Carrots
Featured Recipes: Gardening Tips: Coaxing Up Carrots
Carrots, like parsley, dill and other umbelliferae, can be difficult to germinate when direct-sown outdoors. To speed things up, be sure you keep the seedbed continually moist until the sprouts emerge. |
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These healthful roots hardly need an introduction, but if you’ve not yet had the pleasure of kneeling in the garden, pulling out a carrot, brushing it on your jeans and biting into it, we highly recommend it! No store-bought carrot can come close. Sow carrots in the Spring, when the earth has warmed to 50°F, about one to two weeks before the last frost date for best results. Dig at least 6” deep so roots can form easily - do not sow carrots in freshly manured soil or they will ‘fork’. Carrots germinate slowly but after that, they are easily grown. Harvest all varieties when smaller-sized to enjoy in slaws, steamed with butter and parsley, ‘candied’ or mashed with rutabagas. As they are biennials, consider allowing a few to remain in the soil. Next season, their lacy flowers will attract pollinating and other ‘good’ insects to your kitchen garden.
Average seed life: 3 years
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#1600 Adelaide Baby Carrots: 65-70 days
Plant more than you think you’ll need since this outstanding, tender-crisp mini-carrot is sure to be snapped up quickly, especially by children. Adelaide is a miniature Nantes-type, with straight sides, shaped like a baby finger. A new, improved variety from our favorite Dutch seedsmen, she is bred to reliably produce coreless, succulently sweet baby carrots. Harvest no larger than 3" - the smaller the better. This bright orange baby carrot is the type often served by gourmet chefs with the little greens still attached. Adelaide is easy to grow and just lovely for a child’s garden. (F1.)
Packet of 1400 Seeds / $3.10
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#1610 Parmex Baby Ball Carrots: 60-70 days
An improvement on the first ‘baby ball’ carrots originating in France, Parmex graces booths in many farmer's markets throughout France. Bright orange with silky-smooth skin, it does not need peeling. This baby carrot takes up relatively little space, making it ideal for the backyard gardener - you can even grow it in containers! Parmex is loudly crunchy, reliably sweet and in demand by gourmet chefs worldwide. Harvest at a round 1” to 2”, by pulling out gently. If any make it into the kitchen, enjoy them lightly steamed! (OP.)
Packet of 1400 Seeds / $2.95
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#1620 Royal Chantenay Carrots: 60-70 days
A carrot you can count on! This variety has wide, strong shoulders up to 2". Royal Chantenay is a reliable, stocky variety featuring a tapered root in the characteristic V shape. The greens are strong enough to withstand a good yank, making harvesting a breeze. This is a practical, all-around variety which thrives in heavier soils and will not bolt. It is a bright, deep orange, excellent for canning and freezing, stores well and makes a dynamite glass of fresh carrot juice! Harvest at just under 7" in length for the sweetest flavor. Royal Chantenay is one of the best for storing in a cellar or at cool temperatures so that you and your family can enjoy a healthy dose of homegrown beta carotene daily. When roasting chicken or turkey, make a “rack” out of Bolero or Royal Chantenay carrots and celery stalks upon which to place the roast. They will add flavor to pan drippings and help prevent the roast from sticking to the pan or burning. (OP.)
Packet of 1400 Seeds / $2.85
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#1635 Yaya Carrots: 60 days
A real find from our Dutch growers, it is a bunching Nantes-style variety with incomparable sweetness and a rich essence-of -carrot taste. A perfect replacement for Bolero, this bright orange beauty has elegantly shaped, slender, 6" roots that are both uniform and smooth. It is disease-resistant, a strong grower and it stores well in a cool dry spot for up to three to four months, like most good varieties. (F1.)
Packet of 600 Seeds / $3.05
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#1640 Purple Dragon Carrots: 60-70 days
Be the first on your block to bring psychedelic slaw to block parties. Purple Dragon was named for its deep purple exterior, although the interior is a fiery dark orange with a bright yellow core. It has a most uncommon spicy flavor and is crisply-tender. Try this variety if you have children (or adults) who are finicky about regular carrots. This fun, strong, open-pollinated variety grows quite quickly - harvest at smaller sizes for the best flavor. Grate into long, thin ribbons for a spectacular carrot salad. (OP.)
Packet of 600 Seeds / $3.30
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#1655 Atomic Red Carrots: 65 days
Open-pollinated Atomic Red gets its striking pigmentation from lycopene, a critical, disease-preventing precursor to beta carotene. Raw, this imperator-style carrot is a unique, watermelon-red-purple color. Once steamed, cooked in soups and stews or roasted, Atomic Red’s color darkens and its flavor deepens into a full, yummy carrot taste. Harvest at a slim, 8” to 9” in length. (OP.)
Packet of 800 Seeds / $3.15
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#1660 Yellowstone Carrots: 75 days
The Dutch seed company from whom we import this unusual yellow Flakkee-type once joked that Yellowstone grows so well, you could grow it in the middle of the road. We won't go that far, as harvesting could be dangerous; however, this is an extremely productive, adaptable carrot easily grown in many soil types. The yellow roots have a fine taste and strong, feathery tops. Pick Yellowstone smaller than its mature size of 8” to 10". These carrots are superior when harvested small! Pair Yellowstone, Snow White and Royal Chantenay together
for Carrot and Ginger Soup. Heat olive oil and sauté minced
garlic, ginger root and shallots in a soup pot. Add peeled
and thinly sliced carrots, thin ribbons of sage, just a
smidgen of crushed red pepper flakes, a drizzle of savory
thyme honey and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer,
covered, for about 30 minutes. In small batches, puree the
soup in a blender and return to the cleaned soup pot. Add
heavy cream, some butter and salt and pepper to taste. Serve
warm with buttery, ginger-garlic-honey croutons. (OP.)
Packet of 1400 Seeds / $3.20
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#1670 Snow White Carrots: 75 days
We are proud to introduce Snow White carrots to you. From the special breeder of the famed Purple Dragon carrot, Snow White is sure to become your new favorite. It has pure white roots, pale green shoulders and a mild, delicate flavor paired with a crisp-crunchy texture unlike that of any other carrot. An open-pollinated variety, it is quite vigorous and should be harvested no more than 8" long to prevent them from becoming woody. Although Snow White is an exceptional cooking carrot, it should also be eaten straight out of the garden in order to savor its unique flavor. (OP.)
Packet of 600 Seeds / $3.20
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#1680 Inverness Carrots: 75 days
New! This Imperator-type beauty has slender shoulders, tapering to a point at about 8” long. Widely grown, this popular variety is deep orange with a uniform shape and a terrific, sweet flavor. It is a proven performer with high yields that tolerates closer spacing, thereby requiring less thinning. (F1.)
Packet of 600 Seeds / $3.25
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