Did you know there are numerous types of carrots? In this in-depth guide to carrots, we’ll cover all different types of carrots with photos so you can identify them, too!
The Origin of Their Classically Orange Color
We believe carrots were first grown in Afghanistan over 1,000 years ago, and were then typically yellow or purple. So why are most carrots orange today? We could discuss the beta-carotene content, but that isn’t the real reason for today’s color. The truth is that the color is the result of a 17th-century Dutch patriot agriculturist. He cross-bred all manner of carrots until he developed a cultivar with a distinctive orange color as orange was, and is the Dutch national color. What he developed 400 years ago remains the most popular color of carrots today.
Leading Producers and Consumers
China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of carrots. No surprise as there are 1.4 billion people in China. They grow about 45% of the world’s carrots and export 17 million tons a year mostly to their neighboring nations as they are so good in Asian cuisine. The USA comes in #2 with a very distant 2.4 million pounds a year. Sorry, no big foam finger for second place. In the USA California is by far the leading producer growing over 80% of our domestic production.
Different Types of Carrots
We’re covering the top 15 most common types of carrots in this guide!
Baby Carrots
Origin: Baby carrots are essentially just immature carrots harvested early in their growth. The origin of baby carrots traces back to the innovation of California farmer Mike Yurosek in the late 1980s. Yurosek was looking for a way to salvage imperfect or misshapen carrots that were not suitable for sale. He decided to reshape them into bite-sized pieces, and thus the baby carrot was born. As of 2022, over 70% of carrots sold in the USA (by volume) are baby carrots. Hey, let’s face it they are the perfect little dipping veggie.
Description: Baby carrots are typically small, slender, and uniformly shaped. They are often tapered at one end, resembling miniature versions of fully grown carrots. These carrots are created by cutting larger, mature carrots into smaller, uniform pieces. The smooth, cylindrical appearance is a result of the cutting and shaping process.
If you are concerned about the food waste caused by producing baby carrots, don’t be. Producers have this covered. The scraps from making these mini carrots are used in vegetable stock, juice, and even animal feed.
Best Culinary Uses: Baby carrots are convenient for snacking and are often served raw with dips or hummus. They can also be lightly steamed, roasted, or added to salads. Due to their small size and tender texture, they cook quickly and are versatile in various recipes. Our hands down favorite use of baby carrots isn’t actually on the veggie tray, but in these vegetarian pigs-in-a-blanket. Friends of mine served these at a cookout and waited to see if anybody had a clue that they were not meat hotdogs. Nope. You might also like them as smashed baby carrots.
Ripening in Home Gardens: Carrots cut into baby carrots are harvested early in their growth, typically around 30 to 60 days after planting, depending on the variety. They can be grown in a home garden and are often ready for harvest within a few months of planting because as we said they can be any variety of carrot. So you can certainly grow your own baby carrots, but why try? They are cut by specialized machinery. The rest of us have to use a knife and peeler. If you are looking for some tips on how best to cut them, check out our How to Cut Carrots Tutorial with a short video.
Black Carrots
Origin: Black carrots have a long history, dating back to perhaps 1,000 years coming out of Turkey and Central Asia. They were traditionally cultivated for their medicinal properties rather than culinary use. However, they have gained popularity in recent years for their unique color and potential health benefits.
Description: Black carrots, as the name suggests, have dark purplish-black skin and vibrant orange or purple flesh. The deep coloration is due to the presence of anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants found in certain fruits and vegetables. This pigment gives black carrots their distinctive appearance and also contributes to their potential health benefits.
Best Culinary Uses: Black carrots can be used in just about any way you might use traditional orange carrots. They can be eaten raw, grated into salads, or used as a colorful garnish. Additionally, they can be cooked in soups, stews, or roasted alongside other vegetables. The unique color of black carrots adds visual interest to your cooking and can elevate the presentation of meals. And of course, they just look cool on a veggie tray. Cut into coins showcases the contrast between their black skin and deep orange core.
Ripening in Home Gardens: Black carrots typically take around 70 to 90 days to mature in a home garden. They can be sown directly into the soil after the last frost and require well-drained, fertile soil for optimal growth. Regular watering and maintenance are essential for healthy black carrot plants. You can get the seeds cheaply on Amazon.
