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Why Have My Carrots Gone Green? (Can they be eaten)

Why Have My Carrots Gone Green

Normal healthy carrots are orange all over, except for the sprouts at the top.

If you grow carrots yourself they can develop green areas, particularly at the top of the carrot.

In this article, I will explain why this is.

Carrots turn green when exposed to sunlight.

This typically occurs when the soil only partially covers the top of the carrot and some of the carrot is exposed to the sun.

Areas of the body of the carrot that have turned green are caused by a nutrient deficiency in the soil.

If you buy carrots from a store they will virtually always be completely orange in color.

Because of this reason, it’s rare to come across carrots unless you grow them yourself.

Below, I will explain if carrots that have green areas are OK to eat and whether it’s healthy to eat them.

Can You Eat Carrots That Have Gone Green?

Can You Eat Carrots That Have Gone Green

Virtually all carrots you’ll buy in stores are completely orange in color.

Therefore, it’s important to know whether carrots that are green are ok to eat or if they’ll be bad for you.

So, here’s whether it’s ok to eat carrots that have gone green.

It’s perfectly fine to eat carrots that have gone green.

But, most people remove the green areas because they are more bitter.

The chemical that causes carrots to turn green is chlorophyll. Chlorophyll causes food poisoning-type symptoms if you consume too much of it.

The amount of chlorophyll found in the green areas of carrots (not the leafy part at the top) is not enough to cause any negative effects.

Certain vegetables are particularly high in chlorophyll such as lettuce, spinach, and the leafy part that grows at the top of carrots.

Chlorophyll is the chemical that is responsible for the green areas of fruits and vegetables.

How much chlorophyll from green vegetables is too much?

Liquid chlorophyll is considered a health supplement that can be taken in many forms.

According to Oregon State University, the maximum amount of chlorophyll you should consume a day is 100 to 300 mg.

An average-sized serving of spinach which is particularly high in chlorophyll due to its very dark green color has 24 milligrams of chlorophyll.

This is equivalent to one cup of diced spinach.

In order to consume the maximum amount of chlorophyll per day from spinach, you would need to consume 5 to 15 cups of spinach.

Which is virtually impossible for most people.

Green carrots by comparison contain far less chlorophyll.

Provided you don’t eat more than 5 cups of just the green part of the body of a carrot you won’t experience any negative effects from eating carrots that have turned green.

Growing your own carrots is most common when you’ll come across carrots that are green.

Here’s a video that shows what causes the top of the body of the carrot to turn green and how to prevent it:

There are different ways to prepare carrots. You can eat them raw, bake them, boil them, or fry them.

When you cook foods such as carrots it generally changes the nutrients they contain.

In some cases, cooked fruits and vegetables are healthier than consuming them raw because they contain more of certain nutrients.

I looked at how the nutrients in carrots change based on how they are cooked in this article about whether raw carrots contain more sugar than cooked carrots.

It shows a table with a side-by-side comparison of the nutrients in carrots based on how they’re prepared, either raw, boiled, fried, or baked.

Is It Ok to Eat Green Carrots?

Is It Ok to Eat Green Carrots

The green areas of a carrot that have developed as the carrot grows are higher in chlorophyll compared to the rest of the body (root) of a carrot.

The top leafy parts of a carrot are also edible but are generally removed before being sold in stores as they become wilted during transport and aren’t visually appealing.

But, can you eat parts of the root of a carrot plant – the carrot itself – that is green?

It’s ok to eat green carrots or parts of carrots that are green in color.

Parts of carrots, generally the tops of the carrot itself, not the stems and leaves, turn green due to being exposed to sunlight.

This increases the amount of chlorophyll in these areas of the carrots but is not toxic.

It has a special property that means it reflects green light rather than absorbing it.

And as you may have learned in physics or chemistry class, it causes it to be green in color.

According to WebMD.com chlorophyll is what gives plants their green color.

Any parts of the body of the carrot that are green are higher in chlorophyll.

Generally, though they are a pale green and not a deep green like spinach – which is very high in chlorophyll.

With that said people eat spinach very regularly and have no negative effects from the increased amounts of chlorophyll in their diet.

Therefore, the minor amounts of chlorophyll found in areas of a carrot aren’t of any concern.

If you consume extremely high amounts of chlorophyll for example if you consume only green vegetable juice all day every day.

Or, if you consume too much liquid chlorophyll – a healthy food.

Carrots last about 1 to 2 weeks fresh in the pantry or fridge.

As they go bad carrots turn black in color which is quite unusual.

Storing fruits and vegetables in the fridge makes them last longer.

But, you may be curious if keeping carrots in the fridge makes them go bad.

Or, if carrots will last almost forever in the fridge. 

explained the answer to these questions as well as the best ways to store carrots to keep them edible for as long as possible in this article about whether carrots go bad in the fridge.

Are Green Carrots Healthy?

Are Green Carrots Healthy

Certain vegetables can be more toxic if they turn green.

Fruits that aren’t ripe and are green in color can also be toxic.

But, are parts of a carrot that are green healthy?

Green carrots are healthy.

The green color in carrots occurs because of an increase in chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is not toxic except in very high amounts not found in green carrots.

Therefore, it’s perfectly fine to eat areas of a carrot that are green but green parts are more bitter.

In most cases, the green areas are limited to the tops of carrots.

When you water carrots the soil can be pushed away from around the top of a carrot.

Wind can also blow away some of the soil.

As carrots grow bigger they can also push the soil away.

All of these factors clear away any soil from covering the top of a carrot.

Which is also the base of the stems and leaves of the carrot plant.

If carrots are in an area that gets full sun, the tops of carrots will get a lot of direct sunlight.

This causes them to produce chlorophyll and turns the exposed areas of the carrot green.

The body of a carrot can also develop a green color due to nutrient deficiencies in the soil.

Provided the carrots are planted in potting mix that you buy from a garden supply store.