Why should I peel my carrots?

I've been getting lazy enough these days that I've stopped peeling my carrots; with no deleterious results. Can anyone tell me why a good washing wouldn't suffice? The skins are so thin it seems pointless. I can see why other root vegetables need peeling but carrots? Can anyone convince me that carrots need to be peeled?

Pull them fresh from the ground, knock the dirt off, gnaw away and they taste just fine. (This is what I did as a kid back on the farm.) However, when they are cooked unpeeled the skin flavor is unpleasantly noticeable. I don't like to cook those tiny carrots from a bag because there's enough skin left on them to impart that flavor.

I bought a bottle of carrot juice from TJ's and it had that bitter skin flavor to it, too.

No real need to if you have a good stiff scrub brush. Better yet buy organic with the leaves still attached -- they're fresher and don't get bitter like the standard mass-produced kind.

I use one of those white scouring clothes used for non-stick pans (instead of the brush). Hold it in your palm, wrap it around the carrot, and run it up and down with a little twisting action while under running water. It kind of "sands" the carrot and takes off just a little of the skin.

I only leave the skin on carrots this way when making a rustic, health-foodish style (more vitamins in the skin) dinner that I learned in the 70's. Melt butter, add brown sugar, stir until smooth, add the cooked carrots.

A clean scrubbing sponge works well too.

[andrey]

I like how you hold it in your palm and run your hand up and down with a twisting action!

I don't peel 'em for myself, and I don't find the skins bitter. I only peel them for my fussy children.

I peel carrots if I happen to buy regular old (and I probably do mean old) carrots from the grocery store, because the skin can be bitter. I don't peel carrots from my farm share or the farmer's market. I might bother if I was expecting fussy guests, just for the looks of the dish, but for weeknight supper, no.

I never peel my carrots I just give 'em a good srcubbing

I recently purchased some organic carrots, left the skin on, and there were scrumptious. I agree that the regular carrots in a bag probably need peeling since the skin can be bitter. Also if you're cooking for company and want the carrots to look pretty, you need to peel them. :)

Hey, if you're happy with unpeeled carrots, let those skins be! I peel mine because I find the skins to be rather bitter, plus they look a little grubby, no matter how well washed.