Selasa, 23 November 2010

Carrot Benefits

Did your child have a glass of carrot juice today?

Here are just some of the reasons you should make sure your child gulps down at least one glass of carrot juice a day.

Carrots are excellent for the eyes.
Carrots contains large quantities of vitamin A, in the form of beta carotene.
Juicing a carrot removes the indigestible fiber. Thus, the nutrients in it are available to the body in much larger quantities than if the carrot was eaten whole. This is because many of the nutrients are trapped in the fibre, and while fibre aids digestion, some part of the fibre is indigestible. Thus, you don't get the benefits of the nutrients that are trapped in the indigestible fibre. Did you know that if you eat a carrot raw, you only get access to about 1% of the available beta carotene? But, when you or your child has a glass of carrot juice, you your system absorbs almost 100% or the beta carotene!
Does your child drink more Pepsi or Coke than water? While you may feel that these are just sweetened substitutes, you are wrong. In fact, these beverages have substances that require more water to eliminate them from the system. So, whenever your child asks for a soft drink, give him juice instead. Juice increases the water intake.
Carrot juice has anti-carcinogen properties. Thus, it helps prevent cancer. It is also believed to have cancer-curing properties.
Beta carotene is an anti-oxidant, and thus it prevents cell degeneration. Anti-oxidants also slow down the ageing process. Another fruit which is an excellent anti-oxidant is the berry.
Carrots are also good for the skin.
Carrot juice is like a tonic. It will improve the overall health of you and your child, and increase immunity. In fact, two glasses of carrot juice a day can increase your immunity by as much as 70%!
Carrot juice is rich in so many minerals, that it's no less than a miracle juice! You could also add some spinach or beetroot to your carrot juice. Squeeze some lime into the glass, add seasoning if you must, and a tasty glass packed with nutrients is ready!

http://www.indiaparenting.com/homeremedies/data/008.shtml

Carrot Cake never goes out of style. One bite will tell you why. This rich and moist spice cake, full of grated carrot and toasted nuts, has great flavor, especially when covered with a tangy and sweet flavored cream cheese frosting. The interesting part is that while those pretty orange flecks of grated carrot give the Carrot Cake color and texture, along with sweetness and moisture, its' flavor is almost indistinguishable. I think the biggest debate surrounding the Carrot Cake is whether crushed pineapple or applesauce should be added to the batter. Adding either of these ingredients will give the cake more flavor and moisture, so if you like, add 1/2 cup of either crushed pineapple or applesauce to the batter, right along with the oil and vanilla extract. Take note, though, that you may need to bake the carrot cake a few minutes longer than the recipe states.

Although using carrots in baking may seem odd, Alan Davidson in 'The Oxford Companion to Food' tells us that carrots were used in European sweet cakes since the Middle Ages when other sweeteners were hard to find or just too expensive. In fact, carrots, along with beets, contain more sugar than most other vegetables which might explain their use in desserts.
Speaking of carrots, the orange carrots we enjoy today originated from the purple variety grown in Afghanistan since the 7th Century AD. As carrots moved westward into Europe the orange variety came about and this is the variety the English settlers brought to America. 'Carrot' comes from the Greek word "karōton" and the Greeks started the belief that eating carrots would improve your eyesight. John Ayto in "An A-Z of Food & Drink" tells how during World War II the British furthered this belief by saying that British pilots improved their night vision by eating huge amounts of carrots. They were, however, only trying to encourage the eating of carrots as it was one of the few foods that were not in short supply during the war.

Note: For a more casual dessert you could bake this cake in a 9 x 13 x 2 inch (23 x 33 x 5 cm) pan. Just increase the baking time to between 30 to 40 minutes. Also if you would like to make this a four layer cake, as shown in the picture, just cut each cake layer in half horizontally so you have four layers. You will also need to double the cream cheese frosting recipe. The orange frosting on the top of the cake is cream cheese frosting colored with orange dye.


Related Recipes You May Like

Carrot Cupcakes	Carrot Muffins	Hummingbird Cake	Boston Cream Pie	Zucchini Bread	Red Velvet Cake

Carrot Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter or spray two - 9 x 2 inch (23 x 5 cm) cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with a circle of parchment paper.
Toast the pecans or walnuts for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely.
Peel and finely grate the carrots. Set aside.
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
In bowl of electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs until frothy (about 1 minute). Gradually add the sugar and beat until the batter is thick and light colored (about 3 - 4 minutes). Add the oil in a steady stream and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. With a large rubber spatula fold in the grated carrots and chopped nuts. Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 5 -10 minutes invert the cakes onto the wire rack, remove the pans and parchment paper, and then cool completely before frosting.
To assemble: place one cake layer, top side down, onto your serving plate. Spread with about one third of the frosting. Gently place the other cake, top of cake facing down, onto the frosting, and spread the rest of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. If desired, press toasted and finely chopped nuts on the sides of the cake and decorate the top of the cake with marzipan carrots (see below). Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.
Serves 10 - 12.

