Baby Carrots

[dreamrawalwz]

I was watching Unwrapped on Food Network and they just happened to show how baby carrots were made. I've always wondered because I know they had SOME processing done to them. They don't come out of the ground liek that. After all the scrubbing and cutting they said they're heated and then hydracooled "to preserve freshness."! I knew there was something "off" about them. I wonder how high they're heated. The company that was shown is an organic brand I get sometimes. I guess I could call and ask couldn't I?

[EZ rider]

Don't they cut and scrape off the exterior of the carrot to "make" a baby carrot ? I heard that 90% of the nutrition in a carrot was in the peel and just below the peel. What do they do with the peel and the nutritious part of the carrot that they cut and scrape off ? If its thrown away then it seems like the trash can is getting the best part ?

[juliebove]

Hmmm... I knew they were cut to size, but I didn't know they were heated.

Here's a link that says they are cut but it says nothing about heating.

http://www.bolthouse.com/html/trade_faq.html#r2

You might have to click on the appropriate spot for the baby carrots.

[RawCutter]

just stop buying 'baby' carrots

[juliebove]

just stop buying 'baby' carrots


But they're so handy! They're one thing I know I can get out on the road that is ready to eat and can be found pretty much anywhere. And my daughter likes the little bags in her lunch.

[RawkStar]

You know how baby carrots came about? Because of waste. Comsumers wouldn't buy the carrots that were misshapen, cracked, or damaged. A farmer got wise and whittled them down to remove the visually offending parts and started calling them baby carrots. Not only are they not better tasting (although everyone--myself included--believe they do), you're paying more for an "inferior" product!

My suggestion is to make your own baby carrots and save money while you do it! :D

Here is a great article on the history of the baby carrot.
http://www.wisebread.com/baby-carrots-the-frugal-idea-that-isnt

[RawCutter]

But they're so handy! They're one thing I know I can get out on the road that is ready to eat and can be found pretty much anywhere. And my daughter likes the little bags in her lunch.

so cut real carrots up yourself

[juliebove]

so cut real carrots up yourself

I do that too, but kind of hard to do when I'm out on the road. And for some reason, kids prefer the baby ones. My daughter loves anything that comes in an individual package. She'd much rather eat a package of sliced apples than a whole apple. She's just now getting to the point where she will eat a cut up big carrot. She just turned 9.

[EZ rider]

My suggestion is to make your own baby carrots and save money while you do it!
If you make your own you could save the peel and throw away the rest and you would get the nutritious part of the carrot. :)