Carrot Baby Babette – Renee’s Garden Renee’s Garden

Daucus carota subsp. sativus

French Baby Carrots

• Full sweet flavor
• Uniformly deep orange flesh
• Smooth cylindrical shape with blunt tips
• Great raw or cooked

Carefully bred in France for full sweet flavor and uniformly deep orange flesh, new Babette baby carrots offer American gardeners top quality and great versatility. They germinate and grow quickly in the garden with a smooth cylindrical shape and blunt tips. Pull Babettes by their vigorous foliage for true “mini” carrots at 3 to 4 inches long or leave them to size up. Either way these fine-fleshed carrots make delicious, healthy eating raw or quickly cooked.

Seed Count: Approx. 900 / Weight: 1.25 g

START SEEDS OUTDOORS

In spring once danger of hard frost is past, sow seeds in full sun in finely worked, fertile soil. Sow 1/4 inch deep and 1/2 inch apart in rows 8 inches apart, or broadcast thinly in beds and cover lightly. Keep seedbed evenly moist as carrots can be slow to germinate, emerging over 10 to 20 days.

If first sowing comes up unevenly, replant right away as seedlings catch up quickly. Be sure to thin young carrots several times so seedlings are about 2 inches apart and have room to size up.

GROWING NOTES

Carrots like well worked soil and need consistent moisture to grow well. If your soil tends to dry out, cover seedbed with floating row cover to help retain moisture during the germination period and water right through it. Keep carrots well watered and thinned. For a late season crop, sow again 3 months before first expected frost.

HARVEST AND USE

Let these baby carrots color up to orange before harvesting for best flavor. Pull as babies or let fully size up. Sauté or steam just until tender crisp and serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice, sweet butter and fresh dill; or try buttered and glazed with a little maple syrup or honey.