Cream Cheese Frosting: In bowl of electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the cream cheese and butter, on low speed, just until blended with no lumps. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and beat, on low speed, until fully incorporated and smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract, and lemon zest.

Marzipan Carrots:

To make the carrots you will need: Marzipan and orange and green icing colors (can use liquid or paste food coloring). Knead a small amount of orange food coloring into the marzipan until the color is distributed and is the desired "carrot" color. Shape into carrots, using a toothpick to make veins. Knead a small amount of green food coloring into the marzipan and make the carrot tops.

Marzipan is a cooked mixture of finely ground almonds, sugar, and water. It is slightly sweeter and firmer than almond paste and has a smoother texture. It comes in plastic-wrapped rolls.

Carrot Cake Recipe:

1 cup (100 grams) pecans or walnuts

3/4 pound (340 grams) raw carrots (about 2 1/2 cups finely grated)

2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar

1 cup (240 ml) safflower, vegetable or canola oil (or other flavorless oil)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

2 cups (230 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (outer yellow skin)

Garnish: (Optional)

1 cup (100 grams) toasted and finely chopped walnuts or pecans

Marzipan Carrots

Close Cookbook:Carrot

A carrot is a root vegetable, typically orange in color with a woody texture. The younger the carrot the smaller and more tender the flesh is, so 'baby carrots' are often preferred for raw use. Note that the 'baby carrots' you can buy bagged, washed and pre-peeled in US supermarkets are not actually 'babies' at all - they are larger carrots that have been mechanically shaped into stubs. True baby carrots (often known as 'Dutch carrots') are sold by the bunch complete with tops, and they are very long and spindly and almost impossible to peel. Fortunately, with a carrot that young, peeling is unnecessary - all that is needed is to scrub them under the tap to remove any dirt, and to cut off the hairy 'tail' and the leafy top. Older carrots benefit from peeling as the skin gets a lot more fibrous and hairy with age.
Carrots are often eaten raw, whole or shaved into salads for color, and are often cooked in soups and stews. They are an essential ingredient in carrot cake. The greens are not generally eaten (they have no particular food benefit to humans and do not taste good), but they are technically edible.
Together with onion and celery, carrots are one of the primary vegetables used in a mirepoix to make various broths.
Carrots are orange because they contain large amounts of beta carotene (a precursor to Vitamin A). This gives rise to the belief that they will improve your eyesight, by enhancing the performance of receptors on the retina in your eye. Carrots are also rich in dietary fiber, antioxidants, minerals and are alkaline food.

colored carrots

Carrots originally came in purple, white and yellow colours. The now standard orange carrot was developed in Holland as a tribute to William I of Orange during the Dutch fight for independence from Spain in the 16th century. Oddly-colored carrots might be coming back in style. New yellow carrots get their color from xanthophylls, which have been linked to good eye health. Red carrots contain lycopene, also found in tomatoes and thought to guard against heart disease and some cancers. Purple carrots’ anthocyanins are regarded as powerful antioxidants that help protect cells from damage.

Carrot Recipes

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Carrot

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	carrot - deep orange edible root of the cultivated carrot plant cultivated carrot, Daucus carota sativa, carrot - perennial plant widely cultivated as an annual in many varieties for its long conical orange edible roots; temperate and tropical regions root - (botany) the usually underground organ that lacks buds or leaves or nodes; absorbs water and mineral salts; usually it anchors the plant to the ground
	2.	carrot - perennial plant widely cultivated as an annual in many varieties for its long conical orange edible roots; temperate and tropical regions cultivated carrot, Daucus carota sativa carrot - orange root; important source of carotene herb, herbaceous plant - a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests Daucus, genus Daucus - carrot carrot - deep orange edible root of the cultivated carrot plant
	3.	carrot - orange root; important source of carotene root vegetable - any of various fleshy edible underground roots or tubers cultivated carrot, Daucus carota sativa, carrot - perennial plant widely cultivated as an annual in many varieties for its long conical orange edible roots; temperate and tropical regions
	4.	carrot - promise of reward as in "carrot and stick"; "used the carrot of subsidized housing for the workers to get their vote"; reward, reinforcement - an act performed to strengthen approved behavior http://www.thefreedictionary.com/carrot

A Little Bite of History

Carrot

Carrots get their orange color from beta-carotene, an antioxidant that may protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer. The root vegetables are also a natural source of fiber, potassium and vitamins C and K.

A most popular and versatile vegetable, carrots are thick, brightly colored roots that grow underground. With emerging feathery leaves, they belong to the Umbelliferae family of plants that produces umbrella-like flower clusters. Relatives include parsley, fennel, celery and dill.

With the exception of beets, carrots contain more sugar than any other vegetable. They have a crunchy texture and a flavor that can be described as sweet, mild, minty and aromatic.

