Monday, May 21, 2012

Not Only Your Eyes Can Benefit From Carrots

We all believe that carrots are good for our eyes. Why carrots are called rabbit food is not too to clear but “Bugs Bunny” may have something to do with it. I also know that people that do not like carrots also love calling them “rabbit food” Fortunately many people love carrots as they have many benefits for your health.


Did you know that carrots were not always orange? Yeah, it’s like finding out that the sky was originally another color. Anyway, they used to be white, purple, and yellow. About 500 years ago, the orange carrot came along.


Carrots were used by early settlers as a remedy for stomach ailments. Carrots can be bought all year around. If you get them from the farmer’s market, they will probably be bunched together by the green tops like they were just pulled out of the ground.


Some carrots are already cleaned and chopped and put into plastic bags for purchase in the store. These are okay if you plan on eating them fairly soon. The packages usually have an expiration date on them. Carrots are like other veggies and fruits that shouldn’t be cleaned until ready to eat them.


Carrots are mostly eaten raw. Grab a carrot, wash it off, clip the top and tip and munch to your heart’s content. Eaten raw, the carrot maintains all the nutrients that it contains: beta carotene, which is a form of vitamin A, iron, and calcium.


Carrots can also be cooked. They hold up well on the stove and for baking. They are present in soups and stews in slices or diced cubes. Carrots are one of those vegetables that take longer to soften so they, along with potatoes are added to soups early to give them time to tenderize.


As a side dish carrots are another orange fixture, rivaling the yam and the sweet potato. They can be eaten as is with a sprig of oregano or other herb or candied with honey or brown sugar.


Desserts, or rather one particular dessert contains carrots as its base. And that would be carrot cake—Bugs Bunny’s favorite. Carrot is actually a part of the recipe and the cake is a favorite dessert of many. Well, if you don’t like carrots raw or in soups, you can have it in your dessert. Breakfast and dessert muffins also feature carrots as ingredients.


Carrots are best stored in the refrigerator. They keep for quite a while before succumbing to wilting and browning. Avoid carrots that are flexible and bendy but don’t snap when broken.


Using your carrots can sometimes be a bit of a drag, but id you have a food processor, such as one of the Cuisinart 11 Cup Pro Custom 11 Food Processors preparing your carrots will not be a problem. It is not often that you get something that is so tasty, that is also good for your. This is another way of avoiding a guilty conscience when you are having a nice big slice of carrot cake.