Carrots are little sticks of crunchy goodness, chock full of nourishing elements like potassium, beta-carotene, vitamin A and other antioxidants. They can help protect your eye health, lower your risk of cancer and decrease cholesterol. They may even help you lose weight, thanks to their high fiber content that helps you stay fuller for longer.
Carrots are one of those versatile vegetables that you can eat raw or cooked. Chefs are known to add them to soups and sauces to incorporate a touch of sweetness, or serve them raw as a salad topper, which offers a satisfying crunch. When stored properly, carrots can stay fresh in the fridge for two to three months.
While orange might be the first shade that comes to mind, carrots come in a rainbow of colors, including purple, white and yellow. If you aren’t already buying them regularly, we hope you start! They’re inexpensive and can be used in a variety of dishes. You can buy them big, small, whole or shaved into baby carrots. You can eat them alone, with a dip or served roasted with butter as a vibrant and flavorful side.
Here’s how to store carrots to keep them nice and crisp.
Add Water
Have you ever pulled out carrots from your fridge and noticed they’ve gone limp? There’s a good chance they’ve become dehydrated. Plop them in a glass jar or bowl and cover them with water. They should firm up in an hour or so.
Chop The Tops
Have you ever brought home carrots with those gorgeous green, leafy tops? To keep them fresher for longer, give the tops a chop once you’re in your kitchen so they don’t continue to pull moisture from the root. But don’t go throwing the greens into the compost bin. Grind them into a pesto or chimichurri sauce.
Grab An Airtight Container
If you plan to consume the carrots within a few weeks, transfer them into a lidded container and submerge them in water. This method works well for baby carrots, but if you have carrots with the skin intact, wait to peel until right before you eat them. (Or don’t peel them at all.)
Be Strategic About Placement
Just like kids in a preschool class, not all fruits and vegetables sit nicely next to each other. When determining how to store carrots, you have to be strategic about where you place them. Apples and pears produce ethylene gas which can cause carrots to go downhill fast, so be sure to store them separately.
Freeze For Long-term Storage
If you have an abundance of carrots and want to use them for months to come, know that they are a vegetable that will do well when frozen. Slice them into coins and blanch them so they maintain their bright color. Store them on a parchment-lined baking sheet until frozen and then transfer them into freezer-friendly containers or plastic bags.
Carrots make great side dishes, too. If you happen to have leftovers, put them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
Knowing how to store carrots properly can help you save money in the long run and add more variety to your diet.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Check out Simplemost for additional stories.
