Are Baby Carrots just smaller versions of regular carrots?

True “baby” carrots are regular carrots that are harvested early, when they are still small and immature. They otherwise look just like their larger counterparts, with tapered ends and horizontal banding. However, what most refer to as baby carrots are actually “baby-cut” carrots. These are the small and smooth lunch-box staples, with nearly-perfect rounded ends.

Prior to the mid-1980s, up to 70% of broken or misshapen carrots were discarded. California farmer Mike Yurosek owned a California farm and processing plant that produced 400 tons of rejected carrots per day. In 1986, he began looking into ways to reclaim this waste product. After some experimentation, he obtained an industrial green bean cutter that trimmed the rejects into the now-familiar two-inch sticks. The product soon made it into grocery stores nationwide and it was a smashing success. Baby-cut carrots are now one of the most popular supermarket items.

The industry has improved upon Mr. Yurosek’s original innovations. The source carrots are now bred specifically for a bright orange color and are planted closer together to produce a more narrow root (less to cut away). Carrots are also sweeter than they were in the past, to add to their appeal as a snack item (carrots, although a vegetable, contain a surprising amount of sugar – 3 ½ oz. of carrots contain as much sugar as an Oreo cookie).