Rosemary Roasted Rainbow Carrots Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How are rainbow carrots made? ›

Rainbow carrots are a mix of colorful carrot varieties picked at their immature stages for young harvest. Typical varieties that are grown for the mix are yellow stone, white satin, purple haze, black knight, nantes and atomic red making for a perfect array of tender-crisp, sweet and earthy carrots.

Undercook them, and the texture is tough and dense. Overcook them, and they're dry and wrinkled. The secret is to soften the carrots slightly by boiling them briefly before roasting. The texture will be firm-tender with just the right amount of caramelization on the outside.

“Rainbow coloured carrots do taste different from orange. Yellow carrots have an earthy sweet flavour with notes of celery and parsley. White carrots are relatively mild. Purple carrots can have a peppery flavour but can also be very sweet.”

They make incredible pickled carrots, are quintessential for brining and deep frying and they make great protein companions when pan-roasted or grilled. Try them eaten raw in veggie platters, pureed into sauces, boiled and braised.

All varieties of carrots are extremely nutrient dense and a great addition to a healthy diet – they're high in fiber and rich in potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin K. However, each individual color contains a specific set of phytonutrients (antioxidants) which offer slightly different nutritional benefits.

Anthocyanins are water-soluble flavonoid compounds and confer red, blue, and purple pigmentation to plants. In addition to their important roles in plants, they are also beneficial human nutrients. Nonpurple carrots are considered to have arisen from purple carrots that acquired mutations.

The perfect temperature– 400 degrees Fahrenheit is the perfect temperature for most roasted vegetables. It allows for a crispy, perfectly browned exterior and a fork tender interior. But it will vary based on the types of veggies and oil used. If your veggies are not browning enough, try increasing the temperature.

Parboiling skin-on carrots and parsnips lets you soften them without them losing too much moisture. Follow up by browning in a 375°F (190°C) oven for about 40 minutes.

How healthy are rainbow carrots? ›

Loaded with vitamin A and beta carotene, these brightly-colored beauties support healthy vision and a balanced diet.

Rainbow carrots are packed full of vitamin A, fiber, potassium, and phytonutrients such as beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, and anthocyanins all of which support heart health, eye health, a healthy immune system, AND may reduce your risk of certain types of cancer!

Orange carrots are loaded (204% of the daily value recommended per day in 1 medium) with their namesake, beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A. The vitamin A in orange carrots is especially important for eye health, and was also recently identified as promoting brain health as well as other benefits.

The Bottom Line

Though all types of carrots are nutritious and healthy, purple carrots contain powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins that have impressive effects on your health. Eating purple carrots may improve heart health, encourage weight loss, and reduce inflammation and your risk of certain cancers.

Purple carrots are rich in anthocyanins, the antioxidant compounds that give blueberries their distinctive color and superfood health benefits.

Rainbow carrots are actually a variety of ordinary carrots. They are called that way because their main feature is their color. These carrots have their root in traditional ordinary carrots that have been used for culinary purposes for the past 1500 years.

However, carrots come in a multitude of colors, including purple! In fact, it's believed that the first domesticated carrots weren't orange at all – they were purple and white.

The taste difference between different colored carrots like orange, purple, red, white, and yellow isn't extreme. It isn't even as wide a range as different colored tomatoes. Yet there is some bit of a change to the flavor. It's often slight and it's subtle, mainly showing up when eating carrots raw.

No, purple carrots are not genetically modified. In fact, purple is the original color for carrots. Orange carrots were bred in Holland to celebrate William of Orange. But even this is not a genetic modification, only a naturally occurring variation that was selected for, like most breeding.