White carrot varieties, calorie, benefit and harm

The fact that there is a white carrot, many probably hear for the first time. However, about white eggplants, blue corn and black rice, most of us, until recently, also did not suspect. Truly, there is so much unusual in the world!

brief information

Habitual us bright orange color of carrots gives carotene.

The white color of the root, thus, indicates that beta-carotene is absent.

White carrots are sometimes confused with parsnips; more precisely, the latter is mistakenly called white carrots. In fact, they are different plants, although both belong to the umbrella family.Pasternak is usually somewhat larger than a carrot, while it has a darker color (golden brown, ivory) and a characteristic nutty flavor.

Pasternak is found mainly in Northern Europe, the Caucasus and Siberia, where its fragrant root was originally valued, while carrots, including white, came to us from warmer regions - Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the inhabitants of the east used , according to some testimonies, not the "roots", but the "tops" of this plant, or rather its greens and seeds. White roots were mainly given to pets because of their distinctly bitter and unpleasant taste.

Outwardly, the white carrot is practically no different from the color, from the usual and beloved root. The rhizome of the plant is smooth, dense, fleshy and strongly elongated, the root vegetable tastes firm and crisp, but at the same time juicy and - in modern varieties - distinctly sweetish. Due to the high content of essential oils, this carrot has a very pleasant aroma.

If the carrot is softish, this indicates that it has flown down from too long storage. Such a product is not worth buying, but if it is already on your table, try soaking it in very cold water, this can help to improve the situation slightly.

The poor quality of root crops is also evidenced by the surface overgrown with greenish hairs. This happens in case of violation of agrotechnics of cultivation, in particular, ignoring such a procedure, which is mandatory for a carrot bed, as hilling.

If the white carrot is sold with tops, - great! Firstly, fresh, not wilted greens indicates that the vegetable was removed from the ground quite recently, and, secondly, carrot "tops" can be successfully used.

Like an ordinary orange beauty, white carrots can be either consumed raw or subjected to heat treatment (cooking, frying, stewing), although in the latter case, of course, certain losses of useful properties are inevitable.

White carrots create ideal combinations with other root vegetables (beets, potatoes), tomatoes, beans and peas, onions and garlic, and, oddly enough, with oranges and lemons. Remarkably complements this vegetable taste of meat, mushrooms, bacon. As a salad dressing with white carrots you can use homemade mayonnaise, sour cream, vegetable oil, grainy mustard and even maple syrup. At the same time, it is believed that this carrot will give 100 colored points to all its colored “relatives” in taste (sweetness, juiciness and flavor).

In short, white carrots are completely undeservedly overlooked in our diet, and there are different varieties of this amazing root crop, one better than the other!

Description of varieties

We have already mentioned above that for a long time, a colorless vegetable was used exclusively as a fodder crop, because it was unpleasantly bitter. But it was before. Now on the shelves you can find many varieties of sweet, crispy and very nutritious carrots of unusual white color. Consider only some of its varieties.

"Belgian White"

In Europe, this variety is better known as "Blanche A Collet Vert". Root crops are very large, long (up to 25 cm) and "heavy", have the shape of a spindle. A characteristic feature is the green "shoulder" (the upper part of the rhizome). It should be noted,That this variant was widely used by European small farmers in the 19th century mainly as fodder (it is interesting that horses like the slightly yellowish flesh of "White Belgian" are especially popular).

This variety was derived from a long white carrot, which was previously very popular in France, but was later supplanted by the "Belgian".

Today "White Belgian" in Europe is losing its popularity. This carrot is very unstable to low temperatures, it rises at a temperature of at least 10 ° C, however, sprouts appear only a couple of weeks after sowing, and after another 2.5 months you can harvest. Such precociousness, as well as large size, lack of standard for soil fertility and the absence of the need to build covered greenhouses for cultivation of crops, and made the variety popular at one time among farmers.

It cannot be said that "White Belgian" is not at all used in cooking, on the contrary, in Russia this brand has just begun to gain its popularity. This carrot, however, is better to boil or fry, since it is after heat treatment that it becomes especially soft and fragrant.

"Lunar White"

"Moon White", not like the "Belgian",has small and graceful elongated roots (maximum length - 30 cm) with a very thin skin of almost perfectly white color and a small core. Equally good, both after reaching full ripeness, and in the process of maturation, very young.

"Lunar White" has an exceptionally tender, juicy and fragrant pulp, and for its keeping quality, not a single sort of red carrot can match it. In short, this is definitely not a stern option.

This variety, like the previous one, is distinguished by precocity, but this carrot under good conditions (air temperature - 16-25 ° C, no weeds, regular watering) can be grown even faster - in just 2 months. Due to this, these vegetables are successfully grown in cold regions, for example in the Urals and Siberia, and in the more southern regions even a few harvests can be obtained.