Bolero Carrots
Origin: Bolero carrots are a cultivar of Nantes carrots likely developed in France in the late 19th Century.
Description: Bolero carrots are typically medium-sized with a cylindrical shape and smooth skin. They have a bright orange color and a sweet, crisp texture. They don’t taper to a small end like some other carrots making them a good choice for coining.
Best Culinary Uses: They are ideal for roasting, steaming, or sautéing as a side dish or addition to main courses. Bolero carrots can also be grated and used in salads, soups, or stir-fries. Their sweet flavor pairs well with both savory and sweet ingredients, making them a popular choice in many recipes.
Bolero’s fairly uniform diameter also makes them perfect for this somewhat controversial carrot hot dog recipe. Skeptical? We understand, but open the recipe and see what you think. The liquid smoke and smoked paprika in this recipe really make a well softened carrot taste like a hog dog. At the very minimum your vegetarian or vegan friends will appreciate that you made these for them at your next cookout.
Ripening in Home Gardens: Bolero carrots typically mature in approximately 65 to 75 days when grown in a home garden. They prefer well-drained soil and full sun exposure for optimal growth. Regular watering and thinning of seedlings are important for healthy development and to ensure uniform root size.
Chantenay Carrots
Origin: Chantenay carrots originated in France and were named after the town of Chantenay. They have been cultivated since the 19th century and are known for their distinctively broad-shouldered shape and sweet flavor.
Description: Chantenay carrots are shorter and thicker than traditional carrot varieties, with broad shoulders tapering down to a blunt tip. They have a deep orange color and a crisp, crunchy texture.
Best Culinary Uses: Chantenay carrots are prized for their sweet flavor and versatility in the kitchen. They are excellent for roasting, as their dense texture holds up well to heat.
Ripening in Home Gardens: Chantenay carrots typically mature in around 70 to 75 days when grown in a home garden. They prefer well-drained soil and full sun exposure but can tolerate some shade. Regular watering and thinning of seedlings are important for healthy growth and to ensure the development of thick, robust roots.
Danvers Carrots
Origin: Danvers carrots originated in Danvers, Massachusetts. They were first developed in the late 19th century.
Description: Danvers carrots are known for their distinctive shape, which is broader at the top and tapers to a point at the bottom. They typically have a deep orange color and a sweet, earthy flavor.
Best Culinary Uses: Due to their sturdy nature and sweet flavor, Danvers carrots are excellent for roasting, grilling, and stir-frying. They also hold up well when added to soups and stews, imparting their flavor while maintaining their texture. They are a good option for these slow cooker carrots.
Ripening in Home Gardens: Danvers carrots usually take about 70-80 days to reach maturity when grown in a home garden. They are typically ready for harvest in late summer or early fall, depending on the specific growing conditions.
Enterprise Carrots
Origin: Enterprise carrots were developed through breeding programs in the Netherlands. No surprise there, these are the same industrious farmers who turned carrots orange.
Description: Enterprise carrots are cylindrical in shape with a slightly tapered tip. They have a bright orange color and a crisp texture. This shape allows for easy slicing and dicing.
Best Culinary Uses: Enterprise carrots are ideal for raw consumption, such as in salads, slaws, or as veggies with dips. They also work well when steamed or boiled and can be added to casseroles, stir-fries, and soups. Try them in this vegetarian wedge salad.
Ripening in Home Gardens: Enterprise carrots typically mature in about 60-70 days when grown in a home garden. They are often ready for harvest in mid-summer to early fall.
Hercules Carrots
Origin: Hercules carrots are a hybrid Chantenay carrot that originated in the United Kingdom.
Description: Hercules carrots are known for their short and stout appearance. They have a thick, cylindrical shape with a blunt tip. Their color ranges from deep orange to reddish-orange, and they have a sweet, crisp flesh.
Best Culinary Uses: Hercules carrots are excellent for roasting whole or slicing into thick rounds for sautéing. Their sweetness makes them perfect for glazing and caramelizing. They can also be grated and added to cakes, muffins, and other baked goods for natural sweetness and moisture. Take advantage of their relative sweetness with this quick and easy carrot ginger smoothie recipe.
Ripening in Home Gardens: Hercules carrots typically mature in about 65-75 days when grown in a home garden. They are usually ready for harvest in late summer. They are known to grow reasonably well in rocky or harder clay soil.
