Carrot top storage advice

Mervinius · Jun 9, 2020

We've just had a yummy delivery of fresh carrot tops from Riverford, so I know they are safe for the buns. They gave eaten then before but not for a while so I've only given them two strands each.

Do I need to wait a week or more before I give them more. It's probably over 2 years since they last had some. [emoji33] .

Also how to I keep the spares fresh for longer? Any ideas. They wilt so quickly.

Pip's incisor tooth is growing wrong again, so I wanted her to have something yummy and soft to eat.

Shimmer · Jun 9, 2020

they store quite well on the salad drawer of the fridge, loosely wrapped in plastic. If they are wilting. dunk them in some cold water and shake off the excess. They should revive. They will yellow in storage, so I wouldn't be keeping them for too long - I would expect fresh green tops to last a couple of weeks or so, but keep checking them.

Omi · Jun 9, 2020

Mervinius said:
We've just had a yummy delivery of fresh carrot tops from Riverford, so I know they are safe for the buns. They gave eaten then before but not for a while so I've only given them two strands each.

Do I need to wait a week or more before I give them more. It's probably over 2 years since they last had some. [emoji33] .

Also how to I keep the spares fresh for longer? Any ideas. They wilt so quickly.

Pip's incisor tooth is growing wrong again, so I wanted her to have something yummy and soft to eat.

I accept that my feeding of forage/veg to my bunnies is probably far less cautious than most. We have a lot of forage available in the garden and obviously each year different plants will become available for picking at different times. That will mean that in most cases it would be around 9-12 months since that food was fed the previous year. I have never considered restricting the amount that I feed for the first time each year. That said, I have not noticed any adverse effects with any forage that I've fed and if I had then I would be more careful. The only time that I feed just a very small amount of any plant is when my bunnies have never had it before and so I am unable to know whether it would give them tummy issues.

So, if it were me and I knew that they had not previously caused any issues, I would give them a reasonable amount and try to keep the rest fresh. Probably the best way of keeping them fresh would be to put them outside in a tub of water. I think that putting them in the fridge would cause them to go very limp.

Poor Lady Pip and her pesky teeth

Mervinius · Jun 9, 2020

Shimmer said:
they store quite well on the salad drawer of the fridge, loosely wrapped in plastic. If they are wilting. dunk them in some cold water and shake off the excess. They should revive. They will yellow in storage, so I wouldn't be keeping them for too long - I would expect fresh green tops to last a couple of weeks or so, but keep checking them.

Thanks shimmer. I don't have any plastic to wrap them in. But I can put them in the salad drawer. Do you cut them off the carrots?

Mervinius · Jun 9, 2020

Omi said:
I accept that my feeding of forage/veg to my bunnies is probably far less cautious than most. We have a lot of forage available in the garden and obviously each year different plants will become available for picking at different times. That will mean that in most cases it would be around 9-12 months since that food was fed the previous year. I have never considered restricting the amount that I feed for the first time each year. That said, I have not noticed any adverse effects with any forage that I've fed and if I had then I would be more careful. The only time that I feed just a very small amount of any plant is when my bunnies have never had it before and so I am unable to know whether it would give them tummy issues.

So, if it were me and I knew that they had not previously caused any issues, I would give them a reasonable amount and try to keep the rest fresh. Probably the best way of keeping them fresh would be to put them outside in a tub of water. I think that putting them in the fridge would cause them to go very limp.

Poor Lady Pip and her pesky teeth

Thanks Omi.

Ok, she's never had a problem with them before.

But admittedly doesn't get any other fresh veg. I got scared after she had a very bad stasis episode when she was young and she'd had a lot of Spring greens. [emoji51] Then we had stasis issues constantly for a while. So we restricted them both to dried forage and hay.

But I'd like to give them a bit now, I'm even growing them dandelions and plantain. Which they love dried.

I feel awful about her tooth. It's only been 3.5 weeks. [emoji24]. I need to try to get a photo so the vet doesn't think I'm making it up this time. [emoji21]

bunny momma · Jun 9, 2020

Carrot tops last best when you keep them connected to a small bit of orange until use.
Others on ru are growing new tops from stub of orange where it meets green.

Mervinius · Jun 9, 2020

bunny momma said:
Carrot tops last best when you keep them connected to a small bit of orange until use.
Others on ru are growing new tops from stub of orange where it meets green.

Ooh thankyou. I didn't know you can do that. I am growing carrots anyway, but I might try this too. They've both yummed up their original ration. [emoji3526]

Stator · Jun 10, 2020

I cut them off near the base so that each leaf has it's own separate stem and put them in a pint glass full of water. Essentially you treat them like flowers. Changing the water every few days and chopping the end of the stem.
They can last for 2 weeks, but any with a damaged stem will wilt and die quickly.

Mervinius · Jun 12, 2020

Stator said:
I cut them off near the base so that each leaf has it's own separate stem and put them in a pint glass full of water. Essentially you treat them like flowers. Changing the water every few days and chopping the end of the stem.
They can last for 2 weeks, but any with a damaged stem will wilt and die quickly.

Just took the out if the fridge and they were looking very sorry for themselves. So popped the best one in a glass of water. Hopefully they'll plump back up.

Omi · Jun 12, 2020

Stator said:
I cut them off near the base so that each leaf has it's own separate stem and put them in a pint glass full of water. Essentially you treat them like flowers. Changing the water every few days and chopping the end of the stem.
They can last for 2 weeks, but any with a damaged stem will wilt and die quickly.

This is what I would do, but would put them, at this time of the year, in water in a bucket outside.

Carrot top storage advice

Mervinius

Mama Doe

Shimmer

Warren Veteran

Omi

Wise Old Thumper

Mervinius

Mama Doe

Mervinius

Mama Doe

bunny momma

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Mervinius

Mama Doe

Stator

Warren Veteran

Mervinius

Mama Doe

Omi

Wise Old Thumper

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