Carrot

About

The carrot (Daucus carota subsp. sativus) is a root vegetable, typically orange in color, though purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the wild carrot, Daucus carota, native to Europe and Southwestern Asia. The plant probably originated in Persia and was originally cultivated for its leaves and seeds. The most commonly eaten part of the plant is the taproot, although the stems and leaves are also eaten. The domestic carrot has been selectively bred for its enlarged, more palatable, less woody-textured taproot.

Growing

Carrots are grown from seed and can take up to four months (120 days) to mature, but most cultivars mature within 70 to 80 days under the right conditions. They grow best in full sun but tolerate some shade. The optimum temperature is 16 to 21 °C (61 to 70 °F). The ideal soil is deep, loose and well-drained, sandy or loamy, with a pH of 6.3 to 6.8.

Local

Common Recipes

Varieties

Imperator

Long sweet orange carrot, high sugar content, good for fresh eating

Danvers

Classic grocery store carrot

Nantes

French origin, more cyndrical in nature

Chantenay

Short and stubby, very good cooked

Nutritional Information

Based on a 100g portion 1

name amount
water 0 g
energy 0 kJ
protein 0 g
fat 0 g

References


  1. USDA Fooddata Central Database -- https://fdc.nal.usda.gov