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"Preserving the future,
one seed at a time."
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Carrots
(Daucus carota)
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 Sow
seeds as early as the ground can be worked, directly into
rows that are twelve to eighteen inches apart. Make successive plantings until mid to late summer. The
carrot fly can be a nuisance insect but planting the herb
Sage nearby
is said to help repel
insects.
Carrots
originated in what is now Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan and by
about 1000 A.D., they were being grown from India to the Eastern
Mediterranean. By the 1300s, purple and yellow carrots had spread as
far as western Europe and China.
 White
and orange carrots first appeared in Europe during the 1700s. Orange
carrots quickly displaced all other colors and dominate the world to
this day.
Carrots
are an excellent source of beta-carotene (pro-vitamin A). Generally,
the brighter the orange color, the higher the content of
beta-carotene and vitamins. High-pigment varieties are also an
excellent source of antioxidants thought to help prevent cancer.
(Approximately 650
to 750
seeds per gram)
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 Atomic Red
65 days If you don't like eating tomatoes but have heard of the health benefits of adding "Lycopene" into your diet, this carrot variety will be good news for you.'Atomic Red' carrots are high in the pigment called Lycopene giving them their red color instead of orange. The color gets more intense when cooked. They grow to a nine inch tapered shape. Plant in early spring or late fall. Red colored carrots originated in India, China, and Japan in the 1700s. |
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Chantenay, Red Cored
70 days This variety, originally introduced in France in
the 1830s, stump rooted, five to 5ฝ inch
long, tender, sweet, and bright orange roots. |
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Chantenay,
Royal
70 days A good variety for heavy or shallow soils. The roots are longer and more cylindrical than Red Cored Chantenay. They are stump
tipped and cylindrical, five to seven inches long, reddish-orange and
sweet. Fifteen inch tall tops. Good for canning, drying, or
freezing.Bred by Northrup King and Company,
Minneapolis, Minnesota from Red Cored Chantenay. Released in
1952. |
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 Cosmic Purple
60 days Thanks to the work of Dr. Philipp Simon and staff at the USDA ARS in Madison, Wisconsin, a whole rainbow of colored carrots are becoming available. Although purple colored carrots have been cultivated in Afghanistan, Turkey and Middle East since about 900 A.D., this variety was released in 2005.It is bright purple on the outside and orange on the inside. They make an interesting and tasty, sweet addition to a veggie platter. Six to eight inch long, sweet Danvers-type carrot.
According to the USDA[1], purple carrots contain the pigments (and antioxidants) anthocyanin, beta carotene and alpha carotene which they report as benefiting health by helping to prevent heart disease and strokes. |
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 Danvers
126
73 days Bred by the
Eastern States Farmers Exchange, West
Springfield, Massachusetts from selections of heat resistant strains
of Danvers and improved for better interior color, smoother
skin, better uniformity and better yield. Released in 1947.Works in most
soils. Uniform orange-red color, seven to eight inches long. The tops are
large and the plant is heat tolerant. For home and market
processing. |
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 Gold
King
70 days Stump-rooted, slightly tapered, two and
one-half inches by six inches and does very well in heavy soils.
Uniform reddish-orange color. Very sweet and tasty. |
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Imperator 58
75 days The roots are deep-orange colored and taper to a
blunt point about six to
seven and one half inches in length. It is excellent raw and
also stores well. An improved version of the 1933 "All-American Selectionฎ"
winner. |
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Little
Fingers
60 days Deep-orange color, one-half inch by three inch
long, blunt tips, with smooth skin and small cores. Because the color
develops early, they can be harvested at a young, tender stage for use as
baby gourmet carrots. |
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 Lunar White
60 days White carrots have been around since the early 1600s having originated in Northern Europe. Wild carrots are white in color.Although they lack the pigments that benefit health like the red, purple,
yellow and orange varieties possess, they still are tasty, nutritious, contain dietary fiber, and add one more dimension of color to your veggie platter. |
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Nantes,
Improved
62 days Blunt tipped, cylindrical roots, one inch by
six
inches that are nicely shaped, nearly coreless and bright
orange-red in color. |
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Nantes, Scarlet
68 days Outstanding for flavor, this strain has a strong top
with four to five inch semi-tapered roots. |
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 Solar Yellow
60 days A Danvers type of carrot with roots reaching about six inches in length. Their bright yellow color adds a special look to your salads and entr้es especially when combined with red, purple, white and orange varieties.According to the USDA[2], Xanthophylls are the pigments that give the yellow carrots their golden hues and have been linked with good eye health.
Yellow carrots originated in Afghanistan, Turkey, and the Middle East in the 900s. |
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Sources:
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"Pigment Power in Carrot Colors", USDA ARS Vegetable Research Service
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"New Carrots Offer Colorful Surprises and Health Benefits," by Erin Peabody, November 15, 2004
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"Description of Types of Principle American Varieties of Orange-Fleshed Carrots," USDA Misc. Pub No. 361, May 1940 [PDF format]
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