FoodFood InformationVegetablesRoot Vegetables
Carrots are available twelve months of the year. They are almost alwaysin ample supply because they are not very perishable and are usually theleast costly fresh vegetable at the produce counter. Despite their moderateprice they are most nutritious, flavorful, and colorful, and are equallygood when served cooked or raw.
Carrots are root vegetables that have green, parsley like tops. They arein the same botanical family as parsley, but the carrot greens are inedible.Back in Grandma's day, fresh carrots in season were marketed only with thegreen tops attached. The clip-top carrots were harvested in the fall, storedin root cellars, and offered for sale during the winter months.
Today nearly all carrots are sold year-round without tops. They are packagedin sixteen-ounce plastic bags. But a few with greens attached are shippedin bunches containing five to eight carrots in each. The larger carrotsare shipped in fifty-pound bags and are used by the purveyors who supplyrestaurants and institutions. In recent years miniature carrots packed intwelve-ounce bags have made their debut and are fairly popular. These areespecially good when cooked whole.
When shopping for the sixteen-ounce packages of carrots, peek through theplastic and select those that contain carrots that are small or medium insize, colorful, well shaped (tapered and not blunt-ended), smooth, and veryfirm. Avoid those that are limp or wilted. Check out the tips of the carrots(that's the first area of decay) and check out the tops (if you see yellowsprouting, that carrot is old enough to vote).
If you purchase bunched fresh carrots with the greens still attached, clipoff the tops as soon as you get home if you plan to keep them a day or two.Carrots with greens attached lose freshness faster than those without thetops. These bunched carrots sell at premium prices-usually at twice theprice of the bagged carrots. While they are fresher and better Savored,the slight difference in quality does not warrant paying double the price.
Carrots aren't very perishable, but since they are so readily availableand since the prices seldom fluctuate, why buy them several days beforeyou plan to use them? Limp, rubbery carrots may be rejuvenated by puttingthem in cold water for a few hours.
The source of the carrot will determine the sweetness. The farther westit originated, the better the flavor. Even though most areas use the sameseed, by far the sweetest carrots are produced in California and Arizona.Those from Texas, Michigan, and Florida are the next best. Carrots importedfrom Canada and especially those grown in the northeastern states are usuallyless sweet and are apt to be more woody.
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