How To Store Leftover Carrot Greens In Your Refrigerator

Buying a fresh bunch of carrots will reward you with two ingredients: the roots and the greens. You more than likely have a carrot recipe in mind, but while you're deciding what to do with the tops, you'll want to keep them as fresh as possible. As soon as you get home, separate the tops from the carrots. This isn't for the sake of the greens, but for the carrots themselves. If left intact, the greens continue to draw moisture and nutrients out of the vegetable.

Start by giving your carrot greens a good wash to remove any dirt, then dry them well in a salad spinner or by patting them with a paper towel. Now, you're basically treating your carrot greens just as you would if you were storing fresh herbs. Wrap them in a damp (but not wet) paper towel, then place the whole bundle into a resealable airtight bag. They can last around two to five days this way, but be on the lookout for signs of spoilage like a slimy texture. If any leaves turn yellow, you can simply remove these and keep the rest.

For longer term storage, carrot greens can be frozen, but you will lose that fresh herb texture. To do this, lay out your washed and dried carrot greens in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze them until they're solid (around two hours), then transfer them to an airtight bag, where they'll last for around a month or longer. Alternatively, you can finely chop the greens, add them to an ice cube tray, and cover them with olive oil before freezing. They'll last up to three months this way.

If you're not sure what to do with your leafy carrot greens, it can help to think of adding them in instances where you might use fresh herbs like parsley or coriander. While carrot tops do have their own unique and slightly bitter flavor, they also have a pleasant herbaceous taste, faint carrot note, and crunchy texture that will brighten a dish. When the greens are fresh, you can add them to salads like this herby tabouli, or even serve them as a side sauteed with garlic and chili flakes. 

If you're working with thawed, frozen carrot tops, their soft texture is better used in soups, smoothies, or for making vegetable stock. One of the most popular ways to eat these greens is in a carrot top pesto (to pair with spelt trofie), either on its own or combined with other herbs. Likewise, you can swap out or combine them with parsley in fresh chimichurri sauce. The benefit of making sauces like these is that you can then store any leftovers for considerably longer than the fresh carrot tops would last on their own.