Carrots and Tops and Bugs Oh My

Seventy-nine cents a pound for carrots is my usual paying price. But I couldn't find any on 10/26 or 11/1. Coincidence that those days were near Halloween? For a few weeks, I noticed the smallish carrots with tops. Eh, what's up with those? $1.99? Why do people buy those, except for decorations?

Normal price for bulk carrots w/o tops: 79¢/#
Carrots w/tops, always small and skinny, 5 bunches bundled together: $1.99/#

How about some more carrot price comparisons?

• 1-pound bag, smallish whole, topless (woohoo): 78¢/#
• minis, "baby" carrots: $1.28/#
• matchsticks, like the ones you see in pre-made salads: $1.77/#
• chips, crinkle-cut round slices: $1.38/#

Your prices might vary. Looking at price per pound, whole ones (topless) are way less expensive than consumer-convenient ones. However, these whole, unprocessed ones require trimming, peeling, and washing. Then you can cut them up into processed shapes.

"Baby" Carrots
Digging deeper into carrot topic, spreading the search for carrots and related, I ran across "Carrot Sticks vs Baby Carrots". The article has simple explanation, how-to instructions for processing regular, less expensive carrots, and an embedded link to YouTube video that shows the machinery processing of converting big carrots to small. Interesting to see that commenters for both article and video talk about baby carrots being soaked in a bleach solution. For those who buy "baby" carrots, at least RINSE those puppies before you consume them!

Carrot Tops as Edibles
Some links that provide carrot top information and recipes:

• "Yes, You can Eat Carrot Tops. No, They're not Poisonous!"
• "Not Just Rabbit Food: 5 Tasty Ways to Eat Carrot Tops
• "Eat Your Carrot Green Tops (the leaves) - Yes You Can!!"
  (This website, despite its proponent title, includes cautions about consuming tops and leaves.)

Iconic Carrot Consumer(s)—What's up, Doc?
The best-known icon is Bugs (natch) Bunny. Visit the YouTube video that shows Bugs seasoning his carrots on his rotating spit.

One very helpful website about Bugs is "7 Things You Didn't Know About Bugs Bunny". One fascinating factoid, for which the article's author included an embedded YouTube link is about the inspiration for Bugs Bunny chewing on his topped carrot.

Bugs' carrot-habit actually started as a parody of Clark Gable. In Clark Gable's movie It Happened One Night, there's a scene where Gable is leaning against a fence, talking quickly, and eating a carrot. ...Over time, the original movie has faded, while Bugs' carrot chewing has lived on.

The video is entertaining for more than just the carrot connection.

Segueing into Homophones
As language is one of my interests, I also include carrot homophones in this article.

caret
• http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/caret?s=t

a mark (^) made in written or printed matter to show the place where something is to be inserted.

• https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/microsoft.public.excel.misc/jS1OLNyFocs

Caret: "^" means "to the power of"
It means "raise to the power of"

carat
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/carat

1. a unit of weight in gemstones, 200 milligrams (about 3 grains of troy or avoirdupois weight). Abbreviation: c., ct.
2. karat.

karat
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/karat

a unit for measuring the fineness of gold, pure gold being 24 karats fine.
Abbreviation: k., kt.