CARROT

one of our most wholesome vegetables, consumed in a variety of ways —separately and in soups and stews. Jt deserves more frequent recognition as a separate vegetable than it receives in the average household. It is noteworthy for its vitamin content and as a good provider of calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Its sugar percentage runs from 5 to 10% — occasionally higher. Cooked soft and flavored (with lemon or orange, for example) it was formerly popular as a domesti¢ jam—as ‘“carrot marmalade.”’ When purchasing carrots, see that they are firm to the touch, small or moderately so, plump in shape, rich in color (a deep red or a rich orange), and erisp when broken. Only by confining oneself to young roots of good characteristics can one expect to enjoy the full tenderne and delicate flavor of which the carrot is capable. Older roots and the larger, coarse, field varieties are excellent as cattle food but under normal conditions should not be used as a table vegetable. Tn cold storage, carrots have been held in barrels from November to the middle of July. Under other conditions they tend to heat and decay. If cold storage is not available, they are best stored on slat platforms and covered light)y with sand in a well-ventilated basement or other place where there is no danger of freezing. The juice of the red varieties is frequently emploved on the farm to color butter. See also references in the general article on VEGETABLES.