"Lunar White" can be used both in raw and processed form, in particular, it will give a remarkably rich taste to various first courses and vegetable stews, as well as become an elegant addition to vitamin salad.

"White Satin"

“White satin” (or “White atlas”) is a hybrid that has turned the notion of white carrots as an exclusively fodder crop. It was in this class that they managed to get rid of unpleasant bitterness for the first time, after which not only animals but also people began to eat such root vegetables.

The white sateen root crops are white and smooth, rather large, they are 20-30 cm long and have a straight cylindrical shape with a pointed nose. The flesh is soft cream color, the core is small.

"White Satin" - the choice of children and gourmets. And those and others will appreciate the variety for the sweet taste, soft aroma, as well as the juicy crunch that accompanies each bite.

This variety grows very quickly, loves heat and light, is quite picky about soil and watering, but in general there are no particular difficulties with its cultivation.

Today it is perhaps one of the most popular varieties of white carrots. Such a vegetable is equally good in both raw and boiled (fried, stewed) form. Especially refined, he manifests his taste in a salad mix with orange and purple "brothers".

Composition and calorie

White carrots are a little less calorie than the usual red.So, 100 g of raw white root vegetables contain about 33 kcal, while in orange - 35-41 kcal. So for people who are afraid of gaining extra pounds, this vegetable can be consumed without fear (by the way, the amount of boiled calories in the product becomes almost a quarter less).

Energy value (proteins / fats / carbohydrates): 1.3 / 0.1 / 7.2.

The chemical composition of white and orange carrots is almost identical, unless, of course, the absence of the first beta-carotene is considered. But it contains ascorbic acid, almost the entire complex of B vitamins (niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, inositol, folic acid), as well as vitamins E, K and N. Also in the product contain minerals such as potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur and chlorine, as well as trace elements - zinc, iron, copper, fluorine, iodine, manganese, chromium, selenium, vanadium, boron, nickel, molybdenum, aluminum, lithium and cobalt.

Carrot roots also contain bioflavonoids, essential oils, amino acids, crude fiber (pectin) and other substances necessary for our body.

Beneficial features

Yes, white carrots do not contain bioavailable carotenoids, for which we especially appreciate its red "relative", but this root vegetable,However, it has a huge amount of useful properties.

Phytochemicals and cellulose contained in this vegetable:

• positively affect the work of the intestines and even prevent such a terrible disease as colon cancer;
• normalize digestion and improve appetite;
• reduce the risk of stroke;
• are prevention of atherosclerosis, because they prevent the accumulation of fat deposits in the walls of arteries;
• prevent various pathologies of the nervous system and brain, including Alzheimer's senile dementia (in other words, Alzheimer's disease).

In addition, white carrots have a whole range of healing properties, in particular:

• has a diuretic and choleretic effect;
• improves kidney function, prevents nephritis (especially in boiled form);
• is a natural antioxidant, rejuvenates the body;
• stops inflammatory processes;
• used as an anthelmintic agent;
• relieves pain and fatigue;
• strengthens the immune system;
• inhibits the development of pathogenic bacteria, while normalizing the microflora and helps to cope with the effects of long-term treatment with antibiotics;
• can be used as an expectorant (in the form of decoction);
• normalizes blood sugar levels, and therefore recommended for diabetes.

Harm and contraindications

White carrots, unlike red ones, have almost no direct harm and contraindications, but if you eat this vegetable without restrictions and a healthy sense of proportion, it can certainly cause harm.

In particular, the product in some cases may cause:

• allergic reaction of any manifestations - in the form of skin rashes, redness, swelling (this effect sometimes causes the consumption of too large doses of digestible carbohydrates, as well as essential oils contained in the product);
• inflammation of the intestinal mucosa, exacerbation of existing pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, constipation or diarrhea (especially with the abuse of raw carrots);
• dizziness, weakness, nausea, headaches (from an overdose of vitamins B and ascorbic acid);
• too frequent urination (the effect of the diuretic properties of vegetables);
• heart palpitations, as a result - sleep disturbances and hyperhidrosis (increased sweating);
• exacerbation of pathologies in the work of the thyroid gland (people suffering from overweight, having skin problems and other pathologies that may be associated with the endocrine system, with carrot abuse must be especially careful).

However, the symptoms described above are extremely rare and are the most annoying exception to the rule that can be neglected if you do not lose your head and do not replace all other foodstuffs with carrots.

Instead of a conclusion, let us say it again: do not confuse a white carrot with parsnip and, especially, with fodder turnip (turnip). This is a completely separate kind of vegetable we are used to.different from its orange counterpart in the absence of a useful pigment, however, despite this, containing a lot of valuable minerals and vitamins. And still white carrots are extremely tasty, and in the most different types (raw, steamed, boiled, stewed) and combinations. Discover new products for yourself, especially those that can be grown on your own garden bed, because they are the most valuable and beneficial to our health!