What are Chantenay Carrots?
Chantenay carrots are short, stout carrots with light orange flesh and orange-red colored cores. They mature in 65-75 days to 4- to 5-inch (10-12.5 cm.) long and 2- to 2 ½-inch (5-6.5 cm.) thick roots. Introduced in 1929, Chantenay carrots are commercially grown for canned and processed carrots because of their high yields. The carrots can be eaten fresh, frozen, or canned. Chantenay carrots can be eaten raw or cooked, with their taste usually described as sweet and crisp. However, they may become coarse and tough when grown past maturity, specifically in the heat of summer. Like all carrots, Chantenay carrots are high in carotene and fiber. There are two main types of Chantenay carrot seeds available to gardeners, Red-cored Chantenay, or Royal Chantenay.
Red-cored Chantenay carrots have a redder core and blunt tip. Royal Chantenay carrots have an orange-red core and a tapered tip.
How to Grow Chantenay Carrots
Chantenay carrots should be planted deeply directly in the garden in spring after all danger of frost has passed. It is recommended to plant them directly in the garden because transplanting young seedlings often leads to crooked, malformed roots. Chantenay carrots can be planted in spring for a midsummer harvest, and again in midsummer for a fall harvest. In hot climates, such as zones 9-12, many gardeners grow Chantenay carrots during the winter months because they produce the most tender roots in cool weather. Chantenay carrot care is the same as caring for any carrot plant. This variety has no special requirements. Because of their stout roots, however, Chantenay carrots grow well in shallow or heavy soils.
