BC INTERIOR DRY BELT CARROTS Availability: BC Interior Dry Belt Carrots are available From mid-June through to December Selection: Select firm, smooth, well-shaped Carrots. Green shoulders may indicate bitterness Grades: Canada No. 1 Smooth, well shaped (not grooved, ridged or lumpy from secondary rootlets)minimum length 4½“ (11.4 cm) minimum diameter 1¾" (4.4 cm) Care & Storage: Store fresh, topped carrots 32 - 34°F (0 - 1°C) at a relative humidity of 90 - 95%. Carrots are topped to prevent dehydration that will cause wilting and toughening. Do not store or display carrots near ethylene producing fruits, such as apples and pears, as carrots will develop a bitter flavor Carrot Trivia: Carrots are native to Afghanistan. They were first cultivated in 500 BC in the Mediterranean regions. In approximately the 1600's they were introduced in Europe and England; ladies used the feathery tops as decoration for hats and wore them in their hair. Carrots grow in the wild and are more commonly known as Queen Ann's Lace Measurement: 1 lb (500g) Carrots = Raw Sliced - 2¾ cups (675 ml) = Cooked Sliced - 3 cups (750 ml) NUTRITION INFORMATION BC Carrots per 80 g serving (1 medium) Energy 36 cal Protein 0.7 g Fat 0.2 g Carbohydrates 7.8 g Dietary Fibre 7.8 g Sodium 41 mg Potassium 273 mg Nutritional Information provided by: Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Nutrition Encyclopedia Fresh for Flavour Foundation, 1991.