stews, minestrone, chilli, tomato, cream of carrot (naturally), winter squash, split pea, you name it--benefit from the added richness. And if you're a fan of fruit soups, you can sneak some carrot juice in there, too.

4. In Sauces:

Another place this "liquid gold" fits in: sauces. Carrot juice can be incorporated into pasta (tomato) sauce, meat or poultry gravies, and savoury cream sauces, and to thin vegetable purees to pouring consistency.

5. In Mashed Potatoes:

Add carrot juice to mashed white potatoes or sweet potatoes. The mash will look like it's dripping with butter whether you add any or not. And that goes for other mashable vegetables like turnips, parsnips or celery root.

6. In Cakes & Biscuits:

If you're baking a cake, try subbing carrot juice for half the milk in the recipe to enrich the golden-ness of a gold cake or a fruit or nut cake. Carrot juice makes a wonderful addition to chocolate cakes and brownies, too.

7 As a Poultry Glaze:

In Broiled Carrot-Glazed Chicken, brushed a sweet-tart glaze (made of carrot juice, honey, and vinegar) over chicken breasts and then broil them. Some of the same mixture is used as a sauce. You could use carrot juice as the foundation for other glazes too: for chicken, meat, or fish.

8. In Homemade Pasta:

If you go to the trouble of making pasta from scratch, you might as well use carrot juice instead water and enjoy some jazzy orange pasta. The flavour will be subtle, so don't worry about coming up with a "taste-matching" sauce. But the colour suggests some complementary ingredients: slivers of smoked salmon, winter-squash puree, a curried-chicken topping, for instance.

9. In Ice Creams & Puddings:

Use carrot juice in place of about one-third to one-half of the milk in puddings, custards, or ice creams. It works well with chocolate (the sweetness of the carrot juice complements and heightens the chocolate flavours)

10. In Drinks:

Last but not least. Add carrot juice to orange juice, tomato juice, pineapple juice, apricot nectar, beet juice. It's not just the flavours that will surprise you, but the vivid colours you can mix up. Or make a smoothie: Consider a blend of peaches, vanilla yoghurt, carrot juice, a pinch of nutmeg and a splash of almond extract. Or orange juice, carrot juice, banana yoghurt, and a few drops of vanilla...you get the idea?. (Feeling wicked? Add a splash of vodka, a squirt of grenadine and a dash of lime juice to your cupful of carrot juice and top with a mint sprig.)

Top ten vitamin A-rich foods

1. liver, 3.5 oz, braised (10,602 µg) 6. cantaloupe, 1 cup (515 µg)
2. sweet potato, 4 oz, baked (2,487 µg) 7. apricots, dried, 10 halves (253 µg)
3. CARROT, 1 raw (2,025 µg) 8. milk, 1 cup (149 µg)
4. mango, 1 medium (805 µg) 9. egg yolk (84 µg)
5. spinach, 1/2 cup, boiled (737 µg) 10. mozzarella cheese, part skim, 1 ounce (50 µg)

Visit the Vitamin A page. Click here.

Shopping and Storage (Freezing, Microwaving, Canning, Pickling and how to dry carrots)

Purchase carrots with a smooth and firm surface. They should not look wilted. If buying carrots with their greenery, make sure the leaves are moist and bright green; the carrots should be firm and smooth. Remove carrot greenery as soon as possible because it robs the roots of moisture and vitamins. Avoid those which are dry with cracks or any that have begun to soften and wither. The best carrots are young and slender. Carrots should feel heavy, not bend at all and when grated should be quite juicy. The more orange they look, the more beta-carotene they contain.

When buying them, look for vibrantly coloured bunches of firm, well-shaped carrots with bright-green tops. If the tops are shrivelled, then you know the carrots are old. Of course, carrots are often sold with the tops removed. To judge the freshness in this case, inspect the stem end for darkening, a sure sign it's been around awhile.

Tiny baby carrots are very tender and sweeter but, because of their lack of maturity, not as flavourful as their full-grown siblings. Store carrots in a plastic bag in the refrigerator's vegetable bin. Avoid storing them near fruit, particularly apples and pears, which emit ethylene gas as they ripen that can give carrots a bitter taste and decrease the storage life of carrots and other vegetables.  Also keep away from peaches. A light rinsing is all that's necessary for young carrots and tiny baby carrots; older carrots can be peeled if necessary but remember much of the goodness is in the skin.

