Stop Tossing Your Limp Carrots—This Zero Dollar Trick Makes Them Crisp Again
Before you toss your wrinkled, limp carrots in the compost bin, try this simple trick to revive them.
I classify carrots as a pantry staple because they last so long. I keep big bags of them on hand for salads, stir-fries, and soups among dozens of other uses. They're always kicking around in the bottom of the crisper, and I like knowing they're there. It's one less thing to add to the shopping list.
Despite their longevity, carrots do not last forever. And if you're like me, you're not always the best at using them quickly or storing them properly. Nothing throws a wrench in dinner faster than digging in the crisper only to find that your carrots are floppy.
Before you head out on a soul-crushing last-minute grocery store run, here is a trick that will liven up your sad-looking carrots quickly. Just grab a big bowl, fill it with water, and add ice.
Why Do Carrots Get Limp in the Fridge?
When carrots become soggy, limp, and wrinkled, it just means that they're dehydrated. This often happens when a few carrots break free of their plastic packaging and roll around in the fridge for a week or so. The dry air of the refrigerator sucks the moisture right out of the carrots, making them unappealingly bendable instead of hard and crisp.
Since carrots are relatively cheap, it's tempting to throw them out and start fresh, but wasting food never feels good, and these days the high cost of groceries means that every penny counts. As it happens, unlike with moldy berries or slimy lettuce, the limp carrot problem is perfectly solvable and it costs nothing.
How To Easily Re-Crisp Limp Carrots
All you have to do to get your bendy carrots back to their gloriously crispy state is to peel them, fill a bowl with cold tap water, and add plenty of ice. The exact amount of ice isn't important, but I'll usually throw in a whole ice cube tray's worth (about two cups for those of you with automatic ice makers). Add your carrots to the ice water bath, pop the bowl in the fridge, and wait.
The amount of time needed to revive carrots depends on whether you add them to the water whole or chopped. Whole carrots benefit from an hour of soaking, and can be left in the water overnight for maximum crispness. If you need your carrots ASAP, slice or chop them as required for the dish you're making, then add them to the water. The carrots will be ready in 15 to 20 minutes.
Even shredded carrots and baby carrots can be re-crisped in this way.
How do you know if your carrots are too far gone even for this trick? Carrots that have turned slimy or moldy are best thrown out unless the moldy spot is restricted to a small area that can be easily trimmed.
I try not to let this simple trick make me complacent. If you just store carrots properly—in a plastic bag—they last for weeks. That said, it's always good to have a backup plan for saving cosmetically challenged produce from the compost heap.
