It can be easy to get lost in the universe of produce, fruits, herbs and vegetables that fill our grocery store shelves.
We’re here to help you make the most of your veggies. Here are some interesting things to keep in mind about carrots.
Fascinating Facts about the Carrot
- Carrots can be an excellent source of fiber, especially if you keep the skin on. That’s right, no need to peel your carrots, especially if you are roasting them.
- You can get the highest level of vitamin A from carrots. Beta carotene, which is the nutrient your body turns into vitamin A, is super-strong with carrots, and cooking them actually brings out even more vitamin A, making it available for our bodies to use.
- Although when we think “carrots” we imagine the color orange, white, yellow, red and purple carrots are not hard to find.
- Don’t just eat the root. Carrot greens are delicious and nutritious, and they provide additional fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium and iron.
- A conspiracy theory that’s true: You can turn yellow if you eat too many (orange) carrots. It’s a condition known as carotenosis. Although the condition does not typically require medical attention, it would be a sign to cut back on carrots and try a few new vegetables.
- Baby carrots are actually a new thing; a carrot farmer was tired of discarding “good” carrots that were a bit odd-shaped, so he developed a method to “polish up” larger carrots. You can just buy the big ones and make your own baby versions.
- Carrots are a great spring garden crop, when planted about two weeks after the last frost. Place seeds in a shallow fashion (only a quarter inch deep) in very loose soil. Since the seeds are so tiny, take care to avoid over-planting them – one seed every 2-3 inches, 1 foot away from another row.
Ready to eat some carrots?
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