If carrots have become limp or dehydrated, re-crisp them in a bowl of ice water for about half an hour. The coarse core of older carrots should be removed.  Carrots which an excessive amount of new sprouts or leaves could have large or woody cores.

To store the carrots -  The trick to preserving the freshness of carrot roots is to minimize the amount of moisture they lose.

First remove the greens, since they draw away moisture from the root. Tightly seal unwashed carrots in a plastic bag in the coolest part refrigerator. Wash just before using, since the added moisture in the bag could cause spoilage. Carrots begin to go limp once exposed to air.

Perhaps the best way to enjoy freshly picked carrots is to eat them raw, or simply steam or boil them. For tender, young carrots,  just scrub them well before taking either approach. Larger carrots, can have a tough skin and have too strong a flavour.  Try to resist peeling as much of the goodness is in the skin.

Depending on how fresh your carrots are they should last a couple of weeks and probably longer. Ideally growing your own is the way to go as they are very easy with many varieties suiting patio tubs and the traditional large garden variety. This means you can simply pick all you need and leave the rest in the ground.  If you are limited on space or motivation buy the freshest you can find.

Carrots should also be stored away from apples, pears, potatoes and other fruits and vegetables that produce ethylene gas since it will cause them to become bitter.

Home Freezingtwin carrot - To freeze carrots they must be blanched. Blanching (scalding vegetables in boiling water or steam for a short time) is a must for almost all vegetables to be frozen. Blanching slows or stops enzyme action which can cause loss of flavour, colour and texture. For home freezing, the best way to blanch carrots is in boiling water. Use a blancher with a basket and cover, or fit a wire basket into a large kettle with a lid. The youngest and most tender carrots freeze the best.

Use one gallon of water per pound of prepared vegetable. Using these proportions, the water should continue to boil when vegetables are lowered into the water. Put the carrots in the blanching basket and lower into vigorously boiling water. Place a lid on the blancher. Start counting blanching time as soon as the water returns to a boil. Time for whole Carrots is minimum of 5 minutes.

Keep the heat high so that water continues to boil throughout the blanching process. Select young, tender, coreless, medium length carrots. Remove tops, wash and peel. Leave small carrots whole. Cut others into thin slices, Ľ-inch cubes or lengthwise strips.

Water blanch small whole carrots for 5 minutes, diced or sliced 2 minutes and lengthwise strips take 2 minutes.

Cool promptly drain and place in plastic containers, leaving ˝-inch head space. Seal and freeze as soon as possible.

Microwaving - Research has shown that microwave blanching is not always an effective method, as some enzymes may not be inactivated. This could result in low-quality frozen vegetables with off-colors, off-flavours and poor texture. If blanching is done in a microwave oven, follow individual manufacturer's instructions. Microwave blanching does not save time or energy.
How to successfully microwave carrots. Here is how we do it. Take a suitable dish which has a removeable cover, we use a pirex dish and lid (which is microwave, heat proof glassware). Take about a pound of carrots (half kilo) and put them in the dish. These can be whole carrots or sliced it makes no difference. Boil some water in a kettle and pour the boiling water over the carrots to cover them, then immediately pour off the water leaving the carrots still wet and the merest hint of water in the bottom of the dish. Put the lid on then Microwave at full power for about 8 minutes. This works every time.

Canning - Canned carrots must be processed in a pressure canner. Do not can in a water bath canner. To can carrots safely follow these simple instructions;
1. Select small carrots, preferably 1 to 1 1/4 inch in diameter. Large carrots are often too fibrous. Wash, peel and rewash carrots. Slice or dice.
2. Hot Pack -- Cover carrots with water and bring to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes. Pack into hot jars, leaving 1-inch head space. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to pints; 1 teaspoon to quarts, if desired.
3. Fill jars to 1 inch from top with boiling water.
4. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rims. Adjust two piece lids and process.
5. Process in a Dial Gauge Pressure Canner at 11 pounds pressure or in a Weighted Gauge Pressure Canner at 10 pounds pressure: pints for 25 minutes and quarts for 30 minutes.

