You can steam it, stir fry it, juice it, purée it or bake it. It makes tasty desserts. It adds crunch to salads. In a word, the carrot is versatile. Yet, no matter how it appears, this basic root's most important qualities are its vitamins and minerals. Carrots contain an abundance of beta-carotene, a nutrient with important disease-fighting qualities. In fact, one carrot contains a full day's recommended supply of beta-carotene. Most important - it's much tastier than a vitamin supplement.
Off the Shelf
For tender, sweet crunching, nothing beats home-grown carrots. They can be grown all season, but the autumn varieties carry the most flavor. When carrots get the message that shorter days and cooler nights are here, they store up more carbohydrates and sugar in their roots.
For those who seek convenience, today's commercially grown carrots are both tasty and healthy. And they store well; you can keep carrots in your refrigerator for weeks. The freshest carrots come with their healthy-looking greens still attached. But remove the greens immediately after purchase so they don't drain moisture from their roots.
Breaking a Sticky Habit
Carrots are not just for sticks any more. There's hardly a soup that doesn't benefit from the color, flavor and nutrition of carrots. Glazed carrots are a perennial favorite and a quick way to dress up a meal. For unconventional carrot flavor, it would be a shame to limit carrots to routine crudités when they can grace a buttery scone as Orange-Carrot Marmalade or spice up a meal as a savory pickle. Or, check your Ball Blue Book® Guide to Home Canning, Freezing and Dehydration for a variety of convenient recipes you can preserve.
. Questions of a Do It Yourself nature should be submitted to our "