Peel Carrots With Aluminum Foil To Cut Down On Waste

If frugal living tickles your fancy, you might be pleased to learn that there's an easy way to cut down on waste in the kitchen when peeling a carrot. A scrunched-up ball of aluminum foil, instead of a vegetable peeler, is perfect for scaling off the skin. This genius trick saves as much of your fresh carrots as possible because only the thinnest layer of the root vegetable is removed by the foil. Plus, it's very quick, saving you time and energy in the kitchen.

While it's not necessary to peel carrots (as long as they're washed and scrubbed well), some varieties can have gritty skins, pockmarks, or ridges that look more appealing when removed. Gliding a vegetable peeler back and forth over the surface is arguably the most common method to remove its outer covering. But this results in lots of paper-thin strands of nutrient-rich skin that either end up in the bin or on the compost heap. For this hack, simply tear off a foot or so, ball it up in your hands, and then run it along the length of your washed carrot with some gentle pressure, going from the top to the bottom.

Repeat this process along the length of the carrot, making sure to rotate it as each section of the peel is scaled off. This method produces the same smooth result that comes from using a vegetable peeler but includes an economical payoff — the amount of peel sloughed off with the aluminum foil is very minimal. Rather than a pile of thin strands, you'll have a quantity of peel that's small enough to fit on a teaspoon, which means more carrot to add to your mirepoix, enjoy as crudité, or glaze with honey before baking to make a scrumptious side to serve with dinner. Simply top and tail your carrots as you normally would before using them in your favorite recipes.

A final benefit to employing this super-quick aluminum foil technique is that it provides the perfect child-safe opportunity to get the kids involved in the kitchen; hand them a carrot and a ball of foil to keep them busy while you make the rest of your meal. And if you're keen to live a zero-waste lifestyle you can always open up the foil, give it a rinse, and reuse it the next time you're prepping a pile of carrots.