I harvested my carrots this weekend and it was a banner year, no doubt the result of organic material I added to the raised beds last fall. I read carrots like raised beds where they can grow deep and long. My harvest included both long thick carrots and lots of baby carrots as I am too forgetful or lazy to thin them early in the season. Nevertheless, I have about 20 pounds of carrots to do something with before we head south for the winter, although one year I bundled them up and took them with us.
Carrots fall into the category of root vegetables which are a staple around the world and often an ingredient in folk medicine. Also called tubers or starchy vegetables they all grow underground and include potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, beets, parsnips, carrots, celery, fennel, jicama, radishes and turnips along with onions, garlic, turmeric and ginger. Root vegetables are “energy storage organs” which allows them to stay fresh for months when stored in cool, dark places. I still have childhood memories of root vegetables stored in barrels full of saw dust in our basement.
From a nutritional standpoint, root vegetables are natural unaltered sources of complex carbohydrates, are low in calories, high in fiber and have a low glycemic index preventing blood sugar spikes. As a result, they cause less digestive and/or inflammatory problems than the carbohydrates that come from grains. They are a significant source of Vitamins A & D which protects skin and eye health and fights free radical damage along with playing a role in lowering cholesterol and improving heart health. Finally, their anti-inflammatory properties play a role in maintaining cognitive health and fighting cancer.
Getting back to carrots, there are many varieties that grow well in the upper Midwest and I love that they come in so many colors including orange, yellow, purple and even white. So now, how to preserve and prepare them? They can be left in the ground through milder winters but you will need to cover them with mulch and tarp to protect them from the low temperatures and I have no idea if they will survive this way in our climate where the temperatures dip below freezing. I cleaned mine and will store them in my refrigerator for the next several months. They can be easily blanched and frozen if you have the freezer capacity. Also, they can be canned but require pressure canning due to their low acid level. Finally, they can be dehydrated although I have never tried this.
I love cooked or roasted carrots with a little butter and dill but we will probably use most of ours in stir fry’s and salads. I also use grated carrots in my pear chutneys and will definitely try them in some baked goods (i.e. carrot bread/muffins, carrot cake, etc.). Over the next several weeks I plan to make carrot soup but must first find a tasty spice profile. I also saw a recipe for carrot-ginger puree that would be a nice substitute for baked yams/sweet potatoes or winter squash and I often see recipes that mix carrots with potatoes, sweet potatoes and/or squash. I saw a carrot-apple slaw I want to try as well. Young families often use carrots to make homemade baby food and freeze small portions in ice cube trays. I bet I could add apples to pureed carrots and use the small frozen portions in my protein shakes. Now, I just have to find the ice cube trays. In closing, it’s time to get creative with root vegetables!