Similar to Orange Carrots, rainbow carrots are sweet and crunchy and high in plant fibre. These taproot vegetables come in a number of colours ranging from deep purple to red to yellow. They are typically ready for harvest in Ontario from July until September. These carrots are an excellent colourful addition to any salad or side dish! The stems and tops can also be enjoyed as a leafy addition to salads, or blitzed up with herbs, oil, spices, and salt for a chimichurri to serve over your bbq'd veg and meat.
Carrots can be enjoyed eaten raw or cooked. Carrots can be shaved or julienned for a salad or sushi. They also make very tasty vegetables when boiled, braised, baked, roasted, caramelized, and pureed. Carrots can also be used in baking for some extra flavour and plant fibre. Carrots can be pickled, blanched, and frozen to help them last longer.
Traditional Orange Carrots are actually considered 'Western' carrots which originated from the Netherlands in the 17th century. 'Eastern' carrots, which originated from Europe and America, tend to be purple and yellow. The Imperator carrot cultivar is the most common one used among commercial growers for orange carrots. Carrots grow best in loose, deep soil and since it is a taproot, may come a with a little bit of residual dirt or branching roots or knobs left on them.
