Baby Carrot Rainbow

Pink Baby carrots are small in size and have a slender, tapered shape. The root’s surface is firm, sometimes covered in fine root hairs, and bears a pink-red hue when raw, transitioning into a vibrant coral tone once cooked. Underneath the skin, the flesh is crisp, pale pink to orange, and contains a snap-like quality.

Pink Baby carrots are harvested before reaching maturity, causing the roots to be sweeter and have a more tender texture than mature varieties. The roots also bear a similar flavor to orange carrots with an additional herbal quality suggestive of cilantro.

Pink Baby carrots acquire earthier, wheat-like undertones once cooked, and the flesh softens into a delicate, smooth consistency. In addition to the roots, the leafy carrot tops are also edible and contain a mildly bitter, herbaceous flavor.

Seasons/Availability

Pink Baby carrots are primarily available in the winter.

Current Facts

Pink Baby carrots are a variety of Dacus carota ssp. Sativus bred over time for its pink-red coloring, though it is the same species as orange carrots. Pink Baby carrots are picked before maturity to remain smaller in size and more tender than full-sized carrots.

Nutritional Value

Carrots contain vitamin K, vitamin B6, and the pink-red coloring indicates higher levels of lycopene, which may help prevent heart disease. Carrots also contain carbohydrates, fiber, and sugars such as sucrose, glucose, and fructose.

Applications

Pink Baby carrots may be used in a variety of ways, just like other types of carrots. Their tender texture and sweet flavor make them ideal for eating fresh as snacks for kids or adults. They can also be sliced raw into salads, cooked into soups, stews, stir-fries, pot roasts, or roasted as a savory-sweet side dish.

Pink Baby carrots will keep up to a month in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Carrot greens can also be eaten raw in salads, added to soups, or sautéed with olive oil, garlic, and other greens.

Ethnic/Cultural Info

Carrots come in a range of colors, from the well-known orange, pink-red, purple to yellow. Different colored carrots were first cultivated in distinct parts of the world and are now available globally to consumers. The first domesticated carrots in the Middle East were white and yellow, orange carrots were developed in Europe, and purple carrots came from Asia.

Geography/History

Carrots have been cultivated over time from the original white wild carrot, also known as queen anne’s lace. The first domesticated carrots originated over a thousand years ago in what is modern-day Afghanistan. Pink carrots likely came later from Pakistan, India, and other areas in Central Asia.

Today, carrots of all colors are commonly grown in regions worldwide, including the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and North America. Most of the carrots grown commercially in the United States are grown in California, including Pink Baby carrots