If You See White Stuff on Your Baby Carrots, This Is What It Is
Your instinct might be to toss these "ugly carrots"—but is that really necessary?
If baby carrots are a staple snack in your home, you know exactly what we’re talking about here. You open a bag of carrots and notice a white substance coating your veggies. What the heck is it? Is it a sign that your carrots are going bad, or a sign they won’t last long? Is it even safe to eat?
Turns out, there’s a reason why that white stuff is there. Much like seeing the stringy white stuff in eggs and the white stuff on oranges, it’s completely normal to see this white substance on baby carrots. Let’s dive into what exactly it is and why it’s there in the first place.
What is that white stuff on baby carrots?
You may have heard that the white stuff on baby carrots is chlorine, but that’s just a myth. It’s actually a thin layer of film caused by dehydration, known as “carrot blush.”
Sign up for our Daily Digest newsletter for more health tips, home hacks and streaming guides, all week long.
How does carrot blush form in the first place?
According to Pol Bishop, a Gardening and Plants Expert at Fantastic Gardeners, the white film forms when baby carrots are exposed to the atmosphere and lose moisture. “Moisture loss in the thin outer layer of the baby carrot causes its surface to roughen up and light to be scattered throughout it. All of this results in whitish marks on the carrot,” Bishop explains. White blush can also appear due to the carrot’s damaged skin cells.
So, why does this white film only form on baby carrots and not regular carrots? “This happens because baby carrots do not have protective skin that prevents drying,” Susan Brandt, Co-Founder and President of Blooming Secrets, explains. “Full-sized carrots do have protective skin.”
Is carrot blush harmful?
Nope! This film is harmless, as it’s simply a sign that your baby carrots are dehydrated. You can remove it by washing your carrots. You can also soak your carrots in water to rehydrate them and bring their colour back. Something else in your fridge that’s harmless: speckled and/or bumpy eggs.
Is carrot blush a sign your baby carrots are going bad?
According to Brandt, carrot blush is not a sign your baby carrots are going bad; just that they’re dehydrated. So, don’t fret if you’re snacking on carrots and eat some of this white film—it’s not harmful and is simply a sign that they’re dry.
Next, find out what it means when your chocolate looks dusty.
