Carrots are one of the first root vegetables that primitive man mastered. Not one millennium has passed since those distant times, and carrots are still present on our tables. Thanks to the work of breeders, a modern carrot is distinguished by its taste and color from its wild progenitress for the better. Grateful humanity periodically erects monuments to this plant in different countries of the world: Canada, New Zealand, Turkey, the United States of America, and the Philippines. Of all the umbrella varieties, the most sought-after consumer is yellow carrot.
brief information
Carrots come in a variety of colors: orange, yellow, purple, white, and even with pink flesh. Coloring depends on the content in the plant cells of substances such as anthocyanin or carotene. If carotene prevails, the color of the roots ranges from yellow to orange or red. The predominance of anthocyanin stains roots in pink, burgundy or purple.
Regardless of the type of carrot, it is necessary to sow it properly, to ensure proper care - watering, feeding, protection from pests and diseases.
Red and orange carrots originate from the Mediterranean, the roots with yellow and white color come from Asia. Wild carrot roots are still found in the meadows and fields of Russia, European countries, in North Africa and Asia.
Did you know? The color of the carrot was not always yellow, red or orange. For example, the ancient Romans knew only white root vegetables, while the Egyptians ate purple. The color of carrots we are used to is due to its high content of carotene. The Netherlands scientists brought out an orange carrot by long and directed selection, which was named after the royal Orange dynasty. The orange color is the dynastic color of this royal family.
Description of varieties
Biologists of many countries conduct directional surveys to develop new forms, types and varieties of carrots. There are species of varietal plants that are bred specifically as a fodder crop for domestic animals. Fodder crops require high levels of starch and sugar, a large amount of individual specimens and an overall high yield.
The varieties of carrots, which are eaten by people, are completely different requirements: juiciness, sweetness, coloring given by the breeders, the correct form, given maturity (early, middle, late) and how the root crop is stored. Some successful varieties are more than 100 years old, and they are still as popular as in the first years of their cultivation. Here is a description of some of the most successful and popular varieties.
"Mirzoi 304"
The variety was bred in 1946 in the Republic of Uzbekistan by Soviet breeders and belongs to the yellow carrot variety type. Characteristic:
- sows quickly, from sowing seeds to ripeness 97-115 days;
- yield in the south of 6.5 kg per 1 square. m, in northern latitudes, the yield is reduced by half;
- leaves of the plant are dark green, rosette leaves of medium density;
- the petioles themselves are fragile, when extracting the root from the dense soil often break;
- root crop of yellow or light yellow color, sometimes the upper part of the root may turn green;
- Mirzoi 304 form - wide cylinder with a blunt rounded tip;
- root diameter up to 3 cm, length 12-15 cm;
- average root weight is 65-130 g.
Learn about the intricacies of growing such varieties of carrots as "Samson", "Nantes" and "Shantane 2461".
The variety is intended for fresh consumption, as the “keeping quality” in the storage of root vegetables is low, it is mainly used for canning, making juices and for food. Yellow carrot variety "Mirzoi 304" is recommended for cultivation in the regions of Central Asia.
Did you know? Owners of purebred cats with orange-colored fur or bright red ears and a tail tip daily give their pets a raw, finely wiped carrot in an amount of 5-10 g. This is done so as not to fade the bright color of the fur.
"Yellowstone"
Carrot "Yellowstone" is from the United States of America.
Characteristic:
- late gestation period, up to full ripeness 160-180 days;
- leaves of the plant are long, lush, collected in a large outlet;
- spindle-shaped root, long and rather thin;
- length 20-24 cm, diameter 3-3.5 cm;
- average root weight 180-200 g;
- yield is very high;
- root color is bright yellow, almost canary;
- perfectly stored when laying in winter storage;
- root crop is sweet, but not juicy enough, which is typical of all late varieties.
"Solar Yellow"
This variety of carrots also came to our country from the American continent. The name translates as "Yellow Sun".
Read also about the beneficial properties of chervil, safflower, Jerusalem artichoke, saffron, ginger, lime, milkweed, rosemary, skumpiii, almonds.
Characteristic:
- very early, from sowing to picking root crops takes 87-90 days;
- rosette of leaves of medium pubescence, leaves weak;
- root length 15-20 cm, diameter 3.5-4 cm;
- shape - long spindle, without bulges, the same along the entire length;
- root color is very bright, yellow, with a high content of xanthophyll and lutein;
- the flesh is juicy, crunchy and very sweet;
- stored "solar yellow" bad.
Composition and calorie
Research scientists have shown that the quality and duration of human life are directly related to the proper operation of the gastrointestinal tract. If the gastrointestinal tract works slowly and intermittently, toxins are formed and retained in the body, which is a slowly acting poison for humans.
The solution to this problem is in the regular supply of fruit and vegetable waters. And this will also help a person eating carrots, it contains a large amount of fruit water.
Important! Umbrella seeds are rich in essential oils and daukarin. Biologists are convinced that the bulk of the nutrients and the most valuable vitamins are found in the skins of root vegetables, and they must be consumed along with the skin (rinsing well with a brush and water).
