What To Do With Carrot Tops, What Do Carrot Tops Taste Like & A Carrot Top Pesto Recipe

Do you throw carrot tops away? I used to, but now I try my best to waste as little as possible, not only for the environmental benefits, but to help the strain on my purse strings too, and let's face it, we could all do with a little of that amidst the current energy prices!

In this post I’ll cover debunking the theory that carrot tops are poisonous, giving you ideas for what you can do with carrot tops, (including a yummy pesto recipe!), and how to store carrot tops.

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Can You Eat Carrot Tops? Are Carrot Tops Poisonous?

Yes, you can 100% eat carrot tops (carrot greens), they are not poisonous. They do contain trace amounts of alkaloids, just like most green veg, but the alkaloids in these tops are not harmful to us mere humans, the alkaloids help the plants protect themselves against pathogens.

Carrot tops are a great source of nutrients such as vitamins A, C and K, calcium, Iron, Potassium and dietary fiber.

What Do Carrot Tops Taste Like?

Most have an earthy taste, think root vegetables. Their texture however is much like coarser parsley, carrot tops can be used to replace parsley in many recipes.

How To Store Carrot Tops, Can You Freeze Carrot Tops?

You can store carrot tops in the fridge for up to around 5 days if you wash and dry them well before storing them in an air-tight container. Be sure to use them before they start turning brown. Bonus Tip: Cut the tops off of the carrots as soon as you get them home, if you leave them attached the tops will suck moisture from the carrots and start to go soggy.

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.

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What To Do With Carrot Tops

They are really versatile, great for use in sauces and as a herb replacement, here are a few of my favourite ways to use carrot tops:

Pesto (see recipe below)
Mixed into green salads
As a garnish
Smoothie
Chimichurri sauce
As a parsley or coriander replacement

Carrot Top Pesto Recipe 🥕

what-to-do-with-carrot-tops-what-do-carrot-tops-taste-like-recipe

Serves 4 as a dip or pasta sauce

5 minutes

Super-easy

Inspired by original Riverford recipe

Ingredients

Carrot top leaves from 8-10 carrots (I used carrots from Riverford)
A handful of basil leaves
Palmful of hazelnuts
30g Parmesan
Juice of half a lemon
1 garlic clove
Plenty of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Method

Blitz all ingredients with a generous glug of olive oil in a blender/food processor (I use a Nutribullet)
Continue to add oil till you get your desired consistency

If you're interested in finding out more about Riverford, farm fresh food delivered right to your door, check out my Riverford Review.

Can You Grow Your Own Carrots?

Yes indeed! If you sow them outdoors in March/April, you should be able to harvest them May through July, all weather dependant of course, and here in the UK... who knows! I've got a Vegepod that I grow a few vegetables and herbs in and I love it. Where will you grow yours?