Yahoo Movies How to Store Carrots So They Stay Crunchy
Our best advice for keeping carrots fresh.
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Naturally sweet and full of nutrients, carrots are among the most versatile vegetables out there. Carrots make it easy to eat the rainbow, since they come in a whole range of colors—from orange, to red, to purple, and beyond. But too often, bags of carrots are left to rot in crisper drawers, forgotten after just one or two have been used. To avoid letting that happen, try out some delicious, carrot-forward recipes, and follow our advice for how to store carrots so you don’t lose whatever you don’t use.
How to Store Whole Carrots
Trim off the carrot greens, and either discard them or save them for something else, like pesto. If you leave the greens on the carrots, they will draw moisture and cause the roots to rot more quickly. Avoid washing whole, unpeeled carrots until right before you plan to eat or cook with them; by keeping them dry, they will stay good for a longer period of time. When stored properly, whole carrots can last for about three to four weeks in the fridge.
Wrap unpeeled, unwashed carrots in a dry paper towel, and store them in an airtight food storage container or bag.
Store the container of carrots in the coolest part of your refrigerator.
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How to Store Peeled Carrots
Carrot peels act as a protective layer, so when they’re removed, the carrots dry out more easily than they would otherwise. Luckily, there’s a method to store peeled carrots that’ll keep them fresh and crunchy for nearly a month.
Wash peeled carrots thoroughly.
In a container, submerge carrots in cool water, and place in the refrigerator.
Change the water every few days to inhibit bacterial growth.
Rinse peeled carrots once more before eating them.
How to Store Baby Carrots
Most baby carrots are actually adult carrots, peeled and cut into small shapes. Therefore, you can store them the same way you would store any peeled carrots.
Wash baby carrots thoroughly.
In a container, submerge carrots in cool water, and place in the refrigerator.
Change the water every few days to inhibit bacterial growth.
Rinse baby carrots once more before eating them.
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How to Store Cooked Carrots
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, cooked carrots will last for about four days.
Let cooked carrots cool completely.
Transfer cooked and cooled carrots to an airtight container, and place it in the refrigerator.
Can You Freeze Carrots?
Yes, you can freeze carrots! We recommend blanching carrots before freezing, which slows down the enzymatic action that causes vegetables to decay and lose their best qualities—flavor, vibrancy, nutritional value, etc.
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Peel and cut carrots.
Blanch the carrots in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the carrots’ size, then transfer them to a bowl of ice water.
To avoid the carrots sticking together once frozen, spread out the carrots on a baking sheet, then put them in a freezer for around 3 hours, or until frozen through.
Transfer the frozen carrots to an airtight bag, and return to the freezer.
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