A Little Bite of History

Carrots were first cultivated in central Asian and Middle Eastern countries back in the 7th century. With a deep purple coloring, these original carrots looked different than the ones we know today. The orange carrot was not developed until the 17th century when European agriculturists began developing varieties with smoother, more pleasing textures. Brought to the North American colonies, carrots became so popular they were the first vegetable to be canned in the early 1800s.

Varieties

While there are many varieties of carrots, they are often categorized into three types: Chantenay (Kuroda), Nantes and Imperator. Round and short, Chantenay are primarily grown by home gardeners. The medium-length Nantes have a uniform diameter that make them ideal for slicing. These are commonly found at local markets. Most large supermarkets in the United States, however, only carry the Imperator variety. Available in various sizes, these are commonly packaged in one-pound cellophane bags.

Carrots packaged with the label "baby carrots" are actually large carrots that have been peeled and trimmed to smaller, two-inch lengths. True baby carrots, usually sold in specialty shops or local markets, look like actual miniature carrots with the green tops still attached. They are commonly referred to as Belgian or French carrots.

Buying Tips

Whether you purchase in bulk or plastic bags, look for carrots that are firm, smooth and well-shaped. They should be a healthy, reddish-orange color from top to bottom (carrots with a deeper orange color actually contain more beta-carotene). If the leafy green tops have been cut off, look at the stem ends to make sure they're not dark or black, which indicates age.

It is widely assumed that carrots sold with their green tops still on are fresher than those sold in bags. Expect to pay a little more, and check that the greens are brightly colored, feathery and not wilted.

Storage Tips

Hardy vegetables, carrots will keep longer than many others if stored properly. The trick is to minimize the amount of moisture they lose. To do this, put carrots in a plastic storage bag and keep them in the coldest part of the refrigerator with the highest humidity. They should keep fresh up to two weeks.

• If you bought carrots with the green tops attached, twist or cut off before storing. The leaves actually pull moisture away from the roots.

• Remember to store carrots away from apples, pears and potatoes as they release ethylene gas, which turns carrots bitter.

Usage Tips

Before eating, scrub carrots with a vegetable brush, or peel with a vegetable peeler or paring knife and rinse thoroughly. Ultimately versatile, carrots can be prepared whole, sliced into sticks and coins or julienned into thin strips. A food processor is handy for shredding.

Serving Tips

While raw carrots make a great lunch box snack or crudité for your favorite dip, cooking actually makes carrots' nutrients, including beta-carotene, more accessible to our bodies. Add a cooking liquid such as water, fruit juice, chicken broth or olive oil and boil, steam, microwave or bake until just tender to bring out their natural sweetness.

Try one of our favorite carrot recipes:
Maryland's Chicken Mushroom Carrot Casserole
Honey-Glazed Carrots
Carrot Walnut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

http://www.bigoven.com/glossary/Carrot

Kitchen Dictionary: carrot

A root vegetable from the parsley family, that has lacy green leaves and a long slender orange root. Baby carrots are often more tender, but have less flavor because of their immaturity. Carrots were formerly every color: red, black, yellow, white and especially purple EXCEPT orange! First cultivated in Afghanistan, carrots originally had purple exteriors and yellow flesh. In the Middle Ages, the Dutch developed the bright orange carrot.
plural: carrots Ingredient
Season: available year-round
How to select: Look for fresh green leaves when attached, and a smooth slender root without cracks. Do not choose carrots that have begun to soften and wither.
How to store: Remove leaves immediately if attached, because they rob the root of moisture. Keep them away from apples which emit a gas which causes carrots to become bitter. Refrigerate in a plastic bag.
How to prepare: Peeling is optional, but more necessary for older carrots. If they become limp, you can refresh them in a bowl of ice water. bake, boil, fry, puree, raw, saute, steam
Matches well with: almonds, bacon, basil, beef, brandy, butter, cayenne, celery, cheese, chervil, chives, cilantro, cinnamon, cloves, cream, cumin, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, honey, lemon, maple syrup, marjoram, mayonnaise, mint, mushrooms, mustard, nutmeg, nuts, olive oil, onions, oranges, parsley, peas, potatoes, raisins, rosemary, shallots, stock, sugar, tarragon, thyme, tomatoes, turnips, vinegar, walnuts
More Carrot Recipes
Popular Carrot Recipes
Piccadilly Cafeteria's Carrot Souffle
Why-I-Joined-Zaar Carrot Cake
Low-Fat Carrot Cake Muffins (That Don't Taste Low-Fat!)

http://www.food.com/library/carrot-213

Health Benefits

Carrots

Easy to pack and perfect as crudités for that favorite dip, the crunchy texture and sweet taste of carrots is popular among both adults and children. Although they are shipped around the country from California throughout the year, locally grown carrots are in season in the summer and fall when they are the freshest and most flavorful.
The carrot has a thick, fleshy, deeply colored root, which grows underground, and feathery green leaves that emerge above ground. It is known scientifically as Daucus carota, a name that can be traced back to ancient Roman writings of the 3rd century. Carrots belong to the Umbelliferae family along with parsnips, fennel caraway, cumin and dill which all have the umbrella-like flower clusters that characterize this family of plants.

