Purple carrot

We all know a vegetable like carrots. The taste, shape and color of the root vegetable familiar from childhood have become constant companions. And also the main ingredient for the preparation of almost all dishes. The vegetable is appreciated for its taste and richness of nutrients and vitamins. As it turned out, the carrots did not immediately turn orange. First there was the purple carrot.

Description of the species and its history

Even in ancient times, people revered the purple root crop. The vegetable was considered medicinal, helping to cope with many diseases and ailments. Beneficial and medicinal properties have been attributed to the described vegetable for its unusual purple coloration. This color testified to the high content of carotene and other useful substances, so necessary for the health of children and adults, in the root crop.

There are many theories about how the vegetable evolved. Indeed, at present there are about 80 types of culture. Scientists often find the seed of the popular root vegetable on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, in Asia, Europe and even in northern Africa. There is a theory that initially only the aerial part of the wild plant was used. However, they do not exclude the fact that root crops were also used as medicinal products.

Currently, we continue to appreciate the vegetable not only for its sweet and juicy taste, but also for its truly undeniable benefits for the body. It is difficult now to imagine a dish cooked without carrots. The vegetable is consumed both raw and cooked. Carrots are added to salads, soups, gravies and sauces, used as an independent dish. Juices from fresh carrots are very useful.

What determines the color of carrots

The color of the root vegetable depends on how the effect of special pigments, which belong to carotenoids, occurs. α- and β-carotene are responsible, as a rule, for the formation of orange and yellow color of the root crop. It should be noted that β-carotene is usually found in much higher amounts in orange carrots than other carotenoids, and can take up about half of all nutrients.

If the root vegetable contains substances such as lycopene and xanthophyll, then the color of the root vegetable will be red. There are also white carrots. Such a vegetable does not contain carotene at all or it is present in very small quantities.

The type of carrot discussed in this article is not only rich in carotene, but also in substances such as anthocyanins. Therefore, purple root vegetables have the most pronounced antioxidant reserves compared to other types of carrots.

The seeds of purple carrots have come a long way of selection, as a result of which the roots have acquired a large size and a juicy sweet taste. Also, to replace some of the essential oils previously present in these cultures, other useful properties of the plant have come, which are still used for medicinal purposes.

Purple carrots: varieties

At the moment, a wide variety of varieties of purple carrots have been bred. The most favorite of them are listed below.

• Dragon. The vegetable has a yellow or orange core and is purple on the outside. The root vegetable is rich in vitamins of group A, as well as carotene.
• wild carrots "Purple kisses". Vegetables of this variety are distinguished by a pronounced purple color. So, the name speaks for itself. Inside, the root vegetable is orange, as well as the representatives of ordinary carrots, which we are used to seeing.Purple carrots are considered a storehouse of nutrients, so they must be consumed in large quantities.
• Cosmic Purple. The vegetable, similar to the previous varieties, has a deceptively raspberry-purple color, although inside it is still the same orange carrot. The variety also contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals.

Also very popular are purple carrots "Caramel", reviews of which among gardeners are also positive

Purple carrots: growing

Purple carrots, despite their unusual color, are as easy to grow on the site as the most common carrots. The vegetable is unpretentious in care and requires a standard set of agricultural techniques, as for any other unpretentious plants.

Carrot seeds are sown in early spring. By the way, purple carrots have better germination, unlike ordinary carrots. Therefore, it is necessary to sow seeds at a given distance from each other. Further, it is necessary to water the beds abundantly, and after germination, thin out if necessary and regularly loosen the aisles. We must not forget about timely weeding, as weeds can crush young seedlings. Root crops also ripen closer to the middle of autumn. So when the first frost hits, the purple carrot can be harvested.

Most often, stores sell orange carrot seeds of various varieties, of which a huge amount is currently bred. However, lovers of creative, you can try to find an unusual root vegetable by searching for it on the Internet, or in any specialized stores.

The benefits of the plant

As noted repeatedly in the article, purple carrot roots have many beneficial properties. The main therapeutic effect is to increase human immunity, provide an antibacterial effect on the body, and prevent cancer. Also, carrots have a positive effect on the work of the human heart and blood vessels. In addition, the purple vegetable lowers blood cholesterol levels and optimizes blood pressure. Those who regularly consume this vegetable are distinguished by excellent, healthy-looking skin, nails and hair.

Purple carrots: reviews

Those who have already grown an unusual vegetable in their garden were very pleased with the result and advise other gardeners to grow purple carrots on the site, because the root vegetable differs not only in color, but also has better taste and contains more vitamins and other nutrients, in comparison with ordinary carrots. Also, according to reviews, people confirm the promised one hundred percent seed germination and unpretentiousness of the plant, since carrots had to be taken care of in exactly the same way as for her orange sister.

Purple carrots are an inexpensive and very healthy food product that everyone who cares about their health and monitors the health of their family can afford. In addition, the vegetable grows well in all regions of Russia. You can surprise your neighbors with the color of an unusual root vegetable, but the benefits of the product remain at the highest level, both for ordinary carrots and for the Overseas beauty.