Crunchy, sweet, tasty – baby carrots make a great little snack whether we dip them or not. I love the way they snap when you bite into them and the idea that they contribute toward a healthy diet. But did you know that these little carrots didn’t grow that way?
The January 15, 2016 Wall Street Journal featured the most fascinating article by Roberto A. Ferdmanon on these little babies. He said the path to popularity began when California carrot farmer Mike Yorosek peeled and sculpted bite-sized carrots from deformed regular sized ones. It was an effort to prevent the produce from being delegated to the trash. He sent a bag to a local grocery chain along with his full-sized carrots. The stores asked for only the baby ones from that point on.
This ingenious idea boomed into big business. Carrot consumption snowballed every year. More than 70% of all carrot sales now are from these little jewels which sell at a premium.
Carrots are packed with antioxidants. They may have an anti-cancer effect and help regulate blood-sugar. They are an excellent source of vitamin A and also contribute toward our needs for vitamins C and K, calcium, iron, potassium, folate, manganese, phosphorous, magnesium, and zinc as well as fiber.
©2016, Mary K. Doyle
コメント