How to prepare carrots

There's no need to wash the carrots to start with.

Peel with a vegetable peeler if possible. The most practical way is by starting in the middle and peeling towards the end of the carrot. Do this all round, then turn and do the same for the other end.

Peel away all marks on the surface completely.

Cut off the top (a good centimetre or ½").

Then the bottom.

Rinse and dry on a cloth.

Your carrots are now ready to be grated or sliced for example.

If you wish to use only the best of the carrot, there's still a little work left to do.

Cut the carrot in 2 lengthways, then cut each half in 2 again.

You will now have 4 long quarters, with an angled "ridge" and a rounded underside.

Lie a quarter on its rounded side, and cut off the angled top edge, which is the core of the carrot.

This central core is always harder than the rest, often fibrous and sometimes more green than orange.

You will notice that it is wider at the top end of the carrot than at the root end, and you should cut to follow this line.

Once the central core is removed, what remains is the best of the carrot.

Which you can then cut for use in your recipes.