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Wondering how to know if carrots are bad? No worries—we’ve got you covered with plenty of handy advice on whether your carrots are still safe to eat. We’ve even included some tips and tricks on how to safely refrigerate and freeze your carrots, so they can stay fresh and delicious for as long as possible.
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Section 1 of 7:
Signs That Carrots Are Bad
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Sliminess: If baby carrots are slimy, are they bad? Yes—sliminess means that your carrots are past their prime. [1] X Research source
- It’s not worth peeling off the outer slimy layer and salvaging the rest of the carrot. If your baby carrots are slimy in the bag, you’re better off just getting a new, fresh package that isn’t spoiled.
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Dark spots or lines: Have you noticed some dark spots or black lines on carrots? These could be signs of black root rot or Alternaria leaf blight. Thinner, dark brown lines usually signify crown rot. [2] X Research source It’s never a good idea to eat or cook with rotted vegetables.Advertisement
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Mushy/soft texture: Carrots taste best when they’re firm and crunchy, but they’re still safe to eat when they have a more rubbery texture. It’s soft and mushy carrots that you want to be on the look-out for—these carrots are spoiled and not safe to eat. [3] X Research source
- Baby carrots sometimes get rubbery when they aren’t sealed and stored properly, but they aren’t dangerous to eat.
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Bad smell: A stinky, rotten smell is a classic sign that your carrots have gone bad. Before grabbing any carrots from your bag, take a quick whiff. If something doesn’t smell quite right, toss out the carrots and buy a new, fresh bag. [4] X Research source
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Mold: Carrots often fall victim to white mold, which can look fuzzy and patchy on the surface of the vegetable. [5] X Research source As you probably assumed, moldy carrots are not safe to eat and need to be tossed out right away.
- Some people suggest cutting off the moldy sections and using the rest of the vegetable, but that isn’t a good idea. Moldy foods often carry a lot of bacteria, which can potentially make you really sick. [6] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
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Section 7 of 7:
How to Freeze Carrots
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Prepare the carrots and blanch them in boiling water. Rinse off the carrots, slice off the tops, and peel away the skin (if you’re working with whole carrots). Then, pour the carrots into a pot of boiling water, letting them sit for 3-5 minutes. [16] X Trustworthy Source National Center for Home Food Preservation Publicly-funded center dedicated to educating consumers about research-backed safety practices for preserving food Go to source
- Blanching helps the carrots taste fresh even after they’re in the freezer for several months.
- Sliced carrots are good to go after 2 minutes in the boiling water, while entire carrots take 5 minutes to fully blanch. [17] X Trustworthy Source National Center for Home Food Preservation Publicly-funded center dedicated to educating consumers about research-backed safety practices for preserving food Go to source
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Soak the carrots in ice water, drain them, and put them on a lined tray. Scoop up the blanched carrots with a slotted spoon and let them soak in the cold water for 3-5 minutes, or however long they blanched for. Then, pour out the ice water and transfer the veggies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. [18] X Research source
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Pat the carrots dry and slide them into a bag. Grab a clean cloth or paper towel and blot any away any leftover ice water from the carrots. Once they’re all dry, stick the blanched carrots into a sealable plastic bag. [19] X Research source
- It may help to label the bag with the current date so you don’t forget how old the carrots are.
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Freeze the bagged carrots for up to 12 months. Carrots can last for a while in the freezer, so it’s okay if you forget about them for a few months. [20] X Research source
- Baby carrots can stay fresh for up to 18 months, though it’s okay if you freeze them for a little longer than that. [21] X Research source
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Thaw the carrots either in a bowl of cold water or in the refrigerator. Move the bag to your refrigerator the night before you plan on eating or cooking the frozen carrots—they’ll be thawed and good to go by the next day. If you’re in a rush, stick the carrots in a cool water bath. Just be sure to drain and replace the water every 30 minutes so it stays cold!
- Keep an eye on the temperature of your carrots as they thaw. Bacteria tends to rapidly form in temperatures higher than 40 °F (4 °C).
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionAre limp carrots safe to eat?Ollie George Cigliano is a Private Chef, Food Educator, and Owner of Ollie George Cooks, based in Long Beach, California. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in utilizing fresh, fun ingredients and mixing traditional and innovative cooking techniques. Ollie George holds a BA in Comparative Literature from The University of California, Berkeley, and a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from eCornell University.Yes! Limp carrots are typically just dehydrated. Submerge the carrots in ice-cold water until the crispness is reconstituted.
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Tips
- When they get dried out, baby carrots develop a dry, white outer layer that’s known as “white blush.” They’re perfectly safe to eat, but they might taste fresher if you soak them in a bowl of water for a couple of minutes.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2019/03/07/baby-carrots-myth-and-facts/
- ↑ https://ag.umass.edu/vegetable/fact-sheets/carrots-identifying-diseases
- ↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/food_waste_tips
- ↑ https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2019/03/07/baby-carrots-myth-and-facts/
- ↑ https://ag.umass.edu/vegetable/fact-sheets/carrots-identifying-diseases
- ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-happens-if-you-eat-moldy-food/
- ↑ https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2019/03/07/baby-carrots-myth-and-facts/
- ↑ https://www.consumerreports.org/food-safety/how-to-tell-whether-expired-food-is-safe-to-eat-a1083080425/
- ↑ https://www.canr.msu.edu/uploads/resources/pdfs/hni15_carrots.pdf
- ↑ https://extension.purdue.edu/foodlink/food.php?food=carrot
- ↑ https://extension.purdue.edu/foodlink/food.php?food=carrot
- ↑ https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2019/03/07/baby-carrots-myth-and-facts/
- ↑ https://extension.purdue.edu/foodlink/food.php?food=carrot
- ↑ https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2019/03/07/baby-carrots-myth-and-facts/
- ↑ https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-to-freeze-carrots
- ↑ https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/vegetable/freezing-carrots/
- ↑ https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/vegetable/freezing-carrots/
- ↑ https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/vegetable-blanching-directions-and-times-home-freezer-storage
- ↑ https://www.canr.msu.edu/uploads/resources/pdfs/hni15_carrots.pdf
- ↑ https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/vegetable-blanching-directions-and-times-home-freezer-storage
- ↑ https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2019/03/07/baby-carrots-myth-and-facts/
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