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Winter frost makes a sweeter carrot

Carrots tend to be a go-to veggie for many people. It is simple to add to a salad or cook up in a stew and most children won’t fight you on eating it. Have you ever noticed though, that carrots in the winter have a sweeter taste?

Carrots tend to be a go-to veggie for many people. It is simple to add to a salad or cook up in a stew and most children won't fight you on eating it. Have you ever noticed though, that carrots in the winter have a sweeter taste?

UCLA biochemist Liz Roth-Johnson recently explained in a youtube video what happens to the carrot in colder temperatures. Apparently when the temperatures drop and Jack Frost is nipping at our toes, carrots keep the water in their cells from freezing by converting some of their starches into sugar. The sugar reduces the freezing point so that the water in the cells won't turn to ice. An added benefit of the carrot's survival skills is of course the sweet crunch of a post frost carrot.

Other hardy winter vegetables also have a sweeter taste, but be careful when preparing potatoes in the winter time. The sugar can cause carmelization turning the potato brown when cooking it. Just remember to let your potatoes sit in a warm and dry place before cooking them.

[Washington Post]