Imperator Carrots
Origin: Imperator carrots were developed from Nantes and Chantenay carrots about 100 years ago. Today there are numerous sub-varieties of imperators.
Description: Imperator carrots are generally long and slender with a tapered tip. Pretty much the traditional carrot shape. They have a bright orange color and a smooth, firm texture.
Best Culinary Uses: They are excellent for slicing into sticks for dipping or adding to salads and sandwiches. They also work well when roasted, grilled, or steamed and can be pureed into soups or sauces. They are pretty versatile, so perhaps try these healthy oven baked carrot chips. Or, try them as air fryer carrot chips with the same recipe.
Ripening in Home Gardens: Imperator carrots typically mature in about 75-85 days when grown in a home garden. They are generally ready for harvest in late summer to early fall.
Musico Carrots
Origin: Musico carrots originated in Italy. They are a relatively modern cultivar developed through selective breeding for their unique flavor and appearance.
Description: Musico carrots are known for their slender, cylindrical shape and vibrant orange color. They typically grow to a medium size, ranging from 6 to 8 inches in length. What sets Musico carrots apart is their smooth skin and uniform shape, making them visually appealing.
Best Culinary Uses: Musico carrots are known for their sweet and slightly earthy flavor. They are excellent for raw consumption, adding crunch and sweetness to salads and vegetable platters. Additionally, Musico carrots are ideal for roasting, as their slender shape ensures even cooking and caramelization. Try them as slow cooker carrots.
Ripening In Home Gardens: Musico carrots typically mature in about 60 to 70 days when grown in a home garden. They are considered a fast-growing variety, making them suitable for gardeners looking for a relatively quick harvest.
Nantes Carrots
Origin: Nantes carrots originated in the Nantes region of France, hence the name. They have been cultivated since the 19th century and are renowned for their sweet flavor and crisp texture.
Description: Nantes carrots are known for their blunt-ended, cylindrical shape and vibrant orange color. They typically grow to a medium size, around 6 to 7 inches in length. Nantes carrots have a smooth, tender skin and a consistent diameter throughout their length, making them easy to clean and prepare. For full details on this, check out our guide on how to cut carrots.
Best Culinary Uses: Nantes carrots have a sweet, mild flavor and crunchy texture, making them perfect for both raw and cooked dishes. They are excellent for snacking, dipping, or grating into salads. Nantes carrots also shine when cooked, as their sweetness intensifies, making them ideal for steaming, sautéing, or roasting. Try them in any of our 31 favorite carrot recipes.
Ripening In Home Gardens: Nantes carrots usually reach maturity in about 65 to 75 days when grown in a home garden. They are considered a relatively quick-growing variety, making them popular among gardeners.
Olympus Carrots
Origin: Olympus carrots are a hybrid variety developed from imperator carrots for their superior flavor, texture, and disease resistance. If you read through the origin of each of these varieties, it is easy to see how many new carrot varieties have been developed in the last 100 years or so.
Description: Olympus carrots are known for their uniform, cylindrical shape and bright orange color. They typically grow to a larger size compared to other carrot varieties, ranging from 8 to 10 inches in length. Olympus carrots have a smooth skin and a crisp, crunchy texture, making them visually appealing and enjoyable to eat.
Best Culinary Uses: Olympus carrots have a sweet, juicy flavor and firm texture. They are excellent for raw consumption, in salads. and slaws. Olympus carrots also hold up well to cooking methods such as roasting, grilling, or braising, where their natural sweetness caramelizes beautifully.
Ripening In Home Gardens: Olympus carrots typically mature in about 70 to 80 days when grown in a home garden. While they may take slightly longer to reach maturity compared to some other varieties, their superior flavor and texture make them worth the wait.
Purple Carrots
Origin: Purple carrots are believed to have originated in the regions of ancient Persia (Iran) and Central Asia. They are one of the oldest cultivated varieties of carrots, dating back at least a thousand years. While purple carrots have been overshadowed by their orange counterparts in modern times, they are experiencing a resurgence in popularity due to their unique color and potential health benefits.