Yellow carrots are rich in such minerals and vitamins:
- magnesium and potassium;
- fluorine and calcium;
- phosphorus and zinc;
- iron, iodine and sodium;
- B vitamins;
- vitamins A, C, E, H and PP, K.
Carrots are a rather satisfying product, its calorific value is 330 kcal per 1 kg. After eating carrots in the body, the reaction of carotene to retinol occurs. It should be borne in mind that such a useful reaction occurs only when there is at least a minimal dose of fat in the body along with carotene. Therefore, such people as stewed carrots with sour cream, butter or vegetable oil are so beneficial to humans.
Did you know? It turns out that the well-known myth about the benefits of carrots for sight is military misinformation. During World War II, the British Air Force began using radars in combat operations, and to hide this information, counterintelligence launched a tale to the masses that British pilots eat a lot of carrots and therefore hit the target so well. Misinformation has spread widely in society and lasted more than 70 years in the minds of mankind.
Beneficial features
Umbrella roots contain lutein, which is very useful for vision and is a protector of the retina from ultraviolet radiation, as well as xanthophyll - the most powerful substance that blocks the development of oncological diseases. Carrots are part of the drug "Urolesan", its juice and pulp - this is a great tool for therapeutic effects in the pathology of the bile ducts and urolithiasis.
Umbrella seeds are part of antispasmodics, such as the drug "Daukarin", of which emit essential oils, which are widely used in pharmacology and the cosmetic industry.
Carrot seeds and pulp are used in folk medicine:
- As a mild laxative: in the morning, half an hour before a meal, drink freshly squeezed carrot juice. For a child, 50 ml is enough, the adult dose is 100 ml of juice.
- To cleanse the sweat glands, liver, gallbladder: a mix is made of beet juice, carrot and cucumber (in equal amounts). Use a mixture of juices 1 time per day (before breakfast). After taking a mixture of juices, do not eat meat and sweet food, products containing starch, until lunchtime. The course of treatment is 10 days.
- Treatment of beriberi and anemia (general exhaustion): before breakfast, on an empty stomach, eat grated carrots (100-150 g), mixed with one or two spoons of sour cream or vegetable oil.
- Treatment of purulent wounds and burns: finely grated carrots are applied to the affected area. Every quarter of an hour lotion changes to fresh. The treatment only helps with burns just received.
- Sore throat treatment: squeeze the juice from 1 medium-sized carrot and mix with 1 tablespoon of honey. The resulting mixture should be diluted with warm boiled water in equal parts and gargle 4-6 times a day.
- Expulsion of worms from the child's body: in the morning on an empty stomach to drink half a cup of carrot juice.
- Treatment of thrush: fresh juice is mixed with honey in equal proportions and rinsed your mouth or smeared the sky.
Cooking Application
Yellow carrots are used to make soups, borscht, vegetable, fish and meat dishes, and even for baking sweet cakes and pies. Fresh root vegetables are rubbed on a coarse and fine grater, squeezed out the juice and chopped into ringlets.
Boil, stew, prepare mashed potatoes and sauces. The finely grated carrots roasted in vegetable oil are added to the first and second courses, which gives them not only a unique taste and aroma, but also a beautiful yellow-golden color.
Important! Carrots do not lose carotene and many other useful substances during heat treatment, so the food in which it is contained is not only tasty, but also useful.
Root vegetables grated on a coarse grater are pasted with butter in a frying pan for 20-25 minutes, then sugar is added to taste and used as a sweet filling for pies.
Chopped by ringlets or whole young carrots are used in winter preparations (preservation) for preparing pickles, preserving tomatoes or salads from a mixture of vegetables.
Harm and contraindications
There are not so many contraindications to eating yellow carrots. As the great Avicenna said, “there is medicine in the spoon, poison in the cup,” moderation is needed in everything. If a person eats 10 kg of carrots in a week, this will lead to an oversaturation of the body with beta-carotene and to the fact that his skin turns yellow (carotenemia disease).
There is nothing terrible in this, except for external manifestations - yellow skin of the face and yellow palms. To remove the external effects of overeating, you need to completely eliminate carrots from the diet for 2-3 weeks. Under no circumstances should people follow the carrot diet.
Its use should be limited to people:
- daily smokers;
- ulcers and diabetics;
- having thyroid problems;
- suffering from allergies.
Important! Since root crops are grown on an industrial scale using insecticides, mineral fertilizers, stimulants and growth inhibitors, there may be an excessive amount of nitrates in the final production. To avoid the accumulation of nitrates in the body, you need to buy carrots grown on natural fertilizers, without the use of chemicals.
Having understood all the known facts, we come to the firm conviction that the benefits that a person can get by including carrots in his diet, many times exceed the insignificant harm it has caused. Yellow carrots will not only provide the body with beneficial substances, minerals and vitamins, but also enrich the taste of the dishes included in the daily menu.
