How tell if a carrot is still good?

Slightly greenish at the top end? That wouldn't be that unusual.

I would just do the smell and firmness test. If they still smell okay, and there is no soft spots, they're probably still okay. They might not be the best carrots you've even eaten if they got that cold and then defrosted (so to speak). I assume you're going to scrap them off slightly before you eat them.

Be wary of the bendy carrot!

Yeah bendy and slimy are the two indicators it's gone bad. If it has roots then chances are it's going to be hotter like a horseradish.

As an aside, beware the "baby carrot". They really aren't "baby" carrots. They are regular ole carrots that have been milled down by a big machine into bite-sized bits and sold to unwary customers who think they've purchased some young morsel of a vegetable. Carrots, regular old long conical roots, are about the easiest vegetables to work with that can be imagined. You really don't even need to peel them; just give a quick scrub with a stiff brush in cold water and chop to desired eating size. Far far far better and more nutritious product, and a lot cheaper, too.

blacbird said:

As an aside, beware the "baby carrot". They really aren't "baby" carrots. They are regular ole carrots that have been milled down by a big machine into bite-sized bits and sold to unwary customers who think they've purchased some young morsel of a vegetable. Carrots, regular old long conical roots, are about the easiest vegetables to work with that can be imagined. You really don't even need to peel them; just give a quick scrub with a stiff brush in cold water and chop to desired eating size. Far far far better and more nutritious product, and a lot cheaper, too.

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You can actually grow baby carrots. They are a type of carrot and aren't milled down at all. They are peeled, but they aren't milled down big carrots. Take a big carrot and a baby carrot and bite them each in half or cut them. Look at the heart of the carrot. It'll be a different color and can actually separate from the outside meat. They are also sweeter. Now look at the size differences. If you milled down a big carrot you'd have nothing but the heart. Baby carrots also tend to be sweeter which is why a lot of people prefer them, but they are a type of carrot. Not more nutritious than a big carrot, but not necessarily less either. Just smaller.

ETA: There are several varieties of "baby carrots" meaning small rather than young. Here's one variety. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VTOX9E/?tag=absowrit-20

The white stuff on them is nothing. Nor is the little bit of green on the end.

As others have said, it's when they're bendy and/or slimy, ditch them.

icerose said:

You can actually grow baby carrots. They are a type of carrot and aren't milled down at all.

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True. I have grown dinky carrots and they are quite good. But those things you get in bags at the supermarket are most likely the milled-down ones. And when they mill 'em down, they use relatively thin ones, I'm told, and cut them down to smaller lengths and run them through a grinder just enough to remove the skin and round off the ends. There's nothing wrong with them, from a nutrition standpoint. I just think they're a waste of money, prime example of over-prepared and over-packaged food masquerading as a convenience to the consumer. Buy 'em if you want to. I'll stick with the nice fresh bulk carrots I can pick out individually and bag myself.

If you can tie a knot in one they're probably past their best.

Personally I'd chuck them. Since they've been subject to some freezing they'll be mushy. Freezing (expect the super fast kind for frozen veg and fruit) makes the water in the cells expand and the cells burst. Once they defrost they turn to mush. Are carrots so expensive now that you can't afford to toss them? (I wouldn't know, I don't eat 'em.)

blacbird said:

As an aside, beware the "baby carrot". They really aren't "baby" carrots. They are regular ole carrots that have been milled down by a big machine into bite-sized bits and sold to unwary customers who think they've purchased some young morsel of a vegetable. Carrots, regular old long conical roots, are about the easiest vegetables to work with that can be imagined. You really don't even need to peel them; just give a quick scrub with a stiff brush in cold water and chop to desired eating size. Far far far better and more nutritious product, and a lot cheaper, too.

Click to expand...

icerose said:

You can actually grow baby carrots. They are a type of carrot and aren't milled down at all. They are peeled, but they aren't milled down big carrots. Take a big carrot and a baby carrot and bite them each in half or cut them. Look at the heart of the carrot. It'll be a different color and can actually separate from the outside meat. They are also sweeter. Now look at the size differences. If you milled down a big carrot you'd have nothing but the heart. Baby carrots also tend to be sweeter which is why a lot of people prefer them, but they are a type of carrot. Not more nutritious than a big carrot, but not necessarily less either. Just smaller.

ETA: There are several varieties of "baby carrots" meaning small rather than young. Here's one variety. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VTOX9E/?tag=absowrit-20

Click to expand...

Much like the juice (100% juice product) and juice drink (juice + added sugars), the difference lies in the wording.

Baby cut carrots are milled down.

Baby carrots are actually small carrots.

Some days I think the wording in the food industry is more slippery than a bad contract.