Carotene and Sugar Content of Carrots

Abstract

THE nutritional value of carrot roots is due largely to their contents of carotene and sugar, and both these constituents are most abundant in the phloem. It is of interest to note, therefore¹, that although the phloem constitutes more than 60 per cent of the root the proportion is greatest in young roots, although carotene content increases with maturity but is least in 'large strain' carrots². Carotene content is influenced by manuring, but carotene losses during storage are negligible until the stored roots sprout in the spring. Although sugar content is often a good index of 'quality', the correlation between desirable taste and refractive index of the juice is often upset by the presence of an unidentified bitter constituent³.