These bite-size carrots have all the benefits of regular-sized carrots. Heres what else to know about them.
Tiny smooth carrots – which are perfect for snacking and dipping – don’t actually grow that way. Find out how baby carrots are made, and why it’s healthy to munch on them.
But here’s the big secret about baby carrots: They’re actually pieces of carrots. “Cut into two-inch pieces and peeled, and put in a bag,” explained Jeff Huckaby, the CEO of Grimmway Farms, the biggest carrot grower on Earth. One regular carrot might be cut into two, three, even four baby carrots.
As a longtime carrot connoisseur, I love every type out there. Except for one: packaged baby carrots. That’s right, those unnaturally perfect miniature carrot-like specimens that are sold everywhere from upscale grocery stores to gas stations to corporate office vending machines. Theyre actually bad in every way.
Ever since baby carrots were “invented” in the 1980s, marketers have conned us into believing that theyre the ultimate healthy snack, a convenient way to enjoy veggies on the go. Sure, they may be snackable and convenient, but they’re definitely not what you think they are. Here’s why you should think twice about snagging a bag:
What Are Baby Carrots?
Baby carrots were invented by a California carrot farmer, Mike Yurosek. In the early 1980s, Yurosek found that many of his carrots were not saleable because they were “ugly” — they weren’t the size or shape that could be sold at the grocery store. Instead of tossing these “ugly” carrots, he used an industrial bean cutter to shape them into what are now called “baby carrots.”
The success of baby carrots was overwhelming. By 1987, carrot consumption had increased by 30 percent. In 2016, baby carrots consisted of 70 percent of total carrot sales. During the pandemic demands for baby carrots were on the rise as they require minimal prep and today you can still find loads of baby carrots available on store shelves, regular and petite cut.
How baby carrots are made
FAQ
Do they cut carrots to make baby carrots?
What is the difference between baby carrots and regular carrots taste?
What is the difference between baby carrots and petite carrots?
How should carrots be cut for babies?
What is a baby cut carrot?
A baby-cut carrot is a small piece cut from a larger carrot; baby-cut carrots are often marketed as “baby carrots”, leading to potential confusion. The immature roots of the carrot plant are sometimes harvested simply as the result of crop thinning, but are also grown to this size as a specialty crop.
Are baby carrots a real thing?
Myth #1: Baby Carrots are grown in the perfect 2-inch form that we know them as. Baby carrots aren’t actually grown this way. They are cut from larger carrots and then polished and washed by machines. This is why they are so uniform in shape and size. A farmer in California, Mike Yurosek, first invented this practice in 1986.
Are baby carrots better than full grown carrots?
A team of two led the research. According to Dole, baby carrots are sweeter and more tender than full-grown carrots. Taking fully grown carrots and cutting them to a smaller size was an innovation made by California carrot farmer Mike Yurosek in 1986.
Are baby carrots the same as regular carrots?
In reality, not much. The main difference is their size. As you know, baby carrots are much smaller than their regular, longer counterparts. In addition, regular carrots come with the skins on, whereas baby carrots do not. Some regular carrots also come with leafy stalks on the end, but not always.