Spiced Honey Glazed Carrots

The naturally sweet flavors of caramelized carrots with a honey glaze that makes our Spiced Honey Glazed carrots irresistible to kids!

How Do You Make Carrots Taste Good?

Have you ever bitten into a carrot and it taste soapy or bitter? This can be a major turn off for anyone, but especially kids. That soapy taste comes from a high concentration of a compound called terpenoids. All carrots contain this compound, and combined with sugar, it’s how carrots get their flavor. If the carrot you bit into has high doses of this compound, it makes it taste soapy and bitter rather than sweet. Some of the reasons this happens is: the variety of carrot, harvesting too soon, poor growing conditions, and even the way you’re storing it at home.

Is there anything you can do to avoid soapy tasting carrots?

Yes! There are a few things you can do to make sure your carrots taste great!

By carrots that are ripe. In general, under-ripe carrots have more terpenoids and will taste more soapy. Look at the top of the carrot and make sure it is more orange than green.
Avoid storing your carrots by other high ethylene producing produce like tomatoes and avocados. The ethylene can increase the development of terpenoids in carrots.
Cook your carrots. The soapy taste is a lot more noticeable in raw carrots because cooking breaks down a lot of the terpenoids bringing out the sweet taste.

This recipe for Spiced Honey Glazed carrots has a delicious glaze made from butter, honey, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. They are roasted in the oven bringing out the natural sweetness carrots through caramelizing. Combine that with the glaze and they almost taste like dessert!

Why Are Carrots Good for Kids?

Maybe some of you have told your kids to eat their carrots so that they can have good eyesight. This is true and probably the most common knowledge about the health benefits of carrots. The reason for this is because carrots have a lot of beta-carotene. This is a substance that is converted to Vitamin A in the body and helps protect the surface of the eye and is needed for good vision. Vitamin A also supports the immune system by keeping the cells that are the body’s first line of defense against infection healthy.

Munching on carrots can help keep teeth and gums healthy by helping to scrape off plaque and foot particles. The minerals in carrots help prevent tooth damage and strengthen enamel.

Carrots are a good source of fiber, Vitamin C, folate, potassium, and Vitamin B6.