Pickling - Another great way of preserving excess carrots is to pickle them. try this recipe. These pickled carrots make a wonderful condiment with curry, and add a tangy, sweet and sour note to salads.

Ingredients

8 oz. carrots, peeled and cut into match sticks about 2" long
1 tbsp. coarse salt
1 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
crushed red chili pepper flakes, to taste

Place the carrots in a bowl and toss with the salt. Allow to sit for 1 hour. Drain well.
Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, brown sugar, and chili flakes in a small saucepan. Heat over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Add the vinegar mixture to the carrots and toss well. Allow to marinate for 1-2 hours before serving, or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Yield: about 1-1/2 cups.

Carrot Preserve, Carrot Pickle, Carrots in Syrup

How to Dry Carrots

Carrots are incredibly easy to dry! Simply top & tail the carrots & then wash & peel. Chop the carrots into 2-4mm slices and then place on the trays of your Ezidri, making sure the pieces aren't touching. Dehydrate at 55 deg C (Snackmaker - Medium) for 10 hours.

You can also choose to grate your carrots & create your own dehydrated carrot flakes. These should take between 6 & 10 hours to dry, and should be placed on Mesh Sheets.

Carrots are 88% water so they will reduce in size considerably. You may want to condense the trays a few hours into the drying process. When ready, the carrots should be crisp to the touch with no visible signs of moisture.

Dried carrots can be used directly in recipes where they will absorb a lot of water. Another great idea is to place the dried carrot pieces into a food processor and make into a fine powder which is delicious in soups, casseroles, drinks & more. Included in this section is several recipes which make use of Carrot powder - make sure you check them out!

To store your carrot pieces, flakes or powder, place in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark place.

three carrot bunch 10 excellent ways to use up Carrot pulp

1. Feed your carrot pulp to rabbits, dogs, cats, and horses, among other members of the animal kingdom.

2. Use this pulp for making healthy muesli bars for children. Children love them so much. Here is the recipe:

Soak rolled oats in the water (do not make them soggy) and add to them carrot and apple pulp. Then add chopped almonds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, linen seeds, and sultanas . Add honey to taste. Mix thoroughly together and then put and flatten into a baking tray. Bake at 180-190 C until nice and dry.

3. Make Golden Macaroons - I'm sure there can be lots of variations with this recipe so I hope everyone enjoys it.
1 cup grated raw carrots, packed;1/2 cup water ;1/3 cup honey
1 1/2 cup coconut ; 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup of oats
1/2 tsp salt (optional) 1 tsp vanilla
Blend dry, quick or rolled oats to make a flour. Mix well all ingredients. Let sit 10 min. firmly pack dough into a tablespoon then drop on an oiled baking sheet. Bake at 325f for 30 min.

4. Mix carrot pulp in with spaghetti sauce along with the fresh onions and garlic.

5. Save the pulp and make delicious muffins with whole wheat flour and honey.

6. Carrot cake and patties. Patties can be made of half cooked brown rice, half carrot pulp, and chopped onions, garlic, and green peppers. Use an egg to bind it together, but I'm sure flour would work just as well.

7. You can also add to the apple and carrot pulp some grated horseradish for a good winter salad. If you use celeriac bulb for juicing, then that pulp is excellent with crushed garlic and makes a healthy type of mayonnaise to spread on toast.

8. Freeze the pulp in freezer bags pressing them flat so they are easy to break off a piece. This is good to drop into soups, sauces, mixes of various sorts. It works in anything.

9. Gather pulp in the refrigerator until there is plenty then dry it out. You have dried carrot pulp flakes. This keeps indefinitely. Sprinkle it on or in just about anything including on top of salad as "sprinkles." It also works well in whole grain quick breads such as muffins, pancakes, etc. Depending on what you plan to put it in, if you need moisture added, use the moist pulp either fresh or frozen. If you want it dry, as on salad, use the dehydrated.

10. If all else fails use in the compost bin. It adds moisture to the dry layer above and below it and cuts composting time significantly.

