Natural form

Whole carrots with leafy green tops, showing the full root from shoulder to tip.

Shows the carrot's defining shape, deep orange color, tapering root, and feathery green tops so readers can identify it at a glance.

Produce

Carrot

Sweet, crunchy root — raw, roasted, or the base of a sofrito

Carrots bring earthy sweetness whether shredded raw into a slaw or roasted until caramelized. They're a cornerstone of stocks and braises. Keep them crisp in the fridge.

The carrot is a sweet, crunchy root that works as hard raw as it does cooked — shredded into slaws, simmered into the holy trinity of stocks and braises, or roasted until its natural sugars caramelize into something almost candy-like. Its earthy sweetness deepens with cooking, making it both a flavor foundation (alongside onion and celery) and a star in its own right. Cheap, keeps for weeks, and endlessly useful.

Measured in: piece
Storage: Refrigerate
Shelf life: 21 days

Find it in

Produce

Types & varieties

Nantes

Sweet, cylindrical, tender core; the common eating carrot

Everyday orange (bagged or loose)

Sold simply as "zanahoria" in Spain; Nantes/Imperator are trade types you won’t see named on the label

Rainbow (purple, yellow, white)

Heirloom colors; purple ones are earthier

Baby / Chantenay

Small and sweet; roast or glaze whole

How to choose

Want firm, smooth, brightly colored carrots that snap rather than bend. If the green tops are attached they should look fresh and perky — but trim them at home, since the leaves leach moisture from the root. Avoid cracked, limp, or whiskery carrots and any with a green or soft crown.

How to store

Remove the leafy tops, then store carrots in the crisper drawer — ideally in a bag with a damp towel, or submerged in water — where they stay crisp for weeks. If they go limp, a soak in ice water revives them. Don't store near apples or other ethylene producers, which turn them bitter.

Trim the tops before storing
Keep cold and humid
Revive limp carrots in ice water

How to prep

Peeling is optional — a good scrub keeps the nutritious skin and saves waste. Cut to suit the method: thin coins or batons for quick cooking, big chunks for braises, fine dice for soffritto. Cut on a roll (oblique) for pretty, even-cooking pieces.

Common uses

Mirepoix / sofrito baseCarrot cakeGlazed carrotsRoasted carrot soupSlaw and saladsStocks and stewsCarrot-ginger dressingPickled carrots

Tips & pitfalls

Roast at high heat to caramelize the sugars; a touch of honey or cumin sings
Don't bin the tops — the leaves make a vibrant pesto or chimichurri
Grate raw for instant slaw, or for moisture in carrot cake
A pinch of sugar isn't cheating in carrot soup — it amplifies what's there
Save peels and ends for stock

Nutrition

41kcal

Energy

172 kJ · per 100 g

Where the calories come from

Protein 8%Carbs 87%Fat 5%

Protein

0.9g

2% DV

Carbs

9.6g

3% DV

Fat

0.2g

0% DV

Fiber

2.8g

10% DV

Sugars

4.7g

of which

Sodium

69mg

3% DV

Notable micronutrients

Vitamin A93% DV

Vitamin K11% DV

Vitamin B68% DV

Vitamin C7% DV

Potassium7% DV

Thiamin (B1)6% DV

Source · USDA FoodData Central · Carrots, raw

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In the shops

Matched grocery products

Carrots
500 g · Mercadona
€0.85
Carrots
1 kg · Mercadona
€1.35
Baby Carrots
RIOVERDE · kg · Bonpreu
€2.35
Diced Carrot
BONPREU · kg · Bonpreu
€1.25
Carrot 1 unit
ud · Bonpreu
€0.17
ARANCA Carrot
ARANCA · kg · Bonpreu
€1.99

Good to know

Peak season: Year-round; sweetest in fall and winter
Flavor: Sweet, earthy, crisp; caramelizes when roasted
Origin: Central Asia/Persia; originally purple and yellow
Nutrition: ~41 kcal/100g; very high beta-carotene (vitamin A), fiber
How to buy: Firm, smooth, bright; fresh green tops if attached; no cracks or limpness

Substitutes