Black carrots, benefits and harms, use in cooking
Black carrots are rarely found in the personal plots of our gardeners. This vegetable has other common names, such as sweet root, goat, or scorzonera. This kind of culture is more common in European countries and Asian countries. With proper conditions, black carrots can be grown in our country. Next, we will get acquainted with the features of the plant, the nuances of planting and care.
Black carrots - what kind of culture
We have read the description of the plant, but many gardeners are wondering what black carrots are. The most valuable part of the plant is considered to be a root vegetable, it tastes like black radish... The vegetable can be used for fresh consumption and can be used to prepare various dishes, including salads, vinaigrette and even soup. After heat treatment, the product tastes like asparagus.
Black carrot extract can be used medicinally. It helps to get rid of stomach diseases, improves heart function, and reduces cholesterol levels in the human body.
The root crop of the culture is considered edible, despite the black color it has a juicy white flesh. The length of the fruit is up to 15 cm with a diameter not exceeding 5 cm. The average weight of a vegetable is 170 g. The root crop can be left in the soil for the winter so that it can form seeds in the next season. To do this, the vegetable is covered in late autumn with a thick layer of mulch from compost or humus. The crop blooms in May, with black carrot seeds harvested in early June.
Composition and medicinal properties
As we said, the sweet root tastes like a radish.
The root crop has a unique composition, the following components are present here:
- vitamins of group B, as well as A, C, E, PP;
- asparagine;
- inulin;
- zinc;
- potassium;
- phosphorus;
- copper;
- iron.
Due to the high level of inulin, the product is recommended to be introduced into the diet of people suffering from diabetes.
Other medicinal properties of black carrots:
- improvement of metabolic processes in the human body;
- periodic consumption of the product helps to reduce blood pressure;
- anti-inflammatory and anti-cold effects on the body;
- use as an antioxidant;
- improves vision.
In the middle of the last century, people used scorzonera to prepare an effective antidote, which was used against the bites of vipers.
Despite a lot of useful properties, scorzonera has no contraindications for its use. When you first eat a vegetable, you must be extremely careful, use the root vegetable in small doses. This is due to the individual intolerance of some people. In addition, when the root vegetable is consumed in food, a laxative effect may occur.
Popular species and varieties
The plant is especially popular among the inhabitants of Turkey.You can find a huge number of varieties of black carrots in local shops, most of them are adapted to the mild climate.
The following varieties of this plant can be grown in our country:
- The Overseas delicacy variety is a medium-ripening culture. The bush has a slightly raised rosette, its height does not exceed 17 cm. Fruits are of a standard cylindrical shape with a dark brown skin. Maximum fruit length 35 cm, average weight 130 g.
- Variety Healing with a medium early duration of the growing season. The leaves of this plant are elongated, ovoid, with a standard dark green color. The root crop is relatively small, conical, weighing about 80 g. White pulp has a sweetish taste.
- The early ripe variety Sunny Premiere has a vertical rosette of ovoid leaves. The vegetables are small, reaching 32 cm in length, weighing up to 100 g. The crop yield is within 2 kg from each square meter of the plot.
- The two-year-old Gypsy variety differs from similar plants in its unique composition. A cylindrical root vegetable with a black skin, its length is within 30 cm, weight is about 80 g. The pulp of this product contains a huge amount of inulin and milk milk. Thanks to this composition, this vegetable can be included in the diet of diabetics.
The peculiarities of growing and caring for these carrot varieties can be found on the back of the seed package. Follow the manufacturer's requirements for a rich harvest.
Cooking applications
At first glance, the vegetable does not evoke appetite; in appearance, it resembles an ordinary stick burned at the stake. Everything changes if you remove the peel from the root crop. The white juicy pulp of the vegetable tastes like black radish. It is used as a vitamin and spice supplement for second courses, and is also used to prepare salads and soups.
If there is a need to add a vegetable to the soup, wash it, pour it over with boiling water, then peel it off. For the initial processing of carrots, before preparing salads, they are boiled in slightly salted water for 20 minutes. You can use the vegetable in its raw form, peel the peel from the root vegetable, cut or grate it and season with sunflower oil. Black carrots go well with other products, for example, with meat, beets, cabbage and fish.