Carrots are a staple vegetable that you need for so many recipes, but sometimes they can get a little soft and limp if they sit around for a while. Don’t toss them – this hack for freshening carrots will make them as good as the day you bought them.
Carrots are such a versatile vegetable and are great for all kinds of dishes. Shred them for a refreshing carrot salad, or add them to coleslaw. They’re great roasted and served with chicken and couscous or as part of chicken in white wine. Of course they’re sweet and delicious simply peeled, sliced, and dipped in creamy creamy buttermilk ranch dressing.
Fresh, perfectly crunchy carrots are what we’re after – but sometimes, you end with carrots that are past their prime. Rather than throw them away, use this hack to get them crunchy and fresh again.
Why You’ll Love This Hack to Freshen Carrots
- Super simple: This hack requires no equipment besides a big mixing bowl, and it only takes a few minutes to revive droopy, sad carrots.
- Save money and reduce waste: Bring your old, soft carrots back to their crunchy, fresh glory and save yourself a trip to the store as well as saving yourself money and reducing food waste.
How can I tell if my carrots have gone bad?
While this tip will help with carrots that are limp, it won’t help if you’re carrots have gone bad. Check your carrots for areas that are soft or mushy, and check the bag they came in for extra liquid. Of course, if you see any mold or visibly rotten carrots, you should discard them right away. As long as the carrots are simply soft and don’t smell bad or appear spoiled, you should be able to revive them with this hack.
Why does this hack work?
Carrots are about 90% water. As carrots sit in the refrigerator, they lose moisture – that’s why they usually are stored in the produce drawer, which has a higher humidity than the rest of the refrigerator. Unfortunately, even the produce drawer can’t delay the inevitable, and sometimes carrots get dry and a little floppy when they sit for too long.
However, they will absorb water easily and can revert back to their firm texture.
What You’ll Need
- Carrots
- A large mixing bowl
- Ice and water
How To Freshen Carrots
Begin by peeling as many carrots as you plan to use or just chop the ends off the carrots so they can absorb more water. This will work even without this step but it will take a little longer.
Now, grab a mixing bowl that’s big enough for your carrots to be fully submerged in water. Fill it with ice and water, and submerge the carrots in the ice bath.
Soak the carrots for at least 30 minutes for maximum crispiness, it may take longer depending on how limp they are. This is a great way to store carrots so that they don’t get limp to start with.
Remove the carrots from the ice bath and use your carrots in any way you like.
A few notes: You don’t need to peel your carrots, but it does seem to work best (and fastest) that way. At the very least, cut the ends off for best results. 30 minutes should freshen up most carrots, but if yours aren’t revived that quickly, don’t worry. Just leave them in the fridge in the water for a few hours and check again.
How to Store Carrots
The best way to store carros is to place them in a container of water. Change the water every 5 days and they should stay fresh and crisp for 4-5 weeks.
Tips for Freshening Carrots
- You can place the ice bath in the refrigerator to keep it cold for longer and allow the carrots to crisp over a period of hours rather than minutes.
- Peeling the carrots allows the water to soak into the cells of the carrot more efficiently.
- Carrots can sit in the cold water all day or even overnight. If the ice melts, it’s ok; just store them in the coldest part of your fridge.
Sweet Recipes That Use Carrots
Savory Recipes That Use Carrots
Kitchen Hack 16 (How to Freshen Carrots)
Instructions
- Begin by peeling as many carrots as you plan to use. or cut off the ends of the carrots. you can leave the carrots whole but it will take longer.
- Fill a bowl with ice and water, and place the carrots in the bowl. Make sure they are covered.
- Soak the carrots for at least 30 minutes longer if needed.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- You don’t have to peel the carrots, but it is quicker.
- You can place the ice bath in the refrigerator.
- Peeling the carrots allows the water to soak into the cells of the carrot more efficiently.
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