Carrot is a plant with an orange root that is eaten as a vegetable. Carrots contain vitamin B 1, and small amounts of vitamins B 2 and C. Carrots also contain carotene, a substance used by the human body to produce vitamin A. In addition, carrots are rich in sugar and potassium.
People eat raw carrots alone or in salads. They also eat boiled carrots, sometimes prepared with soups and stews. In some parts of the world, people roast and grind carrots and use them as a substitute for coffee. The plant’s thick, lacy leaves and long stems are also edible and may be chopped up and sprinkled on meats.
Three types of carrots are grown commercially: (1) fresh market carrots, such as the Imperator and Nantes varieties; (2) processing or dicing carrots, such as the Danvers and Chantaney varieties; and (3) baby carrots. They differ in size and use. Imperator carrots measure about 9 inches (23 centimeters) long. They are sold fresh in grocery stores. Dicing carrots are wider than Imperators and about 7 to 8 inches (18 to 20 centimeters) long. They are cut up and sold frozen or canned. Baby carrots grow about 3 inches (8 centimeters) long and are sold as a novelty or gourmet vegetable.
Carrots grow from tiny seeds that are planted in rows about 1/2 inch (1.3 centimeters) deep. The rows of seeds are spaced from 1 foot (30 centimeters) to more than 2 feet (60 centimeters) apart, depending on the type of carrot. Carrots grow best in deep, rich soils that contain sand or muck. A crop takes about 100 days to grow. Large carrot crops are usually harvested mechanically, several rows at a time. Carrots are grown in the summer in the northern United States and southern Canada. They can be grown in winter in Florida and southern California.
Carrots are native to the Mediterranean region. The ancient Greeks and Romans grew carrots that had thin, tough roots. They used the plants as a medicine but not as a food. Carrots resembling modern types were later developed in France and were common in Europe by the 1200’s. Today, leading carrot-producing countries include China, Russia, the United States, and Uzbekistan.
