Organic carrots - Early Nantes

Seeds:  1500  / Botanical name:  Daucus carota subsp. sativus

Early carrots for crisp, fresh summer salads

The Early Nantes variety is a fast-maturing carrot, perfect for early sowing. It develops 16-centimeter-long, cylindrical, blunt roots of deep red and orange. It is exceptionally sweet, making it ideal for summer salads or as a side dish to new potatoes.

Natural habitat:  The wild carrot is believed to have originated in North Africa, Western Asia, and Southern Europe.

Culinary uses:  Leave the carrots in the ground as long as possible and harvest them when the leaf tips turn yellow or red. Only healthy, fully ripe carrots should be stored. Twist off the leaves or cut them back to a height of three to five centimeters. Then, pack the unwashed carrots in sand and store them in a cool, humid cellar. Carrots are best cut into pieces, rounds, or strips and used raw in dips or grated into salads. They are also delicious fried or roasted. They make an ideal base for soups and stews. Dried carrots are also a healthy snack. Slice washed carrots and then place them in the sun or on a baking sheet in the oven to dry. They are also ideal as food for rodents and other pets.