Red carrot is a root vegetable variety containing lycopene, a red colored pigment naturally occurring in plants. It is a legitimate member of the carrot family whose cousins are orange, yellow and purple/black carrots. Red carrot is scientifically qualified as a functional food due to its protection potential against certain chronic diseases due to lycopene. Red carrot is easy to cultivate in the home garden.
Black carrot is a legitimate member of the carrot family. Its cousins are the orange, yellow, red and white carrots. Black carrot has just about all the characteristics associated with the more common orange carrot save for pigmentation. Black carrot is black due to its high levels of anthocyanins which are considered the major bioactive compound in the carrot. Anthocyanins in black carrots are responsible for the dark or purple color of the carrot. The high levels of anthocyanins in black carrots offer some medicinal and non-medicinal benefits.
White carrot is essentially a regular carrot without the orange pigmentation. White carrot can be an heirloom or hybrid cultivar. It is frequently confused with parsnips due to the close resemblance between them. White carrot is one of the five main carrot varieties, which are orange, yellow, red and purple/black carrots. Furthermore, the white carrot is one of more than 100 varieties of carrots grown worldwide. It is cultivated in a similar fashion as the well known orange carrot. In addition, it is easy for home gardeners to grow.
Purple potatoes also known as blue potatoes are colored-flesh and skin potatoes rich in anthocyanins and carotenoids. Pigmentation is the primary differentiator between purple potatoes and regular potatoes. Anthocyanins are the water soluble flavonoid in purple potatoes responsible for the purple pigment. Anthocyanins carry a range of health benefits. Purple potato varieties include All Blue, Blackberry, Congo, Purple Fiesta and Purple Majesty among others. Depending on variety, purple potatoes mature in 70 to 130 days from planting. Many cultivars grow as early, mid-season or late-season varieties.
Beets are ready for harvest in 35 to 70 days depending on variety. Baby beets are beets that are harvested earlier than the published date. Beet tops, or greens, are harvested at anywhere between 30 and 47 days depending on cultivar. When to harvest beets is also indicated by the texture, form, size, and color of the beets. Generally, beets are ready for harvest when they have a dark color, are firm and juicy, have a smooth surface and a size anywhere between a golf ball and tennis ball.
Black spots on tomatoes are caused by a range of tomato related diseases and disorders. One common cause among home growers is blossom end rot. There are other causes of dark spots on tomatoes such as Bacterial Spot and Bacterial Speck. Using the right methods and approaches, spots on tomatoes can be effectively controlled or prevented.
Broccoli in all its varieties matures in 55 to 100 days. Broccoli is harvested when the bud clusters forming the head are tightly closed. The whole head becomes compact and firm. The harvest should occur before the buds open to produce flowers. The broccoli head diameter is also checked for consistency with the variety grown. Before harvest, finger-tips are used to feel the broccoli head to check readiness for harvest.
The answer is yes, tomatoes are keto friendly. Tomatoes appear in many ketogenic recipes and are recommended by many leading ketogenic dietitians. Here is why. According to USDA data, a 100 gram raw red tomato has only 3.41g in net carbohydrates and 2.1g in fibre. Fibre does not have any influence on a person’s insulin. It does not affect insulin level. This is the reason why net and not total carbs are most interesting when calculating keto carbs. Total carbs of the same size tomato inclusive of fibre would be 5.51g.
Cipollini onions are Italian gourmet specialty heirloom onions originating from Boretto, Italy. Cipollini also means “little onion” in Italian. Recognizable for their petite, saucer-shaped bulbs, they are famous for their sweet taste when cooked. They range in color from red, white, yellow to golden brown. When planted, they are ready for mature harvest in about 100 to 110 days.
Little Gem Lettuce is an English heirloom romaine lettuce cultivar. It is a “cross” between romaine and butterhead lettuce types. The alternative names for Little Gem are Sugar Cos or Sucrine which is French for sugar. This lettuce variety is sometimes sold as “hearts” with the outer leaves removed for convenience. Little Gem lettuce matures in 50 days. It is an easy to grow crop suitable for growing in compact spaces, patio pots and containers.
