Fresh carrots are tops

Sometimes life is strange. Just last week I harangued to Amy, my co-worker, about how I was banning bagged carrots from my kitchen. The tumbled baby carrots, shredded, washed carrots and the crinkle cut coins that look so good in the store had seduced me as a consumer but disappointed me terribly as an eater. Where was the flavour?

My epiphany came when I cleaned and cut up some fresh, organic local carrots from the farmers’ market. One bite and I was reminded that the flavour of a fresh carrot has no comparison. De-lish!

Then, just minutes after I’d made my pronouncement, I got an email from Canada’s reigning salad queen, my friend Renee. I won’t reprint her note in its entirety, but read this excerpt from the Snopes report she sent to me:

“Once the carrots are cut and shaped into cocktail carrots they are dipped in a solution of water and chlorine in order to preserve them (this is the same chlorine used in your pool) since they do not have their skin or natural protective covering, they give them a higher dose of chlorine. You will notice that once you keep these carrots in your refrigerator for a few days, a white covering forms on the carrots, this is the chlorine which resurfaces.”

Yuck! Although the CFIA may deem this preparation to be safe, I see no reason to add chlorine to my family’s diet.

On the positive side (but still eerily coincidental), that day I also read two blogs that featured great carrot recipes:

• Peabody’s Carrot Raisin Loaf

• Ivonne’s Carrot Salad with Preserved Lemon Juice, Parsley and Thyme

Although I haven’t tried either of them yet, you can be sure that when I do make these two recipes that I’ll be starting with fresh, local carrots that I peel, wash and cut myself!

 

 

Note:  If you’re an early riser who lives in the Greater Toronto Area, you can tune in tomorrow to see me on Breakfast Television. I’m going to drop by to give the BT hosts a taste of the latest food frends. Set your PVR!