This year, the first day of Autumn is September 22nd – and Autumn is peak season for carrots.
As most know, they are a healthy root vegetable that can be prepared in many different ways. But here are some more unusual things you may not know about carrots.
The average person will consume 10,866 carrots in a lifetime.
Carrots come in many colors including purple, white, magenta, yellow, red, and orange.
The color on the outside of the carrot does not always match the color on the inside.
There is a jelly bean flavor called Carrot Pie.
The World’s Longest Carrot was recorded in 2016. The carrot measured 20 feet, 5.86 inches.
The World’s Heaviest Carrot was recorded in 2017. I was at 22.44 lbs.
In early Celtic literature, the carrot is referred to as the “Honey Underground.”
Carrots produce more distilled spirit than potatoes.
Why are carrots different colors? It’s because of their pigment. The orange color is due to carotenes and yellow due to anthocyanins. The color depends on how the vegetable is grown –the time of year the seed is planted, weather conditions, the condition of the soil, and the amount of sun and water the seed receives. Farmers know how to plant and cultivate the carrots they want by abiding by those conditions.
The Wild Carrot is called Queen Anne’s Lace.
Carrots have the highest content of beta carotene of all vegetables.
Carrot beetles are insidious little pests that can transform a healthy plant into a dead plant overnight.
Carrots were first grown as a medicine not a food.
The classic Bugs Bunny carrot is the “Danvers” type.
Carrots were the first vegetable canned commercially.
“Karoto” is what Ancient Greeks called carrots.
The Japanese word for carrot is “ninjin.”
Carrots are mainly composed of water and carbs. The carbs consist of starch and sugars, such as sucrose and glucose.
The stems and leaves of a carrot are edible.
Many say carrots are the “perfect health food.” They have high amounts of beta-carotene, fiber, vitamin K1, potassium and the antioxidant form of vitamin A – which helps with good eyesight and protect the body from heart disease and even certain forms of cancer.
The World Carrot Museum is a real. Check it out at: carrotmuseum.co.uk.
Sources: Delishably, Healthline, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, The World Carrot Museum