Food Chart

This chart graphically details the %DV that a serving of Carrots provides for each of the nutrients of which it is a good, very good, or excellent source according to our Food Rating System. Additional information about the amount of these nutrients provided by Carrots can be found in the Food Rating System Chart. A link that takes you to the In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Carrots, featuring information over 80 nutrients, can be found under the Food Rating System Chart.

Health Benefits

Carrots are an excellent source of antioxidant compounds, and the richest vegetable source of the pro-vitamin A carotenes. Carrots' antioxidant compounds help protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer and also promote good vision, especially night vision.

Carotenoids and Heart Disease

When six epidemiological studies that looked at the association of diets high in carotenoids and heart disease were reviewed, the research demonstrated that high-carotenoid diets are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. In one study that examined the diets of 1,300 elderly persons in Massachusetts, those who had at least one serving of carrots and/or squash each day had a 60% reduction in their risk of heart attacks compared to those who ate less than one serving of these carotenoid-rich foods per day.

Better Vision

Beta-carotene helps to protect vision, especially night vision. After beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the liver, it travels to the retina where it is transformed into rhodopsin, a purple pigment that is necessary for night-vision. Plus beta-carotene's powerful antioxidant actions help provide protection against macular degeneration and the development of senile cataracts, the leading cause of blindness in the elderly.

Carotenoids and Optimal Health

Carrots are by far one of the richest source of carotenoids-just one cup provides 16,679 IUs of beta-carotene and 3,432 REs (retinol equivalents), or roughly 686.3% the RDA for vitamin A. High carotenoid intake has been linked with a 20% decrease in postmenopausal breast cancer and an up to 50% decrease in the incidence of cancers of the bladder, cervix, prostate, colon, larynx, and esophagus. Extensive human studies suggest that a diet including as little as one carrot per day could conceivably cut the rate of lung cancer in half. Remember the study in which heavy long-term cigarette smokers were given synthetic beta-carotene, and it did not appear to prevent them from developing lung cancer? Well, not only is synthetic beta-carotene not biochemically identical to the real stuff found in carrots, but scientists now think that carrots' protective effects are the result of a team effort among several substances abundant in carrots, including alpha-carotene-another, less publicized carotenoid. A recent National Cancer Institute study found lung cancer occurence was higher in men whose diets did not supply a healthy intake of alpha-carotene.

Carotenoids and Blood Sugar

Intake of foods such as carrots that are rich in carotenoids may be beneficial to blood sugar regulation. Research has suggested that physiological levels, as well as dietary intake, of carotenoids may be inversely associated with insulin resistance and high blood sugar levels.

Falcarinol in Carrots Promote Colon Health

Although best known for their high content of beta carotene, carrots also contain a phytonutrient called falcarinol that may be responsible for the recognized epidemiological association between frequently eating carrots and a reduced risk of cancers.
Falcarinol provides protection against colon cancer, suggests a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Three groups of laboratory animals in whom precancerous colon lesions (aberrant crypt foci) had been chemically-induced were fed a standard diet, one supplemented with freeze-dried carrots naturally containing falcarinol, or one supplemented with an extract of falcarinol. After 18 weeks, precancerous lesions in the animals given diets containing carrots or falcarinol were much smaller than those in the control animals, and far fewer of the lesions had grown in size or progressed to become tumors.

Promote Lung Health

If you or someone you love is a smoker, or if you are frequently exposed to secondhand smoke, then making vitamin A-rich foods, such as carrots, part of your healthy way of eating may save your life, suggests research conducted at Kansas State University.
While studying the relationship between vitamin A, lung inflammation, and emphysema, Richard Baybutt, associate professor of nutrition at Kansas State, made a surprising discovery: a common carcinogen in cigarette smoke, benzo(a)pyrene, induces vitamin A deficiency.
Baybutt's earlier research had shown that laboratory animals fed a vitamin A-deficient diet developed emphysema. His latest animal studies indicate that not only does the benzo(a)pyrene in cigarette smoke cause vitamin A deficiency, but that a diet rich in vitamin A can help counter this effect, thus greatly reducing emphysema.
Baybutt believes vitamin A's protective effects may help explain why some smokers do not develop emphysema. "There are a lot of people who live to be 90 years old and are smokers," he said. "Why? Probably because of their diet…The implications are that those who start smoking at an early age are more likely to become vitamin A deficient and develop complications associated with cancer and emphysema. And if they have a poor diet, forget it." If you or someone you love smokes, or if your work necessitates exposure to second hand smoke, protect yourself by making sure the World's Healthiest Foods rich in vitamin A (carrot's beta-carotene is converted in the body into vitamin A) are a daily part of your healthy way of eating.

