Chances areif you open any fridge in New Zealand, you’re likely to find a carrot (or ten) inside it.
Carrots are a versatile vegetable – they can be eaten cooked or raw, whole or chopped, in a soup or a salad. They’re the perfect no-prep snack, and rumour has it, they can help you see in the dark.
In fact, we love this humble vegetable so much that we have honoured it with a giant statue.
The giant carrot statue in Ohakune, New Zealand. Image: The Travelling Pooh/Flickr
Even though we seem to really love our carrots, Kiwis throw away 2,340tonnesof carrots and 1,727 tonnes of carrot peels every year.
Why? They’re cheap and often sold in large bags so we buy more than we need, meaning that some cansit in our fridges for ages until they go limp or black.
If your carrots have gone slimy or black the only thing they should be feeding is your compost bin, not your family. But if your carrot has gone limp, it can easily be revived by soaking it in water. Research by the University of Otago found that carrots will last 10 times longer if you store them in the fridge in an airtight container with a paper towel on the bottom.
Here’s some carrot recipes great for using up any limp or crooked carrots you might have.
Carrot and Miso Dip
If your carrots have gone limp, why not turn them into a dip. Try this carrot and miso dip for something a bit different. If you like Mexicanflavours, make this Mexican carrot dip.
Carrot Cake
You probably already have a favourite recipe for carrot cake, but have you ever made one with cooked carrots? This carrot cake recipe uses cooked carrots, so is perfect for when you have leftovers.
Carrot Cake Cookies
You may have had carrot cake, but have you had carrot cake cookies? Use your limp carrots to make these chewy treats.
Carrot and Apple Salad
Carrot salads are a staple in many New Zealand homes. We love this crunchy carrot and apple salad by Sophie Gray which is a cheap way to bulk out a meal, especially with apples coming back into season.
Pickled Carrots
Don’t have time to cook? These pickled carrots are super quick to whip up when you need to add some zing to a meal.
Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese
Struggling to get the kids to eat their vegetables? Carrots are the perfect vegetable to sneak into their meals, like in this hidden veggie macaroni cheese.
Golden Shepherd’s Pie
Next time you’re mashing veges, sneak a few carrots in there, like we did in this golden shepherd’s pie.
Carrot, red lentil and coconut soup
When the weather turns cold, chuck some carrots into the slow cooker to make this spicy soup.
