Carrots are a staple of many people’s juicing habits and regimens. They are great-tasting and also high in vitamins A, B, and C and in the minerals iron, calcium, and potassium. With antioxidant properties stemming from their high carotene content — more color = more carotene — carrots are a tool in the fight against cancer-causing agents.
Carrot pulp is your friend
Carrots are also extremely versatile — not only in all kinds of juices, but also when they leave the juicer out the other side. The remains from juicing carrots is one of those pulps that can be used in a wide variety of ways, from soups to sauces to crackers.
It is an absolute shame to throw it away. The pulp retains many of the aforementioned nutrients and is a great source of fiber.
Juice from the underground
Who doesn’t enjoy a basic carrot juice? Organic carrots are inexpensive, especially in a 5-pound bag or more, which makes juicing often that much easier.
Process 4 medium-large carrots through a juice extractor and you have a brilliant raw snack any time of the day. It’s a pick-me-up you can depend on for energy and nutrition.
But don’t just put your pulp down the trash chute. Re-use it. Be creative and have fun and reduce your impact on the landfills all in one go.
Identity Crisis Carrot Cake
One old standby pulp recipe is carrot cake — the cake that thinks it’s a bread. It’s a simple recipe that fits as well in a countertop oven as in a big oven. It takes an hour to bake, giving you plenty of time for 45 minutes of preemptive cardio exercise to work off the calories ahead of time. The juice will give just the boost you need.
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups plain flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- ½ cup peanuts, chopped
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1½ cups carrot pulp
- ½ cup oil
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F (175˚C).
- Grease and line a 10-inch x 6-inch (25cm x 15cm) loaf pan. Sift flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl, add nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, peanuts, raisins, brown sugar, and carrot pulp. Stir to combine.
- Add eggs, oil, and sour cream. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Pour into loaf pan.
- Bake at 350˚F (175˚C) for 1 hour or until cake is cooked when tested with a fork or skewer. Remove from the oven, stand in cake pan for 5 minutes before inverting out onto a wire rack.
- Top with your favorite icing. Wait at least 10 minutes before slicing.