Description

Carrots? The favorite food of Bugs Bunny hardly needs a description for they are well known and loved by even the youngest children in many countries. Carrots benefits are legendary. Bet your mother told you that eating carrots would keep your eyesight bright.
While we usually associate carrots with the color orange, in fact, carrots grow in a host of other colors including white, yellow, red, or purple, the latter being the color of the original variety. The carrot is a plant with a thick, fleshy, deeply colored root, which grows underground, and feathery green leaves that emerge above ground. It is known scientifically as Daucus carota, a name that can be traced back to ancient Roman writings of the 3rd century.
Carrots belong to the Umbelliferae family, named after the umbrella like flower clusters that plants in this family produce. As such, carrots are related to parsnips, fennel caraway, cumin and dill. There are over 100 different varieties that vary in size and color. Carrots can be as small as two inches or as long as three feet, ranging in diameter from one-half of an inch to over two inches. Carrot roots have a crunchy texture and a sweet and minty aromatic taste, while the greens are fresh tasting and slightly bitter.

History

The carrot can trace its ancestry back thousands of years, originally having been cultivated in central Asian and Middle Eastern countries. These original carrots looked different from those that we are accustomed to today, featuring deep purple coloring, ranging from lavender to deep eggplant. This coloration was a reflection of the anthocyanin phytonutrient pigments these carrots had. In pre-Hellenic times, a yellow-rooted carrot variety appeared in Afghanistan and was further cultivated and developed into an earlier version of the carrot we known today. Both types of carrots spread throughout the Mediterranean region and were adopted by the ancient Greeks and Romans for their medicinal use.
It seems that carrots did not become a popular vegetable in Europe until the Renaissance. This was probably related to the fact that the early varieties had a tough and fibrous texture. Centuries later, beginning in the 17th century, agriculturists in Europe started cultivating different varieties of carrots, developing an orange-colored carrot that had a more pleasing texture than its predecessor. Europeans favored the growing of this one over the purple variety, which was and still is widely grown in other areas of the world, including southern Asia and North Africa. Carrots were subsequently introduced into the North American colonies. Owing to its heightened popularity, in the early 1800s, the carrot became the first vegetable to be canned. Today, the United States, France, England, Poland, China and Japan are among the largest producers of carrots.

How to Select and Store

Carrot roots should be firm, smooth, relatively straight and bright in color. The deeper the orange-color, the more beta-carotene is present in the carrot. Avoid carrots that are excessively cracked or forked as well as those that are limp or rubbery. In addition, if the carrots do not have their tops attached, look at the stem end and ensure that it is not darkly colored as this is also a sign of age. If the green tops are attached, they should be brightly colored, feathery and not wilted. Since the sugars are concentrated in the carrots' core, generally those with larger diameters will have a larger core and therefore be sweeter.
Carrots are hardy vegetables that will keep longer than many others if stored properly. The trick to preserving the freshness of carrot roots is to minimize the amount of moisture they lose. To do this, make sure to store them in the coolest part of the refrigerator in a plastic bag or wrapped in a paper towel, which will reduce the amount of condensation that is able to form. They should be able to keep fresh for about two weeks. Carrots should also be stored away from apples, pears, potatoes and other fruits and vegetables that produce ethylene gas since it will cause them to become bitter.
If you purchase carrot roots with attached green tops, the tops should be cut off before storing in the refrigerator since they will cause the carrots to wilt prematurely as they pull moisture from the roots. While the tops can be stored in the refrigerator, kept moist by being wrapped in a damp paper, they should really be used soon after purchase since they are fragile and will quickly begin to wilt.

How to Enjoy

For some of our favorite recipes, click Recipes.

Tips for Preparing Carrots:

Wash carrot roots and gently scrub them with a vegetable brush right before eating. Unless the carrots are old, thick or not grown organically, it is not necessary to peel them. If they are not organically grown, peel them; most all conventionally grown carrots are grown using pesticides and other chemicals. If the stem end is green, it should be cut away as it will be bitter. Depending upon the recipe or your personal preference, carrots can be left whole or julienned, grated, shredded or sliced into sticks or rounds.
Carrots are delicious eaten raw or cooked. Beta-carotene is not destroyed by cooking; in fact, cooking breaks down the fiber, making this nutrient and carrots' sugars more available, thus also making them taste sweeter. Take care not to overcook carrots, however, to ensure that they retain their maximum flavor and nutritional content.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas:

Shredded raw carrots and chopped carrot greens make great additions to salads.
Combine shredded carrots, beets and apples, and eat as a salad.
For quick, nutritious soup that can be served hot or cold, purée boiled carrots and potatoes in a blender or food processor, and add herbs and spices to taste.
Spiced carrot sticks are a flavorful variation on an old favorite at parties or at the dinner table. Soak carrot sticks in hot water spiced with cayenne, coriander seeds and salt. Allow to cool, drain and serve.
Combine freshly squeezed carrot juice with soymilk and bananas to make a nutrient-dense breakfast shake.

