Carrots
The carrot is a member of the parsley family which includes over 2,000 species such as dill, cumin, chervil, caraway, fennel, anise, parsnip and celery. There are two main types of cultivated carrots: Eastern/Asiatic: These are purple carrots - domesticated around the 10th century, and the oldest of all carrots. Western/Carotene Carrots: These are orange, red or white carrots. Varieties include Adelaide, Amsterdam, Autumn King, Berlikum, Bertan, Carson, Jumbo (holds the world record for the longest carrot) and is very tasty, Littlefinger, Nantes, and Yellowstone to name a few. Carrot fact: there is a carrot variety for every letter of the alphabet!
The US ranks fourth in acreage and volume and third in yield. China is the largest producer of fresh carrots with Russia, Japan, France and the United Kingdom large producers. World-wide over 14 million tons of carrots are produced annually. The average per person consumption per year is about 14 pounds. Kern County, CA dominates US carrot production, and two firms control 90% of the CA harvests - most growers produce carrots under contract for these firms.
Texas, Wisconsin and MINNESOTA are also large producers of carrots.
Carrots were originally purple or white, with evidence of human consumption in Neolithic times. The origins of the carrot go back about 5,000 years through to the Greek and Romans, the Middle Ages and on to the new World and its first siting in England and America.
Carrots contain more carotene than any other fruit or vegetable - they are bursting with vitamin A which is good for bones, teeth, vision, the skin and as an antiseptic.
Carrots are a taproot - a type of root which grows downward into the soil and swells. Carrots come in many sizes and shapes: round, cylindrical, fat, very small, long or thin. In Holland, the original red, purple, black, yellow, and white varieties were hybridized to today's bright orange carrots. Carrots arrived in the New World with the early colonists, but they escaped cultivation and turned into the delicate wild flower Qween Anne's Lace - pull up a plant by the roots and surprise your nose with its carroty smell!
Carrots are harvested into large bulk trucks and taken to on-farm packing operations. They are unloaded onto a line where they are hydro-cooled, graded and packaged. They are held in cold storage or shipped to wholesale distributors as the market demands. Carrots can be purchased bunched with their tops on, in cello bags or in bulk - table and jumbos. Choose carrots that are firm, well formed and have a good color - whether you choose white, red, purple (maroon), or orange. With the exception of carrots harvested from your own garden, the freshest carrot is the one with the green tops still attached - remove the tops before storing in your refrigerator as the tops will drain moisture from the carrot.
There are many ways of using carrots - fresh, steamed, in soups and other vegetable dishes.