General Information
Baby carrots distinguish themselves in size and flavor versus larger carrots. The roots are cylindric and tapered, coming to a point at their root’s end with green tops resembling the lacy look and grassy taste of parsley. Common baby carrots have the same brilliant orange taproots as larger carrots, yet they are more tender and on average much sweeter than their mature counterparts. Baby carrots average 3 to 5 inches in length.
Carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene and a good source of fiber. Beta-carotene, the plant pigment that gives carrots their vivid orange color, is converted by the human body into vitamin A.
History
All carrot varieties are descendants of a wild carrot native to modern day Afghanistan. The wild carrot, Daucus Carota, not only still grows wild but it also is not the ubiquitous orange color we associate with carrots. The wild carrot has a thin purple or white taproot with inedible above ground foliage and flowers. It is known in modernity as Queen Ann’s Lace. The Orange carrot is a Western cultivar with origins in the Mediterranean and Western Europe regions. Baby carrot varieties are cool season crops preferring soil temperatures of less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
