Carrots news.

[Ricard with an H]

Remember I was moaning about this years carrot choice which was a stumpy variety ? Most of the year this carrot produced a really thick and pale centre core and has been quite taste-less.

Right now they are thick rather than long, the outer is sweet and the inner is acceptably tasty though all-in-all using this carrot variety pulled small is a waste of time.

Photo shows the core and the the gadget I got to produce slithers, nice for eatinf raw and nice for eating cooked. And so-so easy.

[Westi]

Glad you posted a pic of the gadget - now I know what to look for. I asked in a kitchen shop & they couldn't help me at all.

Carrots look pretty cool too.

Westi

[alan refail]

Hi Westi

Lakeland

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/15806/Julienne-Peeler

[Westi]

Thank you Alan.

Westi

PS: any idea where you can get one of those knives that cut serrated slices? I went to Lakeland for that last year & couldn't find one?

[Ricard with an H]

Is the cut like crinkly chips ? I have never seen a knife that does that but my mandolin does it, I'll take a photo of it when I get my lazy bones out of bed.

What luxury, lying in bed with a cup of coffee and tapping an iPad for communication.

That one carrot will feed me for a week, I have never seen carrots shaped like that other than the odd misshape. All my carrots are like that. I just pulled some mooli, very nice raw. Just like a mild radish but bigger. I'll grow mooli again rather than faffing with radish.

[Ricard with an H]

Wiggly cutter Westi.

[Westi]

Thanks Richard

My mandolin doesn't have a wriggly side, will be an option if I can't find the knife. Saw Jamie Oliver using one but his company doesn't make them.

Westi

[Ricard with an H]

I'm not sure I have used the wiggly cutters very often, good for potatoes then throw them in a roasting pan.

Mostly I use it for very fine slicing of just about anything. I have an attachment that cuts the slices into chips though rarely use it.

Years ago when I had family to feed some of our many gadgets were very usefull though these days I'm adept with a knife and one pan.

I get practice when I'm out in our motorhome, cooking for two in a motorhome takes you back to zero gadgets.

When I'm making bread I like my old Kenwood mixer.

[PLUMPUDDING]

I've been very pleased with Artemis carrots from Moles. I bought them from Moles seeds on Johnboy's recommendation. I think I might already have mentioned them. They are lovely straight carrots and a good size and the flavour is lovely raw or lightly cooked. I must say I'm hooked on the pelleted seed now I've tried it. They have germinated just as well this year as last from the same packet and you don't need to thin them out so there is no waste. Sorry to sound like an advert

I could never grow carrots in the open ground, but now I have a small raised bed with an enviromesh cage over it I have no problems. No forking or carrot fly and I can chuck plenty of slug pellets in without worrying about poisoning wildlife.

What variety of carrots are your fat ones Richard, I think I got some like that from Real Seeds. They were very tasty ones though and a deep red.

[Motherwoman]

Chiltern Seeds are advertising a carrot called Atomic Red which from the picture look real red not just dark orange. Anybody tried these or another bright red carrot?

MW

[Ricard with an H]

What variety of carrots are your fat ones Richard, I think I got some like that from Real Seeds. They were very tasty ones though and a deep red.

I think they were called, "Royal Cantenay". Chantenay are usually sold as a small stubby but tasty carrot though I dont know how many varieties carry the title of 'Chantenay'.

Last years Nantes were more tasty though it's taken me three years to figure out covering carrots seedlings with enviromesh and only sneaking out in the dark to lift the net so,I can pull a few carrots.

I'm now an enviromesh evangelist.

[Beryl]

I have grown my best ever crop of carrots this year using seed tapes from Kings and grown under enviromesh. This one is Sweet Candle, very little or no core and like it's name large sweet carrots. I'm still using summer crop and have the main winter crop to go.
These I pulled yesterday.

Beryl.

[Monika]

Great carrots, Beryl, and are those your celeriac on the photo too? What variety are they?

I have decided to use tapes for the carrots next year because, although our carrots were covered with environmesh this year, I think the carrot root fly crept in when I was thinning them and quite a few were holey. Presumably, when using tapes, they do not need to be thinned?

[Beryl]

yes, they are my celeriac. Prinz is the variety again from Kings. Always gives me a good size reliable crop.

And no, no thinning for the carrots. I used them for parsnip too but I've not dug any of those yet. Scraping away some of the soil and by the look of the shoulders should be a good crop. I shall use tapes again next year.

Highly recommended.

Beryl.

[Ricard with an H]

Looks good and thanks for the recommendation Beryl, I'll probably forget the seed type and I have yet to start a diary for my KG activities though I did star one for bread making. Those notes are valuable if things go wrong and I simply do-not remember very well.

I sowed a late carrot variety and though the seeds have shown I hold little hope for them.

Ask me what variety I had sown ?