Purple Dragon Carrots

I love the name of these carrots…purple dragons! Just like fairy tales or Asian mythology that we can grow right in our own backyard! Interestingly, carrots were originally purple, not orange so these may be a true heirloom variety dating back through several centuries of dometication. As for taste, I haven’t cooked them yet but raw they are a bit tough and not nearly as sweet as the orange varieties I’m used to. They are beautiful, though! Deep purple skin, orange on the inside.

 

 

We had some trouble growing them; our dog kept running through the carrot bed, pushing the seeds too deep with his feet and messing up the rows. I planted them in loose soil that was heavily mixed with half-composted leaf matter, then covered the seeds with more of the leaf compost. By the time we harvested them the carrot tops were more than 3 feet tall! 

I’m not sure that I would grow this particular variety again although I do like the historical aspect of the purple…orange carrots have more carotene and are sweeter…I think they were originally developed in the Netherlands in the 16th or 17th century but would have to do more research to be sure. In any case, hooray we have carrots!! I think I will saute them tonight with chard and onions.