Carrot

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) (raw carrot)

Description and History

The wild ancestors of the carrot are likely to have come from Afghanistan, which remains the centre of diversity of D. carota, the wild carrot. Selective breeding over the centuries of a naturally-occurring subspecies of the wild carrot, Daucus carota subsp. sativus reducing bitterness, increasing sweetness and minimizing the woody core, has produced the familiar garden vegetable.

The carrot gets its characteristic and bright orange colour from β-carotene, which is metabolised into vitamin A in humans when bile salts are present in the intestines. Massive over consumption of carrots can hypercarotenemia cause a condition in which the skin turns orange (although hypercarotenemia is not itself dangerous unlike overdose of vitamin A, which can cause liver damage). Carrots are also rich in dietary fiber, antioxidants, and minerals.

Lack of Vitamin A can cause poor vision, including night vision, and vision can be restored by adding Vitamin A back into the diet.

Uses

▸Eat raw as a snack or with dip

▸Add chopped or grated carrots to soups and tomato sauces to sweeten them

▸Carrot juice

▸Puree with onions or leeks to make a creamy soup

▸Add to stew

Storage Tips

Remove carrot tops if they are still attached at the time of purchase to reduce water loss in storage. Refrigerate in a plastic bag and use within 1-2 weeks.

Cooking Tips

Wash with cold water and scrub with a vegetable brush before using. Carrots may be eaten raw or steamed, stir-fried, or boiled in a soup, stew or casserole. When cooking carrots, cook with a little vegetable oil. Beta carotene is fat soluble and the oil will aid the body’s absorption of beta carotene. Don’t overcook carrots as this will decrease the carotene level.