Have you ever bought a large bag of carrots in the supermarket only to discover a few black spots a few days later? Mold or just dirt: Is it safe to eat carrots with black spots? These spots can be concerning, making you wonder if it’s still safe to eat the carrots or if you should throw them away. Let’s explore the causes of these black spots and whether they affect the safety and quality of the carrots.
That’s pretty annoying, because carrots with dark or black spots should no longer be eaten. In most cases, this is due to mold.
The main problem with mold is the so-called mycotoxins. According to the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), these are “natural, so-called secondary metabolic products of mold fungi, which can be harmful to the health of animals and humans even in small quantities.”
What happens when you eat moldy food
Mold can be found in and on plant and animal foods, including vegetables such as carrots. Anyone who ingests too many mycotoxins can suffer acute poisoning. Such mold poisoning can trigger symptoms such as vomiting, loss of appetite or diarrhea. These are the more harmless consequences.
If too many mycotoxins are ingested, skin and mucous membrane damage can also be the result. Even damage to the central nervous system or impairment of the immune system is possible. These effects on health are drastic and should be avoided at all costs.
Incidentally, mold is particularly dangerous for children, the elderly or immunocompromised people. Even small “doses” of mycotoxins are enough to have serious consequences.
What many people don’t know: Mold toxins are just as harmful to animals as they are to humans! Your pets should therefore not be given moldy leftovers under any circumstances.
Recognizing mould on carrots
Mold can look very different on carrots:
- White mold at the top of the carrot, where the carrot green has grown on
- Dark spots and discoloration along the carrot, often associated with high flexibility of the carrot
- Light mold growth on the skin, especially often at the tip
Can moldy areas on carrots be cut away?
Many people simply cut off the moldy part and then use the rest of the carrot. Not a good idea!
Mould produces toxins that are invisible to the naked eye. They can be spread throughout the vegetables without you even knowing it.
The more liquid the food is, the faster the mold can spread. This means that products such as juices are even more dangerous than more solid vegetables.
Affected ingredients should also not be processed further, as the toxins of the mold are heat-stable and are therefore usually not destroyed during cooking or baking.
Remove mold spores
To be on the safe side, you should also clean everything that has come into contact with the mold:
- Clean the fridge with vinegar water
- Rinse boards and knives well
- Check other foods for traces of mold
What if you still want to use the carrots? Is it just a tiny piece of mold and you don’t want to dispose of the whole carrot? Then of course nobody is forcing you to do so, but you must be aware of the risk.
The important thing is to cut off the mold over a large area. And never use carrots that already have a lot of black spots or are heavily affected by mold. Also, trust your senses: What does the carrot smell like? What is the consistency like? Does it taste strange?
Prevent mold on carrots
Carrots usually keep in the fridge for around 7 to 10 days. To keep your carrots as mold-free as possible, you should make sure that the carrots are intact when you buy them. If there are damaged carrots in the bag, you should dispose of them immediately. It is also better to remove the carrot greens.
Correct storage is also the be-all and end-all:
- Don’t leave the carrots in the packaging, but take them out and dry them if necessary.
- Spread the carrots out in the vegetable compartment of your fridge and try not to stack them.
- To avoid unnecessary moisture, you can place some kitchen paper between the carrots.
- Keep the carrots away from apples, pears, broccoli and tomatoes. These, and some other types of fruit and vegetables, release ethylene, which accelerates the ripening of other foods.
- Clean your fridge regularly. This will prevent bacteria and mold.
Saving old carrots
Have you bought too many carrots and don’t know what to do with them? Of course, the best thing to do is to use them quickly – for example with our delicious carrot cake. But you can also save them from going to waste in other ways:
Freeze carrots
The root vegetable is easy to freeze. If you want to freeze the carrots raw, simply cut them into small pieces, place them in a freezer bag and put them in the freezer for up to three months. However, the carrots lose some of their color and are often limp after defrosting.
Alternatively, you can blanch them first. To do this, place the carrot pieces in boiling water for a few minutes before rinsing them in cold water, draining them and then freezing them. This keeps them a little more aromatic.
Put the carrots in water
If your carrots are already a little soft, you can easily make them crunchier again. Simply put them in a glass of water for several hours. The root vegetables will absorb the liquid and immediately become less wrinkly.
