In California at least, grocery stores and supermarkets carry real baby carrots.

Apparently, the baby-cut carrot was invented in California in the 80s as a means of using waste carrots.

The ‘carrot museum’ website is fantastic- their ‘Carrots in Fine Art‘ section is unsurpassed.

The purple/orange thing is fascinating. As pure beta-carotene is purple, I assumed that purple carrots were just higher in beta-carotene… but no, the purple colour comes from anthocyanins, just like beetroot.

And now as well as purple and orange carrots with both pigments, there are now bright red carrots with lycopene…

I’m going to go eat before I get even further off topic…

Again, sorry. Sorry. And sorry if my punctuation or spelling is wrong. I’m just sorry.

Thanks for broaching the subject, Cory and boingboing.

http://www.coloredcarrots.com/

Check out the history section in the World Carrot Museum and see an image from ad 512

Also the baby carrot debaye is there – there are 2 kinds – “Baby Cut” carrots and true baby carrots.

Wew!

“A tale, probably apocryphal, has it that the orange carrot was bred in the Netherlands in the seventeenth century to honour William of Orange. Though the stabilised orange carrot does date from around the seventeenth century Netherlands, it is unlikely that honouring William of Orange had anything to do with it! It is said, (without much historical reference) that the orange carrot was developed in Holland as a tribute to William I of Orange during the Dutch fight for independence from Spain in the 16th century. The orange carrot, not only had a better taste, did not leech its colour into cookware, but also had beta carotene making it healthier, and so all other carrots stopped being planted. Some astute historian managed to install the myth that the work an unexpected mutation was developed especially to thank William of Orange for achieving independence from Spain.”

For Anon #3 who mentioned baby carrots – is this a popular American product? I’ve never seen them in New Zealand. I do know, however, that baby carrots sold in the US are just regular size carrots paired down to a small size (I read this in a Marion Nestle book). In New Zealand baby carrots come covered in dirt with long roots and green tops. Those are real baby carrots.

I do know, however, that baby carrots sold in the US are just regular size carrots paired down to a small size

Wrong. Baby carrots are about as big around as your finger. They’re much more flavorful and tender than big carrots. http://tinyfarmblog.com/baby-veggies-go-to-market/

Those little, peeled things are to baby carrots as Peanut Butterâ„¢ is to peanut butter, an agribusiness euphemism.

Especially since the House of Orange did not become royal until the early 19th century…

O RLY?

The purple ones were really fibrous and we couldn’t really eat them raw in salads.

How do they compare to parsnips? Also not particularly popular raw, interesting texture, but I’ve loved them raw (or cooked) since being a little kid.

I was a weird little kid, mind you, but still, sounds like I might be interested in purple carrots :D

Lots of still-life paintings from around 1600 and before showing orange carrots.

they had to move abroad in order to be able to sit on a real throne though

And two of them had to squeeze onto it at the same time.