Carrots are one of the most common vegetables in the kitchen and one of the most basic ingredients in culinary arts. Carrots can be grown in many colors, ranging from white and yellow to very dark purple. But the most common color of carrot is light orange.
Carrots can also vary in shape. The most common carrots are relatively long and conical to a point. Other types are more cylindrical and can be very short and blunt.
But how do baby carrots come in along with these varieties of carrots? Is it even real? This simple guide has been provided to let you know more about the originality of baby carrots and why most people prefer them to regular carrots.
Are Baby Carrots Real or Processed?
Baby carrots are not real but processed. As can be deduced from the name, baby carrots are smaller in size than regular carrots.
These carrots are not naturally grown this way but are rather the product of taking a flawed carrot with an odd shape or size and putting the carrot through a machine. Ugly carrots then get new life as baby carrots that can be sold in the grocery store.
Are There Real Baby Carrots?
No! While the bigger carrots can be harvested at baby size, it’s impossible to have real-grown baby carrots. The only way baby carrots can be obtained by peeling the real carrots and cutting them into smaller pieces.
Therefore baby carrots found in grocery stores and packaged are made, not grown. The idea came to a farmer in California named Mike Yurosek to sell carrots shaped and sliced down to be ready for snack consumption.
Are Packaged Baby Carrots Real Carrots?
Baby carrots are different from regular carrots. They are made by peeling damaged or deformed large carrots and then cutting them into small sizes.
Theoretically, baby carrots are just like regular carrots. The only difference is that full-size carrots are harvested after they have had a chance to grow. Their taste is a bit sweet, and it is also a bit soft.
However, many baby carrots on the market usually have full-grown carrots cut into smaller sizes. It is high in nutrients and also contains little quantity of chlorine.
Baby carrots are an interesting alternative to regular carrots. They contain a lot of beta-carotene and have a pleasant taste and unusual appearance.
The agricultural technology of this variety is not much different from the cultivation of ordinary varieties of carrots; therefore, it does not cause difficulties for home gardeners.
How Do Baby Carrots Get Made?
Baby carrots are made from skinning and cutting fully grown carrots into two-inch fragments by a machine. After having been cut, the baby carrots are soaked in chlorinated water, which will ensure their conservation because they’re prone to food-borne diseases and spoilage as their skins have been peeled off. But Health Canada assures that the amount of chlorine used is not a health risk for consumers.
Chlorine disinfects the water and helps reduce the risk of food contamination during the processing process.
Besides, chlorinated water is often used to clean several other fruits and vegetables, poultry and fish.
As the baby carrots are then peeled and polished, there is little chance that the consumer will find the taste of chlorine on their plate.
Who Invented the Baby Carrots?
The concept of baby carrots was invented by a Californian farmer named Mike Yurosek, who wanted to find a use for carrots that could not be sold to the consumers whole due to their flaws and imperfections.
At his packing plant, up to 70% of the carrots were slaughtered for cosmetic reasons, which meant they could usually only be given to farm animals.
In 1986, he came up with baby carrots made from the imperfect regular carrots, which he would pack and sell to consumers instead of writing the flawed carrots off.
Baby carrots quickly gained popularity in American society as a dietary snack. While in the 1970s, Americans ate only 6 pounds (2.72 kg) per year on average, today, most Americans eat 10.6 pounds (4.76 kg) each year.
The drastic increase in carrot consumption is due almost entirely to the invention of baby carrots, which are much easier to eat than normal carrots because they do not need to be peeled and cut first.
Are Baby-cut Carrots Healthy?
Baby carrots are a powerful source of antioxidants, including lycopene, beta-carotene, and vitamin A. Half a cup of baby carrots contains more than 200% of the recommended average daily amount of vitamin A.
The high content of vitamin A comes from beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the liver. Beta-carotene is a strong antioxidant, effective against free radicals, and reduces oxidative stress.
By developing the habit of including baby carrots in your daily diet, you will enjoy some important health benefits like:-
Prevention of Night Blindness
Carrots can provide all kinds of nutrients that our body needs. Some friends who suffer from night blindness are caused early because of the lack of vitamin A in the body. Therefore, you can usually eat more carrots or drink some carrot juice, which can effectively reduce the chance of night blindness.
Stimulation of Good Oral Health
Carrots can help reduce the number of tooth decay and help keep teeth clean. Saliva is an alkaline substance that helps reduce the production of bacteria and dental plaque on the teeth. Eating carrots helps increase the secretion of saliva and stimulates the gums.
Prevention of Cancer
The antioxidants in carrots have important cancer prevention effects. Studies have shown that smokers who eat carrots more than once a week have a lower risk of lung cancer, and a diet rich in beta-carotene can also help prevent prostate cancer.
Further research has proved that β-carotene may bring about a lower risk of colon cancer, and at the same time, it can have a positive effect on leukemia and reduce the risk of gastric cancer. Carrots contain a natural toxin that can fight fungal diseases-fall crops. It may stimulate the anti-cancer mechanism in your body. Studies have confirmed that it can reduce the risk of tumors in mice.
Better Circulation
The circulatory system transports oxygen through the heart and blood vessels and helps the kidneys expel toxins from the body. Carrots contain flavonoids, which are micronutrients. It directly improves heart and kidney health which makes them more functional.
Read more : Properties and Benefits of Carrots
Do Baby Carrots Taste Different Than Regular Carrots?
Yes! Baby carrots taste sweeter than real carrots, and they both have almost the same nutrition profile. According to the comparison made between baby carrots and large carrots published by the National Standard Nutrition Database of the United States Department of Agriculture, baby carrots have slightly more water and slightly fewer calories than regular carrots.
Their sugar content is about the same, but baby carrots have lower iron, phosphorus, and magnesium.
After comparing the nutrition of the two carrots weighing 100 grams, the researchers found that baby carrots contain less vitamin A and vitamin C. Still, their folic acid content is slightly higher than that of the larger varieties.
Are Baby Carrots From Big Carrots?
Yes! Baby carrots are obtained from the bigger carrots that have been peeled and sliced into smaller sizes. Baby carrots are regular carrots with imperfect, flawed looks that are factory-made to a small size and cleaned with chlorine.
You may also like to eat it or give your child, but you should know that these are no different from those old, little-loved nursery carrots.
Moreover, these babies are perfect and have a much sweeter taste, the same as their traditional counterparts.
Conclusion
Carrots are tasty and healthy. But we humans want regular, straight roots and not those weird roots with all kinds of protrusions. You won’t come across them in the supermarket or at the greengrocer either, but the farmer who grows them will! The world is filled with creepy carrots, strange growths, and usually, these carrots were thrown away or sold as animal feed. But with the invention of baby carrots, these carrots are no longer being thrown away but rather cut into adorable and smaller sizes.