Individual Concerns

Carrots and Carotoderma

Excessive consumption of carotene-rich foods may lead to a condition called carotoderma in which the palms or other skin develops a yellow or orange cast. This yellowing of the skin is presumably related to carotenemia, excessive levels of carotene in the blood. The health impact of carotenemia is not well researched. Eating or juicing high amounts of foods rich in carotene, like carrots, may over tax the body's ability to convert these foods to vitamin A. The body slowly converts carotene to vitamin A, and extra carotene is stored, usually in the palms, soles or behind the ears. If the cause of the carotenemia is eating excessively high amounts of foods like carrots, the condition will usually disappear after reducing consumption.

Nutritional Profile

Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A. In addition, they are a very good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, dietary fiber and potassium.
For an in-depth nutritional profile click here: Carrots.

In-Depth Nutritional Profile

In addition to the nutrients highlighted in our ratings chart, an in-depth nutritional profile for Carrots is also available. This profile includes information on a full array of nutrients, including carbohydrates, sugar, soluble and insoluble fiber, sodium, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids and more.

Introduction to Food Rating System Chart

In order to better help you identify foods that feature a high concentration of nutrients for the calories they contain, we created a Food Rating System. This system allows us to highlight the foods that are especially rich in particular nutrients. The following chart shows the nutrients for which this food is either an excellent, very good, or good source (below the chart you will find a table that explains these qualifications). If a nutrient is not listed in the chart, it does not necessarily mean that the food doesn't contain it. It simply means that the nutrient is not provided in a sufficient amount or concentration to meet our rating criteria. (To view this food's in-depth nutritional profile that includes values for dozens of nutrients - not just the ones rated as excellent, very good, or good - please use the link below the chart.) To read this chart accurately, you'll need to glance up in the top left corner where you will find the name of the food and the serving size we used to calculate the food's nutrient composition. This serving size will tell you how much of the food you need to eat to obtain the amount of nutrients found in the chart. Now, returning to the chart itself, you can look next to the nutrient name in order to find the nutrient amount it offers, the percent Daily Value (DV%) that this amount represents, the nutrient density that we calculated for this food and nutrient, and the rating we established in our rating system. For most of our nutrient ratings, we adopted the government standards for food labeling that are found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling." Read more background information and details of our rating system.

Nutrient	Amount	DV (%)	Nutrient Density	World's Healthiest Foods Rating
Carrots, raw 1.00 cup 122.00 grams 52.46 calories
vitamin A	34317.40 IU	686.3	235.5	excellent
vitamin K	16.10 mcg	20.1	6.9	very good
vitamin C	11.35 mg	18.9	6.5	very good
dietary fiber	3.66 g	14.6	5.0	very good
potassium	394.06 mg	11.3	3.9	very good
vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)	0.18 mg	9.0	3.1	good
manganese	0.17 mg	8.5	2.9	good
molybdenum	6.10 mcg	8.1	2.8	good
vitamin B1 (thiamin)	0.12 mg	8.0	2.7	good
vitamin B3 (niacin)	1.13 mg	5.6	1.9	good
phosphorus	53.68 mg	5.4	1.8	good
magnesium	18.30 mg	4.6	1.6	good
folate	17.08 mcg	4.3	1.5	good

World's Healthiest Foods Rating	Rule
excellent	DV>=75%	OR	Density>=7.6	AND	DV>=10%
very good	DV>=50%	OR	Density>=3.4	AND	DV>=5%
good	DV>=25%	OR	Density>=1.5	AND	DV>=2.5%

In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Carrots
References

Baybutt RC, Hu L, Molteni A. Vitamin A deficiency injures lung and liver parenchyma and impairs function of rat type II pneumocytes. J Nutr. 2000 May;130(5):1159-65. 2000. PMID:10801913.
Ensminger AH, Esminger M. K. J. e. al. Food for Health: A Nutrition Encyclopedia. Clovis, California: Pegus Press; 1986 1986. PMID:15210.
Gaziano JM, Manson JE, Branch LG, et al. A prospective study of consumption of carotenoids in fruits and vegetables and decreased cardiovascular mortality in the elderly. Ann. Epidemiol. 1995; 5:255-260 1995.
Harris RA, Key TJ, Silcocks PB, et al. A case-controlled study of dietary carotene in men with lung cancer and in men with other epithelial cancers. Nutrition and Cancer(1991)15:63-68 1991.
Kobaek-Larsen M, Christensen LP, Vach W, Ritskes-Hoitinga J, Brandt K. Inhibitory Effects of Feeding with Carrots or (-)-Falcarinol on Development of Azoxymethane-Induced Preneoplastic Lesions in the Rat Colon. J Agric Food Chem. 2005 Mar 9;53(5):1823-1827. 2005. PMID:15740080.
Kritchevsky SB. beta-Carotene, carotenoids and the prevention of coronary heart disease. J Nutr 1999 Jan;129(1):5-8 1999.
Li T, Molteni A, Latkovich P, Castellani W, Baybutt RC. Vitamin A depletion induced by cigarette smoke is associated with the development of emphysema in rats. J Nutr. 2003 Aug;133(8):2629-34. 2003. PMID:12888649.
Michaud DS, Feskanich D, Rimm EB, et al. Intake of specific carotenoids and risk of lung cancer in 2 prospective US cohorts. Am J Clin Nutr(2000)Oct;72(4):990-7 2000.
Suzuki K, Ito Y, Nakamura S et al. Relationship between serum carotenoids and hyperglycemia: a population- based cross-sectional study. J Epidemiol 2002 Sep;12(5):357-66 2002.
Wald NJ, Thompson SG, Densem JW, et al. Serum beta-carotene and subsequent risk of cancer: results from the BUPA study. British Journal of Cancer(1988)57:428-33 1988.
Wood, Rebecca. The Whole Foods Encyclopedia. New York, NY: Prentice-Hall Press; 1988 1988. PMID:15220.
Ylonen K, Alfthan G, Groop, L et al. Dietary intakes and plasma concentrations of carotenoids and tocopherols in relation to glucose metabolism in subjects at high risk of type 2 diabetes: the Botnia Dietary Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Jun; 77(6):1434-41 2003.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=21