The Hallelujah Diet

Have you heard of the Baptist pastor who at the age of 42 was pastoring a large church in Glenfalls New York and was stricken with colon cancer? He heard about a different way to eat so he started on raw vegetables, fruit, barley green, distilled water and for the first couple of months 8 to 10 glasses of pure carrot juice a day. Not only did his cancer disappear but every other ailment as well. That was about 18 years ago and now Dr George Malkmus gives seminars across the US and Canada and recently in Australia. He says "Eat the Hallelujah Diet and you do not have illness". Quite a claim!

Check out the website of Hallelujah Acres for yourself. Forget the religious hype and see the diet then read the testimonies from people of all ages who have had their serious cancers, diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease and other serious illnesses disappear as a result of the diet.

Polish Christmas Eve Dinner

In Polish tradition Christmas Eve is celebrated with a thirteen course dinner. One condition covers this event - there must be no meat dish. This inevitably involves the introduction of at least one carrot dish.

If you want to go the whole way with the thirteen course Christmas Eve Dinner then tradition dictates three different soups; three fish entrees; and there must be an odd number of appetizers, garnishes, accompaniments, and desserts to complete the meal.

In "The Best Of Polish Cooking" Karen West suggests:

Christmas Eve Barszcz (beetroot soup), Christmas Almond Soup, Beer Soup with Eggs; Smoked Salmon Omelettes, Poached Pike, Carp with Horseradish Sauce; Baby Carrots Polonaise, Hot Polish Chicory, Mushroom Stuffed Tomatoes; Christmas Eve Bread, Poppyseed Roll, and Fruit Compote.

However she generously admits that, "even the most diligent chef finds it difficult to incorporate all the above dishes in one meal"!

How to successfully microwave carrots.

Here is how we do it. Take a suitable dish which has a removeable cover, we use a pirex dish and lid (which is microwave, heat proof glassware). Take about a pound of carrots (half kilo) and put them in the dish.  These can be whole carrots or sliced it makes no difference. Boil some water in a kettle and pour the boiling water over the carrots to cover them, then immediately pour off the water leaving the carrots still wet and the merest hint of water in the bottom of the dish. Put the lid on then Microwave at full power for about 8 minutes. This works every time. Back to start.



Eat your Carrot Green Tops (the leaves)

There is some debate about whether you can eat the green leaves. 

Despite the presence of celery and carrots in the carrot family of Apiaceae ("umbellifers"), many other members of the family are highly poisonous, but not carrot.

They ARE edible and are highly nutritive, rich in protein, minerals and vitamins. The tops of the carrots are loaded with potassium which can make them bitter, so the use of them in food is limited. However, it is edible, so you may mix some in with a mixed lettuce salad. You may also use it for garnish. Combine your common sense and your creative skills, and invent something! That's what makes cooking fun. It is a form of art.  Carrot greens are high in vitamin K, which is lacking in the carrot itself.

The leaves do contain furocoumarins that may cause allergic contact dermatitis from the leaves, especially when wet. Later exposure to the sun may cause mild photodermatitis. (This is NOT the same as 'poisonous' - it will only affect susceptible people with allergies to the plant. Some people have the same reaction to yarrow, ragwort, chamomile etc.)

There is a distinct difference between toxins and allergens. Carrots (Daucus carota), whether wild or domesticated, are not toxic, they are allergenic. This is like peanuts, which are not toxic but can kill those who are allergic to them.
It is however  important that any wild plant be positively identified before it is used for food.

Carrot greens have antiseptic qualities, so they have been added to mouthwashes and, mixed with honey, to disinfect sores. They are also diuretic (increase urine flow), and can help treat kidney disease and edema.

Here is a suggestion. The carrot leaves are pretty, but bitter, so what about using it on something that is robust in flavour, but boring in appearance? Decorate a pate with it, and glace it with aspic.

What about a "carrot top pesto vinaigrette"? You can hide the bitterness under the tangy vinegar, and sweeten it slightly with some honey.

Try sauteeing the chopped carrot tops lightly in olive oil with garlic and onion. Then add other garden-grown veggies (the carrots themselves, zucchini, tomato, peppers, fresh herbs), sautee some more, then fold the entire garden mish-mash inside a whole wheat tortilla, brown it, and call it a quesadilla. Truly a great vegan treat, and the carrot tops gave a nice crunchy texture. It is a delightful garden feast. I recommend adding your carrot tops to other things you may already have simmering on the stove.

