MY FAVORITE WAYS TO PRESERVE: CARROTS

MY FAVORITE WAY TO PRESERVE: CARROTS

Oh how I love fresh carrots – they are so crunchy and sweet! Carrots are one of my favorite foods of all time – well, fresh carrots, that is. Store carrots just don’t have quite the sweetness and crunch that a good, fresh, Alaska grown one does.

If you have a plethora of carrots, there are some pretty cool things you can do to preserve them besides just putting them in cold storage.

CAN UP SOME SOUP:
I love taking extra onions, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, celery, and all the soup-able extra produce and tossing it in a pot to make a veggie soup. This soup works as a base for so many things! Add hamburger and macaroni and you have goulash. Add chunked up beef and you have stew. Add beans and rice and you made a protein rich, nourishing dinner!

FERMENT THEM:
Did you know you can make lacto fermented carrots? Okay, I just learned this last year and it was completely life changing! Some fermented carrots I added garlic and dill to and they tasted JUST LIKE a pickle – only better! Others I added rosemary. Some I left plain – you can choose the flavors you think you’d like. This year I’m going to do some with ginger and garlic. Not only will it be crazy tasty – what a way to boost your immune system all winter long!

FREEZE THEM: I really don’t prefer frozen carrots UNLESS they’ve been shredded – then they freeze up beautifully! And – you don’t have to blanch them if you shred them! It’s a win-win! 

DON’T FORGET THE TOPS:
Did you know carrot tops are edible? Our angora rabbit Chrystanthemum is well aware but they are super good and tasty for people, too!

The tops we don’t give the bunny, I like to toss in the freezer and add to soups. Super tasty! You can also make carrot top pesto – who knew?

What do you do with the extra carrots from your garden? Be sure to comment below – I’d love to hear!