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A baby carrot is an immature carrot; a baby cut carrot, known popularly thanks to effective marketing also as a "baby carrot", is a mature carrot that has been cut and peeled in the "baby-cut" style.

Contents 1 Baby carrots 2 "Baby-cut" carrots 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Baby carrots

The immature roots of the carrot plant are preferred by some people out of the belief that they are superior either in texture, nutrition or taste. They are sometimes harvested simply as the result of crop thinning, but are also grown to this size as a specialty crop.^[1] Certain cultivars of carrots have been bred to be used at the "baby" stage. One such cultivar is 'Amsterdam Forcing'. This process was developed at Beechnut Farms, bought by Zellwin Farms. These farms originally developed food for WWII, but wanted to sell food for civilians. A team of two led the research. From an interview, they were originally to be called "carettes".^{[citation needed]} According to the Dole, baby carrots are sweeter and more tender than full-grown carrots.^[1]

[edit] "Baby-cut" carrots

Taking fully grown carrots and cutting them to make them smaller was the idea of California farmer Mike Yurosek.^[2] Yurosek was unhappy at having to discard carrots because of slight rotting or imperfections, and looked for a way to reclaim what would otherwise be a waste product. He was able to acquire an industrial green bean cutter, which cut his carrots into two lengths, and by placing these lengths into an industrial potato peeler, he created the original baby carrot, branded "Bunny-Luv".

In 2006, nearly three-quarters of the fresh baby carrots produced in the United States came from Bakersfield, California.^[2] Bolthouse Farms and Grimmway Farms are the world's two largest growers, processors, and shippers of baby carrots.^[2] The Green Giant company, which resells carrots from Bolthouse Farms, markets their product as "baby cut carrots."

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• USA Today - Digging the baby carrot
• MSNBC - Convenient carrot charms consumers
• Chicago Sun Times - Big little news: Petite carrots tinier than 'baby' style
• USDA - Factors Affecting Carrot Consumption in the United States