5 things about you should know about Carrots

Do you love carrots? Are you considering planting carrots this year in the garden? Or do you just purchase your carrots? Here are a few helpful bits of information to consider when purchasing seeds or carrots from the store or farmer's market. 

1-Whole carrots are better for you than the pre-cut or baby carrots you buy in the grocery store. If the carrot has its top still attached, it has an even better flavor.

2-Cooked carrots are better for you than raw carrots, cook them first then slice them and serve them with oil. The will contain more of their sweetness if you cook them whole. When you eat them with oil or fat, will give you 8 times more beta carotene. Beta carotene is a fat-soluble nutrient.

3-Purple or purple and orange carrots are the very best! What? You didn't even know that purple carrots existed, well they do! This is a picture from Johnny Seed Company, you can click on it to see what varieties of carrots they carry. Purple carrots have an increased amount of anthocyanin which is a powerful antioxidant.  

4-You can plant carrots in the summer and cover them with a straw or other mulch and dig them out all winter. You will find over wintered carrots are more sweet than a carrot grown in the summer heat. 

5-Carrots can be stored in a sealed plastic bag in a cool place for months. 

So plant a variety of carrots including red, yellow, white and purple carrots. Use your carrots cooked whole and served with oil or juice them for great antioxidant benefits. Happy carrot gardening. 

Resource: Eating on the Wild side by Jo Robinson

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