Mollie Katzen Online

CARROTS:

The carrot has not always been orange, nor has it always been sweet. Early carrot strains were purple and relatively bitter, colored by the pigment anthocyanin (the same one that tints purple cabbage and the skin of eggplant.) Originally cultivated in central Asia, carrots were spread throughout the Islamic world during the 9th and 10th centuries, finally reaching Europe–specifically Holland– by the 14th century. It was the Dutch horticulturalists who are credited with developing the sweet, orange carrot we are so familiar with today. (Orange won out over purple, because orange doesn't "bleed" during cooking. Carotene, the source of the orange color is the strongest food pigment, staying bright even after exposure to heat.)

Culinarily speaking:
When buying carrots, look for firm, smooth, well-shaped ones with bright color and fresh appearance. Ideally, they should also have a bright sweet "carrot-y" aroma when sniffed. (This lovely carrot smell is especially apparent with the very fresh, thick carrots available directly from the growers, at farmers' markets. In fact, farmers' markets present a major carrot-sniffing opportunity–not to be missed!)

By the way, "baby carrots" are not a separate breed nor a separate crop– in most cases, they are made by cutting small shapes out of larger carrots.

Store carrots in airtight bags or containers in the refrigerator. If you buy them with their tops intact, leave the tops on until you are ready to cook or eat the carrots. It keeps them fresh.

Nutritionally speaking:
Carrots are a very rich source of the antioxidant beta carotene, the precursor to vitamin A that is very beneficial to eyesight and general health. Carrots are also a significant source of the mineral silicon, which strengthens the connective tissues and aids in calcium metabolism.

Fun Carrot History Tidbit:
Fashionable ladies in the English court considered the green tops of carrots so attractive, they used them to adorn their hair and hats.