Carrots are particularly cold hardy, available from autumn to spring; they are botanically related to celery, chervil, dill, fennel, parsley, and parsnips. While carrots can be served raw, the best cooking techniques for preparing carrots include boiling, braising, grilling, roasting, sauteing, simmering, steaming, and stir-frying.
Look for firm carrots with bright orange color and smooth skin. Avoid carrots that are limp or black near the stem; they aren’t fresh. Choose medium size carrots that taper at the end as thicker ones may be tough. Generally, early carrots are more tender but less sweet than larger, mature carrots. Clip greens as soon as you get home to avoid moisture loss and store the greens and carrots separately (tip: the greens can be used to make pesto). Store carrots in a perforated bag in a vegetable drawer in the refrigerator.
