Photo Credit: Tom Myrick

These Scarlet Nantes carrots (Daucus carota var. sativus) were the last of the Veggie-Bed’s harvests for the growing season (Plant Hardiness Zone 8a). Seeds sowed in the late summer and 65 days to harvest, carrots gathered in mid-December after the first frost. The Scarlet Nantes doesn’t develop a woody core and is high in fructose and glucose, low in terpenes, and that creates some of the best flavored and textured carrots.

Nantes carrots are named after the city of Nantes [nänt], in Brittany, France and developed by Henri Vilmorin in the 1850s. The Scarlet Nantes carrot is one of the USA’s most popular carrot varieties and introduced in our country during the mid 20th century. Easy to grow and full of vitamins and taste they delivered a sweet fall garden delight.

Writer: Tom Myrick