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dalthauserI was thinning carrots in my garden yesterday and biting off the little mini carrots that I pulled - then I wondered if the greens were edible. I bit off a little bit and chewed it; it tasted okay, but I spit it out because I didn't know if they were poisionous (like Tomato leaves). I checked today and several reliable links say - Yes! - you can eat them!!
Eat your Green Tops
You can also eat your green carrot leaves, they 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 antiseptic, 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!
Eat your Green Tops
You can also eat your green carrot leaves, they 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 antiseptic, 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!
