not-very-nice carrots

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not-very-nice carrots 0tterbot 07-24-2007
Posted by 0tterbot on July 24, 2007, 6:30 pm
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hello,
(another one of my interminable vegetable questions!!)

was wondering if anyone has any clues as to why my carrots (Daucus carota L. ssp. sativus (Hoffmann) Arcang. [excluded]) aren't that nice.
having tackled (and won) the germination question, we've been eating carrots (Daucus carota L. ssp. sativus (Hoffmann) Arcang. [excluded])
here for 6 or 8 months, & some are not bad, but many have that slightly
bitter, "gassy" sort of taste to them (which you will immediately recognise
if you've ever tasted carrots like that).

our soil is heavy & there are rocks in there, but that problem won't be
solved until much time has passed. i've always sown "all seasons" except one
patch of "western red". no problems with forking or disease or anything like
that, but most of them just don't taste that good. we've never been able to
eat the older thinnings either - despite that they look big enough for dutch
carrots, they're too pale & bitter.

i have ordered some seeds of "french round" and "baby" for spring, but not
sure if my problem is related to the cultivar or if it's something else. two
carrots right next to one another can come out differently - one is good,
the other's just yuck.

????
thanks for any help if any is forthcoming!!
kylie



Posted by Andrew Gabb on July 29, 2007, 1:30 am
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0tterbot wrote:
> was wondering if anyone has any clues as to why my carrots aren't that nice.
> having tackled (and won) the germination question, we've been eating carrots
> here for 6 or 8 months, & some are not bad, but many have that slightly
> bitter, "gassy" sort of taste to them (which you will immediately recognise
> if you've ever tasted carrots like that).

Most carrots (and parsnips) have a strong taste if they're picked
early. As they mature the taste mellows.

I mainly grow All Seasons, and they're fine if picked late. The
thinnings have a strong, almost metallic taste. A bit of a surprise
if you're not used to it. For the parsnips we mix the thinnings with
mashed potato to cut the flavour.

Maybe you're picking em a bit soon ....

Andrew
--
Andrew Gabb
email: agabb@tpgi.com.au Adelaide, South Australia
phone: +61 8 8342-1021
-----

Posted by 0tterbot on July 31, 2007, 7:49 pm
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> 0tterbot wrote:
>> was wondering if anyone has any clues as to why my carrots aren't that
>> nice. having tackled (and won) the germination question, we've been
>> eating carrots here for 6 or 8 months, & some are not bad, but many have
>> that slightly bitter, "gassy" sort of taste to them (which you will
>> immediately recognise if you've ever tasted carrots like that).
>
> Most carrots (and parsnips) have a strong taste if they're picked early.
> As they mature the taste mellows.
>
> I mainly grow All Seasons, and they're fine if picked late. The thinnings
> have a strong, almost metallic taste.

yes - that's the one.

A bit of a surprise
> if you're not used to it. For the parsnips we mix the thinnings with
> mashed potato to cut the flavour.

i'm still fantasising about being able to germinate parsnips to the point
where they NEED thinning! :-)

> Maybe you're picking em a bit soon ....

i think in some cases yes, but then i've also had others that got away from
me completely & had become enormous & too woody - but still had that
paleness & the nasty taste, they never seemed to have gone through the nice
sweet orange phase.(?)

i do need more practice with this, but after terry's comments i am
suspecting the soil. perhaps i might have better luck with french round &
baby, (as the seeds arrived yesterday!!)

thanks!
kylie



Posted by Jonno on August 3, 2007, 2:56 am
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Try proper fertilisers (chook manure mushroom compost after germination
and a healthy head of greens)and plenty of water. I had problems with my
carrots germinating, but irregular water was the prime cause. Also
because they are so close to the surface, they tend to dry out. So keep
them wet, or grow them in a shadier place.
The strong taste tells me not enough water.

0tterbot wrote:
>> 0tterbot wrote:
>>> was wondering if anyone has any clues as to why my carrots aren't that
>>> nice. having tackled (and won) the germination question, we've been
>>> eating carrots here for 6 or 8 months, & some are not bad, but many have
>>> that slightly bitter, "gassy" sort of taste to them (which you will
>>> immediately recognise if you've ever tasted carrots like that).
>> Most carrots (and parsnips) have a strong taste if they're picked early.
>> As they mature the taste mellows.
>>
>> I mainly grow All Seasons, and they're fine if picked late. The thinnings
>> have a strong, almost metallic taste.
>
> yes - that's the one.
>
> A bit of a surprise
>> if you're not used to it. For the parsnips we mix the thinnings with
>> mashed potato to cut the flavour.
>
> i'm still fantasising about being able to germinate parsnips to the point
> where they NEED thinning! :-)
>
>> Maybe you're picking em a bit soon ....
>
> i think in some cases yes, but then i've also had others that got away from
> me completely & had become enormous & too woody - but still had that
> paleness & the nasty taste, they never seemed to have gone through the nice
> sweet orange phase.(?)
>
> i do need more practice with this, but after terry's comments i am
> suspecting the soil. perhaps i might have better luck with french round &
> baby, (as the seeds arrived yesterday!!)
>
> thanks!
> kylie
>
>

Posted by 0tterbot on August 7, 2007, 6:20 pm
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> Try proper fertilisers (chook manure mushroom compost after germination
> and a healthy head of greens)and plenty of water. I had problems with my
> carrots germinating, but irregular water was the prime cause. Also because
> they are so close to the surface, they tend to dry out. So keep them wet,
> or grow them in a shadier place.
> The strong taste tells me not enough water.

hm, but it's a strong bad taste, not just a strong taste.

not enough water is certainly possible, but maybe not probable??

however, i shall start caring for them more carefully & see if that helps.
thanks!
kylie



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