Are Green Carrot 'Shoulders' Safe To Eat? - Tasting Table

"Noticing that any vegetable in your kitchen isn't the right color is a point of concern. These days, carrots are no longer only available in that ubiquitous bright orange hue, but among the entire root vegetable rainbow that you can find at your local farmers market, there is one color that might not be a part of the plan. Obviously orange carrots are fine, as are purple, yellow, red, and white."

""Carrot shoulder is the part of the carrot where the greens emerge from the root," Collins reveals. As it turns out, these shoulders can sometimes take on a greenish hue. Fortunately, he also notes that unlike potatoes - which you shouldn't eat after they've turned green - this greening in carrots is not something that you need to concern yourself with too much. "Green shoulders are safe to eat," he explains, "but [are] considered too bitter to enjoy.""

"So, should you pick up a bunch of carrots at the store and not notice until you're home that the tops have started to turn, don't throw them in the compost. You probably don't want to eat that bit, but you can just trim off the affected area and make use of the rest without concern."

Carrot shoulders are the part of the carrot where the greens emerge from the root. Those shoulder areas can develop a greenish hue when exposed to sunlight. Green shoulders in carrots are safe to eat but tend to be bitter. Greened portions should be trimmed away while the remainder of the carrot can be used without concern. Store-bought carrots with green shoulders cannot have that greening reversed, but gardeners can reduce greening with simple care and by preventing sun exposure during growth.

Read at Tasting Table