In this special 24 carrot facts edition, we cannot miss out the chance to reference Bruno Mars for this article. We hope you stay golden as you munch on these bite sized facts. Let us know if there's anything we missed out; we carrot lot of what our readers think!
1. Carrot History I
The first carrots cultivated were purple—the orange carrots we are familiar with were only developed in the 17th century through a genetic mutation.
2. Carrot History II
Carrots were initially grown for medicinal use and not for food consumption.
3. Orange Carrots
Carrots are orange due to containing a large amount of beta carotene, a red-orange pigment found in plants, vegetables and fruits. The more orange the carrot, the more beta carotene the carrot contains.
4. Baby Carrots Are Not Really Baby Carrots
Baby carrots are actually either immature or unpleasant looking big carrots that farmers cut down to smaller sizes.
5. Baby Carrots Have Sizes
Baby carrots have five different sizes. With the tiniest one called “carroteenies”.
6. Carrots Are Good For The Eyes
Carrots are famous for being good for the eyes. It prevents cataracts and aids the eyes in adjusting to the darkness from a bright space. Carrots, however, do not help people in seeing in the dark.
This myth originated from a World War 2 propaganda campaign where the British wanted to hide their newly developed radar technology that allows the British Air Force to precisely shoot enemy planes during nighttime. Britain advertised carrots as the reason for the pilots’ improvement in shooting enemy planes instead.
7. Carrots Are Good For Weight-Loss
Carrots are a great weight-loss food as it is low in calories, high in nutrients and rich in fibre. This makes it a great snack and ingredient to use during a weight loss diet.
8. Carrots Are Good For The Heart
Research has shown that carrots could protect the body against high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, and lower cholesterol levels. The study also stated a lower risk of heart attacks in women due to carrots consumption.
9. Carrots Are Good For Boosting Your Immune System
The vitamin C in carrots are helpful in building antibodies and boosting your immunity to defend your immune system.
10. Carrots Are Good In Keeping Your Mind Sharp
Carrots contain a high amount of luteolin, which reduces age-related inflammation in the brain and improves memory.
11. Carrots Popularity
Carrots are popular vegetables. It is the second most popular vegetable in the world, with potatoes coming in first.
12. How Many Carrots Do We Eat In A Lifetime
An average person will eat approximately 10,866 carrots in their lifetime! How many do you think you have consumed till now?
13. Eating Carrots Will Turn You Orange
Eating too many carrots will not turn you orange, but it will turn you yellow. This condition is called carotenemia and will cause a yellow pigmentation on a person’s skin, most noticeably the palms and soles.
14. Carrots Are Better Cooked
Raw carrots make a good snack, but it is best to cook the carrots as more beta carotene, converted into vitamin A, are released into your body.
15. Carrots Are Safe For Dogs To Eat
Vegetables such as onions and mushrooms are not safe for dogs’ consumption. Instead, share some carrots and celeries with your beloved pet!
16. Carrots Are Not Good For Bunnies
Bugs Bunny often eat carrots, but real bunnies should be fed carrots only occasionally as it is unhealthy and may give the bunny tooth decay.
17. Carrot Cake vs Carrot Cake
Unlike the western version of carrot cake that contains carrot, the local carrot cake—or Chai Tow Kway—does not contain a single bit of carrot. Carrot cake received its name as it contains radish, otherwise known as the white carrot.
18. Longest Carrot Ever Measured
Based on Guinness World Record, the longest carrot recorded to date is 6.245m long! Joe Atherton accomplished this feat in 2016 in the United Kingdom National Giant Vegetables Championship.
19. Heaviest Carrot Ever Weighted
Based on Guinness World Record, the heaviest carrot ever weighted to date is 10.17kg! Christopher Qualley attained this achievement in 2017.
20. Forking Carrots
Once in a while, we will chance upon a carrot picture with arms and legs on the internet. Such carrots are deformed and a result of being grown in soil with stones and soil insects.
21. Carrots Taste Sweet
Carrots are naturally sweet. There are approximately 4.7grams of sugar in a 100grams serving of carrots. Cook the carrots to taste their full sweetness.
22. Carrot Is Mostly Water
Carrots are 87% water. It is good to eat carrots as vegetables with high water content will hydrate you!
23. Carrots As A Piece Of Fine Art
In September 2020, there was a dumping of 29 tonnes of unwanted fresh carrots on a London street as a Masters of Fine Arts programme artwork installation.
24. A Gaggle Of Geese, A Swarm Of Bees
Carrots’ collective noun is “bunch”! If you are at the market, it is correct to say, “I want a bunch of carrots”.
Try out the juice recipes below if you have some delicious crunchy carrots on hand!
Carrot Cabbage
Ingredients:
- Cabbage 140g
- Lemon 40g
- Beet 50g
- Carrot 170g
Steps:
- Wash carrot and cut into appropriate sizes.
- The beet should be washed, and then peeled before cutting.
- Wash lemon with baking soda, and prepare by cutting with the peel intact.
- Wash cabbage thoroughly and cut into appropriate sizes.
- Put lever on “close.” Alternate the order of ingredient insertion.
Carrot Bell Pepper Tomato
Ingredients:
- Bell Pepper 100g
- Cherry Tomato 230g
- Orange 50g
- Carrot 80g
Steps:
- Wash carrot and cut into appropriate sizes.
- Peel orange before cutting.
- Wash bell peppers thoroughly and cut in half. Remove seeds and prepare by slicing into appropriate sizes.
- Prepare cherry tomatoes by washing them thoroughly.
- Put lever on “close.” Alternate the order of ingredient insertion.
Carrot Apple Banana
Ingredients:
- Apple 290g
- Banana 100g
- Carrot 50g
Steps:
- Peel banana and cut into appropriate sizes.
- Remove seeds from apple and wash carrot thoroughly. Slice.
- Place lever on “close” and extract half of the apple and banana, then extract carrot and rest of the banana.
- Insert the rest of the apple, place lever on “half-open,” and allow pulp to be expelled.
Golden Carrot
Ingredients:
- Orange 240g
- Gold Kiwi 80g
- Carrot 100g
Steps:
- Wash carrots thoroughly. Peel orange and kiwi. Cut all ingredients into appropriate sizes.
- Place lever on “close” and extract.
- Once the last ingredient is inserted, place lever on “half-open,” and allow pulp to be expelled.
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Need some ideas for juice recipes? Check out our Hurom recipes here: https://huromsingapore.com/pages/juice-recipes-health