Carrots are in the
Umbelliferae family, along with dill, fennel, parsley, and celery. Also in this
family is Queen Anne’s Lace, commonly seen growing wild in Alabama. Wild
carrots have been found growing around the globe, including in Asia, Africa, and
Europe. They have been cultivated since at least the 10th
century. The first carrots were red, purple, white, and yellow. In
fact, orange carrots have only been known since the 17th century,
first cultivated in the Netherlands. You can still find
carrots in these varied colors, but orange has become the most common. The
impressive fact about carrots is that they contain 6 times the RDA (Recommended
Daily Amount) of Vitamin A. Beta-carotene is one of several carotenoids, or
plant pigments, found in carrots and they are connected to a decreased risk of
several
kinds of cancer. It is
well known that they improve vision, especially night vision. Among vegetables,
carrots are second only to beets in sugar content. I think we have found they
are sweetest after a frost.
Most often, they are eaten raw and in salads, but if we have enough we love
carrot cake with more carrot than most recipes call for and a little less sugar.
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