Care & Handling
Availability
Green Giant Fresh Carrots are available year round.
Selection
Good quality carrots should be well-shaped with firm, smooth exteriors. Color should be vibrant orange to orange-red. For best quality, tops should be closely trimmed since they tend to decay rapidly.
Storage
To preserve their flavor and texture, carrots should be refrigerated. Keep them in the refrigerator crisper, in their original plastic bag. If they were purchased loose, place them in a perforated or loosely closed plastic bag. Don't store carrots together with apples, pears, or other fruits that produce ethylene gas as they ripen (even in the refrigerator, ripening of such fruits slows, but does not cease). Exposure to ethylene gas will turn carrots bitter.
Preparation
Proper cooking brings out the sweetness in carrots. They can be left whole or cut into short lengths; halving them lengthwise will reduce cooking time. If you prefer, cut them straight or diagonally crosswise into "coins," or slice them into julienne (matchstick-size) strips. Grated or shredded carrots also cook very quickly. A food processor is handy for slicing or shredding.
Cooking
Baking: When baking or roasting other foods, place whole carrots in a shallow baking dish with a little olive oil, broth, or water and 2 unpeeled garlic cloves. Cover and bake them at the same time. Cooking time: 40 to 45 minutes in a 350°F oven.
Blanching: There is no reason to boil carrots until tender; for fully cooked carrots, steaming or microwaving are better alternatives. But blanching helps to preserve color and nutrients, yet makes carrots a bit less crunchy and easier to eat when they are being served on a party platter with dips. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and drop in the carrots. When the water returns to a boil, cook the carrots briefly. Drain, then cool them under cold running water. Cooking time: three to four minutes. Once carrots are blanched, they can be tossed in a hot skillet with a little broth, oil, or butter and heated through.
Microwaving: Fruit juice, such as orange or apple juice, or broth, can be used instead of water as the cooking liquid. Place 1 pound of carrots, cut into 1" pieces, in a covered microweavable dish with 2 tablespoons of liquid. Cooking time: four to six minutes.
Steaming: Place the carrots in 1" or less of water or other liquid (orange juice or chicken broth, for instance) in a heavy pan with a tight-fitting lid. The liquid should be completely absorbed by the end of cooking time. You can also use a conventional vegetable steamer. Cook until just tender for serving as is; or until fully tender if you wish to mash or puree the carrots. Cooking times: for whole carrots, five to eight minutes; for slices, three to four minutes. |