Carrots are a staple vegetable in the Western Diet, and are a good source of many vitamins. Carrots are available all year round, as they keep well when stored in controlled environments. “Dutch Carrots” is the name given to bunches of baby carrots sold with their greens, and are an especially sweet variety. Carrots stored with their tops on tend to dry out (as the moisture from the root is taken up into the leaves.)
Organic Carrots seldom need to be peeled, just give them a wash. When grating carrots for salad, use a small attatchment on your grater to grate them fine. This makes the carrot juicey, sweet, and easy to eat. Carrots should be stored away from apples, pears or any other produce that creates ethylene gas. Ethylene gas makes the carrot turn bitter. Juicing carrots are no different to regular carrots, although they are usually second grade, meaning that they are strangely shaped, or broken.
Well cooked carrots can be mashed to make an excellent soothing dish for invalids and those suffering stomach upsets. For some interesting reading, and some great photos of colourful varieties of carrots, check out this English carrot museum.