What is a Nantes carrot?
The Nantes carrot takes its name from the city on the Atlantic coast of France where the surrounding countryside is ideal for its cultivation. (“It only attains its full quality in a mellow, deep soil…,” wrote Henri Vilmorin in the 1885 edition of his family’s seed catalog.)
How do you grow Nantes carrots?
Nantes carrots are harvested from late summer through fall. Sow seeds for carrots with other frost tolerant crops as soon as the soil has warmed in the spring and all danger of frost has passed. Prepare a bed that has been plowed down to a depth of 8-9 inches (20.5-23 cm.). Break up clumps and rake out large rocks and debris.
When are Nantes carrots in season?
In general, Nantes cultivars are known for being sweeter and tenderer than other carrots. Carrots can be found in markets year round, but late summer through fall is prime carrot season. Many of the Nantes cultivars are at farm markets now. Choose.
Where do carrots come from?
Carrots originated over 5,000 years ago in present day Afghanistan, and these first carrots were cultivated for their purple root. Eventually, carrots were divided into 2 categories: atrorubens and sativus.
Soon after its development, Nantes became a favorite of the consumer due to its sweeter flavor and more tender texture. Today, there are at least six varieties of carrot that bear the Nantes name, but Nantes has come to represent more than 40 members of carrots with medium-sized, cylindrical roots that are both rounded at the top and bottom.
Nantes carrots are available year-round, with a peak season in the late summer through fall. Nantes carrots, botanically classified as Daucus carota subsp. Sativus, are edible, underground roots that grow tall, leafy stems and belong to the Apiaceae family.
What are the best tips for cooking with Nantes carrots?
Nantes carrots are best suited for both raw and cooked applications such as roasting, steaming, baking, grilling, and boiling. When raw, the root does not need to be peeled before consumption and can be used on appetizer plates with dips, sliced and tossed into salads, juiced, or blended into sauces.
How do you grow Daucus carota Nantes 2?
Daucus carota Carrot ‘Nantes 2’ is a fast maturing carrot, perfect for raising under glass in late winter for an early crop. Roots are bright orange, blunt tipped and virtually coreless, reaching about 15cm long. Sow Daucus carota Carrot ‘Nantes 2’ seed in frames or under cloches, in well-prepared, stone-free soil from February onwards.