Rainbow Carrots

Celebrating this root vegetable that comes in all the colors of the rainbow.

Carrots: most commonly orange, originally purple.

Exist in red, purple, orange, yellow, and white.

rainbow carrots - purple, red, orange yellow and white carrots with their green leafy tops still on.

Carrots have been cultivated for over a thousand years and originated in Central Asia. Today there are more than 500 known carrot varieties.

The very first carrots ever cultivated were purple, followed by yellow then white.

Then in the 17th century, Dutch growers developed a strain of carrots with higher amounts beta-carotene which became orange carrots. Over time, these new orange carrots became the norm and that's a wrap on this brief and abridged carrot history.

Cause carrots really do come in every color of the rainbow.

Rainbow carrots - purple, red, orange, yellow and white carrots with their leafy green tops on a dark background.

Line up red, orange, yellow, purple, and white carrots together and you get rainbow carrots — a rainbow made of carrots.

Each carrot color comes from natural plant pigments. There are nearly 2,000 known natural plant pigments, and they give fruits and veggies their colors.

Red Carrot: lycopene (like pink apples and pink pineapple)
Purple Carrots: anthocyanins (like purple potatoes, purple cauliflower and purple kale)
Orange Carrots: beta-carotene
Yellow Carrots: lutein (xanthophylls)
White Carrots: very low pigment

Flavor-wise, there’s a subtle difference, nuanced difference and most noticeable raw with high quality carrots. They vary mainly in sweetness, earthiness, and bitterness - many people find yellow and red varieties a bit sweeter and the purple ones slightly earthier and spicier but you’ll have to develop your carrot palate to fully appreciate it.

Carrot colors can be used interchangeably any recipe.

Rainbow carrots popped for roasting - Coral, Yellow and purple carrots, cut in half, up close and overhead shot.

Want More Rainbow Carrot Pics?

Enjoy below!

a rainbow carrot row - purple, orange and yellow carrots.

A root veggie rainbow - purple and hot pink radishes and purple, orange and yellow carrots with their leafy green tops still on - on a grey background. — there's radishes here too (on both ends)

bunch of rainbow carrots tied together, with their leafy tops still on tied together with twine, on dark background. — what a bunch of rainbow carrots looks like

bunches of rainbow carrots - purple, orange, and yellow, with their leafy green tops still on — rainbow carrot bunch - deconstructed

Red, orange and yellow carrots with their leafy green tops still on. — veggies are sexy!

Want Carrot Recipes?

If you’re looking for vibrant and seasonal carrot recipes, check out mine below.

Carrot Hummus - - a bright carrot hummus that works wonderfully with every color of the carrot rainbow.
Shaved Carrot Tart – a bright cumin spiced savory carrot ricotta tart.
Roasted Carrots recipe – roasted on high heat until deeply caramelized.
Roasted Carrot Tart – savory carrot puff pastry with tangy goat cheese, creamy ricotta, spinach and fresh herbs.
Spring Pea & Carrot Salad - crunchy fresh veggies, garlicky homemade croutons, tangy feta and herbaceous pesto create a salad full of spring flavor.

If you spot colorful carrots, bring them home and play. And I’d love to see — tag me on Instagram, @danielagerson, so I can see your cool carrot creations.

There’s a whole wide world of colorful fruits and vegetables out there, and I hope this guide inspires you to play with more of them in the kitchen.

Let's make waves in the kitchen.

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