Atomic Red Carrot

65 days. Open-pollinated Atomic Red gets its striking pigmentation from lycopene, a critical, disease-preventing precursor to beta-carotene. Raw, this Imperator-style Carrot is a unique, watermelon-red-purple color. Once steamed, cooked in soups and stews or roasted, Atomic Red's color darkens and its flavor deepens into a full, yummy Carrot taste. Harvest at a slim, 8" to 9" in length. (OP.)

One packet of about 800 seeds
In stock
Item
#1655
$4.85
  • Buy 10 for $4.35 each and save 10%
  • Buy 50 for $3.65 each and save 25%
Direct-sow Carrot seed 1 to 2 weeks before the last spring frost date, when the soil has warmed up to 50°F. Prior to sowing, cultivate the bed deeply and thoroughly to promote baby root growth. Do not sow Carrots in freshly manured soil because they will fork (grow into odd mutant shapes). Keep the soil moist until they germinate. Thin seedlings 1″ to 2″ apart so each can grow with space and nutrition. Later, thin as desired by variety or preferred mature size. Tomatoes love Carrots nearby: they appear to boost Tomato yields. The Carrot has come a long way since its wild days of old when its leaves and seeds were more popular than its woody, almost inedible taproot. Today, sweet, crisp-tender Carrots come in all sizes, shapes and colors. Along with Celery and Onions, Carrots comprise the aromatic French mirepoix, the flavor base of stocks, soups, stews and sauces. Rich in beta-carotene, Vitamin A, antioxidants and minerals, starch-free Carrots have a high sugar content, which explains their roasted caramelized goodness. We adore them steamed, braised and spiced, roasted, pureed into luscious soups and sweet-savory flans, shredded raw in salads, juiced, or mashed with Potatoes. Needless to say, we love Carrots in Patricia Wells' Almond Cake with Carrots and Lemon Thyme Sorbet, and in our own Spiced Carrot Cake with Creamy Mascarpone Frosting. Deer resistant.

Average seed life: 3 years.
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