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.
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.
Rainbow carrots are considered 'Eastern' carrots as they originated from Eastern Europe and Asia, rather than the Netherlands, which would make them 'Western' variety carrots. Rainbow carrots tend to be purple or yellow, and were domesticated in Persia during or before the 10th century. These carrots are descended from the wild carrot and were bred to be more sweet and less woody.
