Carrots are one of the most popular--and most colorful-vegetable in the world, and they're also one of the most valuable vegetables grown in my garden.
Why? Well, while I could go on and on about their fantastic health benefits or their easy breezy growing habits, I'll spare you your valuable time and just keep it short and sweet...which, by the way, is my favorite type of carrot. But I digress.
So, without further ado, here are the top five reasons that I crave carrots--especially the homegrown variety.
1. Carrots are colorful! And colorful veggies are cool. Although the modern-day grocery store variety carrot is traditionally orange, originally carrots were purple! After they were cultivated from the original white wild carrot, that is. From that start somewhere in ancient Afghanistan, carrots transitioned to shades of red and yellow, and eventually to our familiar orange-hued standard. Thankfully, seeds of those centuries-old varieties have been carefully preserved and propagated by rare seed companies like Baker Creek Rare Seeds, and are still being grown by loads of heirloom (and colorful) vegetable-loving gardeners like me.
2. Eye just adore them! Or better yet, my eyes adore them. Carrots are packed with something called beta carotene, which once consumed, is transformed by our bodies into Vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for eye health, and while it won't exactly cause the blind to see, it will strengthen resistance to macular degeneration and other age-related vision loss issues. Carrots can be instrumental in maintaining eye health from childhood well into our latter years, which is why they get an A+ in my book!
3. The crunch is crucial! Raw carrots are nothing if not crunchy, and that crunch factor is of great benefit to that certain part of our anatomy that actually does the crunching--our teeth. Although not a replacement for regular brushing and flossing, in a pinch, chomping down on those crunchy carrots can give our teeth a nice little cleaning. And anything that helps cut down on plaque and stains and cavities is definitely a good thing, especially if it's also a tasty thing!
4. The taste is terrific! Carrots, especially homegrown ones, are flavor-filled cylinders of sweetness, especially if grown as a winter crop. The cold weather brings out the sweetness in them and if sown in late summer, carrots will grow until the first frost and then stay snug and crisp in their soil-surrounded spot all through the winter. One of my favorite varieties for the winter garden is the tiny, globe-shaped Parisienne, which was grown in the window boxes of the famed French market gardeners of the late 19th century. Another favorite is Atomic Red, whose deep reddish-purple hue attracts all sorts of attention in the kitchen and then delivers a dollop of flavor to the tastebuds.
5. Carrots do the body good! Not only beneficial to our eyes, carrots contain powerful antioxidants that can boost our immune systems and actually increase our overall bodily health. Whether raw, cooked, or juiced form, carrots benefit our skin, brain, and even our hearts respectively with their wound-healing capacities, memory-boosting perks, and cholesterol-lowering abilities. Who knew such a familiar vegetable had such fantastic forces bundled inside it!
As I've already said, I could go on and on about how great carrots are, how they take up hardly any space in the garden, how the seeds can just be scattered about like grass seed and thinned once they start developing, how nice the carrot greens taste sprinkled on top of casseroles or mixed in a salad...but I won't ramble on about all that. But I will say that I really believe you are what you eat...after all, considering my red hair, I really am a carrot top.
Although, since the tops of carrots are literally green, I've always been a bit confused by the terminology. Oh well, who am I to argue with the English language?
Que sera sera.
Why? Well, while I could go on and on about their fantastic health benefits or their easy breezy growing habits, I'll spare you your valuable time and just keep it short and sweet...which, by the way, is my favorite type of carrot. But I digress.
So, without further ado, here are the top five reasons that I crave carrots--especially the homegrown variety.
1. Carrots are colorful! And colorful veggies are cool. Although the modern-day grocery store variety carrot is traditionally orange, originally carrots were purple! After they were cultivated from the original white wild carrot, that is. From that start somewhere in ancient Afghanistan, carrots transitioned to shades of red and yellow, and eventually to our familiar orange-hued standard. Thankfully, seeds of those centuries-old varieties have been carefully preserved and propagated by rare seed companies like Baker Creek Rare Seeds, and are still being grown by loads of heirloom (and colorful) vegetable-loving gardeners like me.
2. Eye just adore them! Or better yet, my eyes adore them. Carrots are packed with something called beta carotene, which once consumed, is transformed by our bodies into Vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for eye health, and while it won't exactly cause the blind to see, it will strengthen resistance to macular degeneration and other age-related vision loss issues. Carrots can be instrumental in maintaining eye health from childhood well into our latter years, which is why they get an A+ in my book!
3. The crunch is crucial! Raw carrots are nothing if not crunchy, and that crunch factor is of great benefit to that certain part of our anatomy that actually does the crunching--our teeth. Although not a replacement for regular brushing and flossing, in a pinch, chomping down on those crunchy carrots can give our teeth a nice little cleaning. And anything that helps cut down on plaque and stains and cavities is definitely a good thing, especially if it's also a tasty thing!
4. The taste is terrific! Carrots, especially homegrown ones, are flavor-filled cylinders of sweetness, especially if grown as a winter crop. The cold weather brings out the sweetness in them and if sown in late summer, carrots will grow until the first frost and then stay snug and crisp in their soil-surrounded spot all through the winter. One of my favorite varieties for the winter garden is the tiny, globe-shaped Parisienne, which was grown in the window boxes of the famed French market gardeners of the late 19th century. Another favorite is Atomic Red, whose deep reddish-purple hue attracts all sorts of attention in the kitchen and then delivers a dollop of flavor to the tastebuds.
5. Carrots do the body good! Not only beneficial to our eyes, carrots contain powerful antioxidants that can boost our immune systems and actually increase our overall bodily health. Whether raw, cooked, or juiced form, carrots benefit our skin, brain, and even our hearts respectively with their wound-healing capacities, memory-boosting perks, and cholesterol-lowering abilities. Who knew such a familiar vegetable had such fantastic forces bundled inside it!
As I've already said, I could go on and on about how great carrots are, how they take up hardly any space in the garden, how the seeds can just be scattered about like grass seed and thinned once they start developing, how nice the carrot greens taste sprinkled on top of casseroles or mixed in a salad...but I won't ramble on about all that. But I will say that I really believe you are what you eat...after all, considering my red hair, I really am a carrot top.
Although, since the tops of carrots are literally green, I've always been a bit confused by the terminology. Oh well, who am I to argue with the English language?
Que sera sera.