As a matter of interest it was Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides (c. 40-c. 90) who catalogued over 600 medicinal plant species and said that the Greeks used carrot leaves against cancerous tumours. So you could always try that too!


Carrot leaves were included in the 'potherbs' of old, but originally, of course, only Queen Anne's Lace was used (QAL is Wild Carrot). They are also an ancient source for yellow dye. (read more below)

Carrot Top Soup Recipe

6 small to medium carrots with tops and roots
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons white rice
2 large leeks, white parts only
2 thyme or lemon thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons chopped dill, parsley, or celery leaves
salt and freshly ground pepper
6 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock, or water
Pull or pluck the lacy leaves of the carrot greens off their stems. You should have between 2-3 cups, loosely packed. Wash, then chop finely. Grate the carrots or, if you want a more refined-looking soup, finely chop them. Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the carrot tops and carrots, rice, leeks, thyme, and dill. Cook for several minutes, turning everything a few times, then season with 1 1/2 teaspoons slat and add the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer until the rice is cooked, 16-18 minutes. Taste for salt, season with pepper, and serve.
 


Do they Turn green in your cakes??

Have you heard of the situation where carrot shreds in carrot cake turn bright green after baking. Some cooks think this is crazy. Do you know what circumstances produce the colour change?  Is it the sequence ingredients are added, the type of oven (gas vs. electric) used? People seem to either be familiar with the colour change or deny that it happens. Any ideas?

Answers so far - it could be a reaction to the baking soda. You may try this experiment next time: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Put your shredded carrots in a fine mesh colander, and dip it in the boiling water for 5-10 seconds, and then straight in to ice water (to stop the cooking process). Now they are blanched, and are less sensitive to chemical reactions.

OR Sometimes cakes will turn greenish if left to cool in a metal pan. This is due to the oxidisation of the metal, and can be prevented by turning the cake out onto a cooling rack after about 10 minutes. We have heard of carrots turning green when bought in packages pre-grated. This could also be due to oxidization. You might try peeling your carrots first, before grating them.

OR The colour change in your carrots is probably because they have been mixed or baked in a metal pan. Some aluminum and stainless steel dishes can cause the carrots to oxidise and turn green. Use a glass bowl to mix, and line metal baking pans with parchment.

OR It is simply oxidisation. Sometimes it may also cause a reaction when mixed in an aluminum or stainless steel bowl or even when baked in an aluminum pan. If that's the case, you could just mix it in a glass bowl and line your pan with parchment. It may be even a reaction from the baking soda/powder. Carrots naturally turn green if even left out, especially uncooked shreds.

OR Make sure to peel all of your carrots before shredding them and you won't have bits of green in your cake!

For a more in depth scientific discussion on the problem click here.

If anyone does have a suggestion please get in touch with the Curator, click here


Carrot Leaf Dye

CARROT TOPS (daucus carota)
WHERE TO FIND IT: cultivated in a vegetable garden. Sometimes growing wild if it has been left to escape from the garden.
HARVEST TIME: in the summer, when the tops are a lush green and, before turning to seed.
INGREDIENTS: chop up the green foliage of 6 large carrot tops, 1 litre boiling water,alum.
Extra foliage can be added to made a slightly darker colour using no more than 300ml of water
EXTRACTION PROCESS: boil tops for half an hour. Strain liquid, and add 2 teaspoons of alum; make sure the alum is dissolved.
COLOUR MADE: light yellow.
LIGHTFAST QUALITIES: 4: fugitive pigment. The colour fades away over 3 to 5 months, depending on the amount of carrot tops used.
SHADEFAST QUALITIES: the colour fades over a 2 year period.
RUBBINGS: makes a very pale green colour.
METHOD: take the leaves and use them as a crayon, rub directly onto the paper.
LIGHTFAST QUALITY: 4: fugitive pigment. Fades over a 6 month period to an off white colour.
SHADEFAST QUALITY: 4: fugitive pigment. Fades over a 6 month period to an off
white colour.
 



 

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