Cultivars

Carrot cultivars can be grouped into two broad classes, eastern carrots and western carrots. More recently, a number of novelty cultivars have been bred for particular characteristics.
The city of Holtville, California, promotes itself as "Carrot Capital of the World", and holds an annual festival devoted entirely to the carrot.

Eastern carrots

Eastern carrots were domesticated in Central Asia, probably in modern-day Afghanistan in the 10th century, or possibly earlier. Specimens of the eastern carrot that survive to the present day are commonly purple or yellow, and often have branched roots. The purple colour common in these carrots comes from anthocyanin pigments.

Western carrots

The western carrot emerged in the Netherlands in the 17th century,^[11] its orange colour making it popular in those countries as an emblem of the House of Orange and the struggle for Dutch independence. The orange colour results from abundant carotenes in these cultivars. While orange carrots are the norm in the West, other colours do exist, including white, yellow, red, and purple. These other colours of carrot are raised primarily as novelty crops.
The Vegetable Improvement Center at Texas A&M University has developed a purple-skinned, orange-fleshed carrot, the BetaSweet (also known as the Maroon Carrot), with substances to prevent cancer, which has recently entered very limited commercial distribution, through J&D Produce of Edinburg, Texas. This variety of carrot is also known to be high in β-carotene which is an essential nutrient. The high concentrations of this nutrient give the carrot its maroon shade.
Western carrot cultivars are commonly classified by their root shape:

Chantenay carrots are shorter than other cultivars, but have greater girth, sometimes growing up to 8 centimetres (3 in) in diameter. They have broad shoulders and taper towards a blunt, rounded tip. They are most commonly diced for use in canned or prepared foods.
Danvers carrots have a conical shape, having well-defined shoulders and tapering to a point at the tip. They are somewhat shorter than Imperator cultivars, but more tolerant of heavy soil. Danvers cultivars are often puréed as baby food. They were developed in 1871 in Danvers, Ma.^[12]
Imperator carrots are the carrots most commonly sold whole in U.S. supermarkets; their roots are longer than other cultivars of carrot, and taper to a point at the tip.
Nantes carrots are nearly cylindrical in shape, and are blunt and rounded at both the top and tip. Nantes cultivars are often sweeter than other carrots.

While any carrot can be harvested before reaching its full size as a more tender "baby" carrot, some fast-maturing cultivars have been bred to produce smaller roots. The most extreme examples produce round roots about 2.5 centimetres (1 in) in diameter. These small cultivars are also more tolerant of heavy or stony soil than long-rooted cultivars such as 'Nantes' or 'Imperator'. The "baby carrots" sold ready-to-eat in supermarkets are, however, often not from a smaller cultivar of carrot, but are simply full-sized carrots that have been sliced and peeled to make carrot sticks of a uniform shape and size.
Carrot flowers are pollinated primarily by bees. Seed growers use honeybees or mason bees for their pollination needs.
Carrots are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepi doptera species, including Common Swift, Garden Dart, Ghost Moth, Large Yellow Underwing and Setaceous Hebrew Character. One particular variety lacks the usual orange pigment from carotenes, owing its white colour to a recessive gene for tocopherol (Vitamin E). Derived from Daucus carota L. and patented (US patent #6,437,222) at
the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the variety is intended to supplement the dietary intake of Vitamin E.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrot

Nutrition

The carrot gets its characteristic and bright orange colour from β-carotene, which is metabolised into vitamin A in humans when bile salts are present in the intestines.^[3] Massive overconsumption of carrots can cause carotenosis, a benign condition in which the skin turns orange. Carrots are also rich in dietary fibre, antioxidants, and minerals.