Description: Purple carrots vary in shape and size, much like their orange counterparts, but they are distinguished by their deep purple exterior and vibrant orange interior. Some purple carrots may exhibit a gradient of colors, ranging from dark purple near the skin to lighter shades towards the core. They have a slightly earthy flavor, similar to orange carrots, but with subtle hints of sweetness and spice.
Best Culinary Uses: While they can be enjoyed raw, their color intensifies when cooked, making them a visually stunning addition to your cooking. Purple carrots are excellent for roasting, steaming, or sautéing, where their vibrant hue adds a pop of color to the plate. They can also be pickled or used in soups and stews to add both flavor and visual interest. Like most purple veggies they are also antioxidant-rich giving them an added nutritional boots
Ripening In Home Gardens: Purple carrots typically mature in about 70 to 80 days when grown in a home garden. They require similar growing conditions and care as other carrot varieties but offer the added bonus of their unique color and potential health benefits.
Red Carrots
Origin: Red carrots are believed to have originated in the Middle East and Central Asia. They have been cultivated for centuries.
Description: Red carrots have a vibrant reddish-orange hue, which sets them apart from traditional orange carrots. This color is due to the high levels of lycopene, which not only gives them their striking appearance but also provides antioxidant properties. The roots are typically slender and tapered, similar in shape to traditional orange carrots.
Best Culinary Uses: If you can find them, red carrots are great raw in salads, sliced into sticks for dipping, or grated into slaws. Their sweet flavor makes them suitable for roasting, steaming, or boiling as a side dish. Red carrots can also be incorporated into soups, stews, and stir-fries to add both color and flavor.
Ripening In Home Gardens: Red carrots typically take around 70 to 80 days to mature from seed to harvest in a home garden. They should be harvested when the roots reach their full size and color, typically in late summer or early fall, depending on the planting time and growing conditions.
White Carrots
Origin: White carrots, or lunar carrots, are believed to have originated in Central Asia along with other carrot varieties. They have been cultivated for centuries and were among the earliest types of carrots cultivated by humans.
Description: White carrots, as the name suggests, have a creamy white coloration both inside and out. This color is due to a lack of carotenoid pigments, which are responsible for the orange and red colors found in other carrot varieties. Instead, white carrots contain other compounds such as flavonoids and polyphenols, which contribute to their nutritional health benefits. White carrots typically have a similar shape to traditional orange carrots, with a tapered, cylindrical root.
Best Culinary Uses: White carrots have a mild, slightly sweet flavor and a crisp texture. They can be eaten raw as a crunchy snack, sliced into salads, or used as a dipper for hummus and other dips. Their mild flavor allows them to complement a wide range of dishes without overpowering other flavors. We think the best use is to cut them into dipping sized strips for use on a veggie tray alongside traditional orange carrots.
Ripening In Home Gardens: White carrots typically take around 65 to 75 days to mature when grown in a home garden. They should be harvested when the roots have reached their full size and the white coloration is uniform and vibrant. Harvesting is usually done in late summer or early fall, depending on the specific growing conditions and planting time.
Yellow Carrots
Origin: Yellow carrots are believed to have originated in regions of Central Asia, including Afghanistan and Western China, where they have been cultivated for centuries.
Description: Yellow carrots are characterized by their vibrant yellow or golden-orange coloration, which is due to the presence of xanthophylls, natural pigments found in certain fruits and vegetables. These pigments give yellow carrots their distinctive hue and contribute to their nutritional content. Yellow carrots typically have a similar shape to traditional orange carrots, with a tapered, cylindrical root.
Best Culinary Uses: Yellow carrots have a sweet, slightly fruity flavor and a tender texture, so they are great raw in salads, coleslaws, and vegetable platters, adding color and sweetness. Yellow carrots can also be cooked in various ways, such as roasting, steaming, or sautéing. Their sweet flavor intensifies when cooked, making them a delicious side dish or ingredient in soups, stews, and stir-fries.
Ripening In Home Gardens: Yellow carrots typically mature in 65 to 75 days when grown in a home garden. They should be harvested when the roots have reached their full size and the yellow coloration is vibrant and uniform. Harvesting is usually done in late summer or early fall, depending on the specific growing conditions and planting time.
So if you’re headed to the market this weekend or have fresh carrots growing, we hope you found some inspiration for what type of carrots to buy or grow and what to make with them! As always, happy cooking!
