Carrots
Selection Information
Usage: Eating fresh, salads, cooked, stir-fry, juicing.
Selection: Good quality carrots will be firm, smooth-skinned, straight-shaped and well-colored with no blemishes. The deeper the orange coloring of the carrot, the higher the beta carotene content.
Avoid: Avoid carrots that are wilting, soft, crooked, are split or are growing thin hair-like roots. Those with large green areas at the top or that have dark blemishes or brown coloring of any kind are also undesirable.
Seasonal Information
Carrots are available year-round with the peak from October through April.
Carrot Nutritional Information
Serving size 1 medium (78g)
Calories 40
Total Fat 0g
Sodium 50mg
Total Carbohydrate 9g
Dietary Fiber 3g
Protein 1g
% of U.S. RDA
Vitamin A 330%
Calcium 2%
Vitamin C 8%
Iron 0%
Low-calorie, Low-fat, Low-sodium, High in Vitamin A, Cholesterol-free.
Carrot Tips & Trivia
- Most carrots are sold without the tops because they have been shown to draw moisture from the roots. Yet many people buy carrots with tops to ensure the product is fresh. However, in order to store carrots longer, remove the tops.
- Carrots belong to the parsley family. They originated in Afghanistan, cultivated originally for medicinal purposes utilizing the seeds which are produced in the second year of this biennial plant. (Marketable roots grow in a single season.)
- The use of carrots spread westward, introduced into England from Holland in the 15th Century. At that point, carrots were coveted for their tops, and no well-dressed English gentlewoman would be seen without lacy carrot leaves decorating her hair.