Lack of Vitamin A can cause poor vision, including night vision, and vision can be restored by adding Vitamin A back into the diet. An urban legend says eating large amounts of carrots will allow one to see in the dark. The legend developed from stories of British gunners in World War II who were able to shoot down German planes in the darkness of night. The legend arose during the Battle of Britain when the RAF circulated a story about their pilots' carrot consumption as an attempt to cover up the discovery and effective use of radar technologies in engaging enemy planes, as well as the use of red light (which does not destroy night vision) in aircraft instruments.^[4]^[5] It reinforced existing German folklore and helped to encourage Britons—looking to improve their night vision during the blackouts—to grow and eat the vegetable.
Ethnomedically, the roots are used to treat digestive problems, intestinal parasites, and tonsillitis or constipation.

The wild ancestors of the carrot are likely to have come from Afghanistan, which remains the centre of diversity of D. carota, the wild carrot. Selective breeding over the centuries of a naturally occurring subspecies of the wild carrot, Daucus carota subsp. sativus reducing bitterness, increasing sweetness and minimizing the woody core, has produced the familiar garden vegetable.^[6]^[7]
In early use, carrots were grown for their aromatic leaves and seeds, not their roots. Some relatives of the carrot are still grown for these, such as parsley, fennel, dill and cumin. The first mention of the root in classical sources is in the 1st century CE. The modern carrot appears to have been introduced to Europe in the 8-10th centuries.^{[citation needed]} The 12th c. Arab Andalusian agriculturist, Ibn al-'Awwam, describes both red and yellow carrots; Simeon Seth also mentions both colours in the 11th century. Orange-coloured carrots appeared in the Netherlands in the 17th century.^[8] These, the modern carrots, were intended by the antiquary John Aubrey (1626–1697) when he noted in his memoranda "Carrots were first sown at Beckington in Somersetshire Some very old Man there [in 1668] did remember their first bringing hither."^[9]
In addition to wild carrot, these alternative (mostly historical) names are recorded for Daucus carota: Bee's-nest, Bee's-nest plant, Bird's-nest, Bird's-nest plant, Bird's-nest root, Carota, Carotte (French), Carrot, Common carrot, Crow's-nest, Daucon, Dawke, Devil's-plague, Fiddle, Gallicam, Garden carrot, Gelbe Rübe (German), Gingidium, Hill-trot, Laceflower, Mirrot, Möhre (German), Parsnip (misapplied), Queen Anne's lace, Rantipole, Staphylinos, and Zanahoria.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrot

Carrot

The carrot (Daucus carota subsp. sativus, Etymology: Middle French carotte, from Late Latin carōta, from Greek καρότον karōton, originally from the Indo-European root ker- (horn), due to its horn-like shape) is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh. The most commonly eaten part of a carrot is a taproot, although the greens are edible as well. It is a domesticated form of the wild carrot Daucus carota, native to Europe and southwestern Asia. The domestic carrot has been selectively bred for its greatly enlarged and more palatable, less woody-textured edible taproot.
It is a biennial plant which grows a rosette of leaves in the spring and summer, while building up the stout taproot, which stores large amounts of sugars for the plant to flower in the second year. The flowering stem grows to about 1 metre (3 ft) tall, with an umbel of white flowers that produce a fruit called a mericarp by botanists, which is a type of schizocarp

Uses

Carrots can be eaten in a variety of ways. Only 3% of the β-carotene in raw carrots is released during digestion: this can be improved to 39% by pulping, cooking and adding cooking oil.^[2] Alternatively they may be chopped and boiled, fried or steamed, and cooked in soups and stews, as well as baby and pet foods. A well known dish is carrots julienne. Grated carrots are used in carrot cakes, as well as carrot puddings, an old English dish thought to have originated in the early 19th century. The greens are edible as a leaf vegetable, but are rarely eaten by humans. Together with onion and celery, carrots are one of the primary vegetables used in a mirepoix to make various broths.
In India carrots are used in a variety of ways, as salads or as vegetables added to spicy rice or daal dishes, and the most popular variation in north India is the Gaajar Kaa Halwaa carrot dessert, which has carrots grated and cooked in milk until the whole thing is solid, after which nuts and butter are added. Carrot salads are usually made with grated carrots in western parts with a seasoning of mustard seeds and green chillies popped in hot oil, while adding carrots to rice usually is in julienne shape.
The variety of carrot found in north India is rare everywhere except in Central Asia and other contiguous regions, and is now growing in popularity in larger cosmopolitan cities in South India. The north Indian carrot is pink-red comparable to plum or raspberry or deep red apple in colour (without a touch of yellow or blue) while most other carrot varieties in world are from orange to yellow in colour, comparable to hallowe'en pumpkins.
Ever since the late 1980s, baby carrots or mini-carrots (carrots that have been peeled and cut into uniform cylinders) have been a popular ready-to-eat snack food available in many supermarkets.
Carrot juice is also widely marketed, especially as a health drink, either stand-alone or blended with fruits and other vegetables.

Companion plant

Carrots are useful companion plants for gardeners. There is experimental evidence^{[citation needed]} that growing it intercropped with tomatoes increases tomato production. If left to flower, it (like any umbellifer) attracts predatory wasps which kill many garden pests.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrot