Earl
at market usually removes the carrot tops for customers, but he told me that the tops are, actually, edible. Chopped up in salad. Or added to whatever other greens you are cooking. Since Earl told me that, I've done both those things, but recently I bagged some carrot tops and froze them. Then when
I hauled out the stock pot to make chicken stock, I added the carrot tops instead of celery. Feeling very 1930ish indeed and wondering what else is edible that I usually compost.
9 comments:
Broccoli leaves were my recent stock addition - and they worked beautifully! I hadn't thought of carrot tops; I usually do end up with some after market day, but it never occurred to me to freeze them.
I also got an incredible batch of celery leaves from the celery I bought at the market before Thanksgiving. So those and the broccoli leaves made it into our turkey stock along with all the other veggies this year!
I've dried a surplus of celery leaves, too. Just crumble them in soups, beans, etc. with other herbs.
I grew cutting celery this year, and it flavors things beautifully. I never knew about the carrot tops-good to know!
It's amazing how much goodness there is in a lot of the things we throw away........a lesson to us all. I love to make stock and freeze it for later use.
florrie x
Melanie, that's interesting. I always shied away from using brassicas in stock because I thought the flavor would be too strong. I do use the broccoli leaves, though, because they are the most nutritious part of the plant!
Tracy, what's cutting celery?
Per Rebecca's wisdom a few years ago, my mom, sister and I have all started roasting our veggies and bones prior to adding them to the stock pot.
We tossed all the leaves in a dab of oil and added them to the roasting pans; maybe that helps mellow the flavor a little? I imagine it would be much like using dried celery leaves like R references above.
How do you prepare the carrot tops for freezing and what type of container do you freeze them in? I have some right now I'd like to save for a future meal. Thank you!
How do you prepare the carrot tops for freezing and what type of container do you freeze them in? I have some right now I'd like to save for a future meal. Thank you!
TK, I swish them through a few inches of water, keeping the tops (cut from a bunch of carrots) together. I shake the water off and push them into a freezer bag. I double bag, label, and pop them in the freezer. To use, I just throw them into the stock pot straight out of the freezer bag. They will be limp if you allow them to thaw. I could see using them in soups in this state - you could probably chop them before freezing, too.
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