Carotene: My Early Education

Discussion in 'Health & Wellness' started by Frank Sanoica, Jun 6, 2017.

  1. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2016
    Messages:
    9,297
    Likes Received:
    10,619
    As a kid, my Mother admonished me to eat my carrots when I balked, which was apparently fairly often. She made carrots contained in a white gravy with onions, as I recall, which was not half-bad, to a kid's palate.

    Often enough that I remember to this day, she reminded me that Carrots had Carotene, important for my eyesight. Reflecting back, I've wondered how this "greenhorn" mother, born in Europe, brought here at age 5, could possibly have wisdom bred of cutting-edge knowledge, and where she had gleaned it. Don't know if she graduated from high school, but I suspect she did. Born in 1906, crossed the pond with her mother and 2 brothers in 1912, aboard the Queen Mary, 2 months before the Titanic sank, she now and then told of things she recalled during that crossing. Her father had preceded the rest of the family to America, to seek work, and income.

    So today, a lifetime later, I discovered something by chance about carrots. I know that the "flavonoids", anti-oxidants in foods, which are widely thought to ward off cancer. are all brightly-colored substances, and Carotene is yellow, or orange. Lately, I've taken to including a fresh carrot, sometimes two, in my "soup" of vegetables daily. Found carrots remain very firm longer while cooking than the other veggies I include, so after asking my wife about microwave time, I placed a cut-up raw carrot in a Corelle (quartz) bowl with a few ounces of water, microw'd them 2 minutes, and found it just half-cooked, perfect.

    A yellow ring of color was impinged on the sides of the bowl, almost as though the color had permanently stained the impervious glass/quartz! Scrubbing with detergent was necessary to remove it. No ink I know of can stain Corelle. Thus, I conclude carotene has some pretty stiff constituents in it.

    I am convinced my Mother was right.
    Frank
     
    #1
    Patsy Faye likes this.
  2. Patsy Faye

    Patsy Faye Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2015
    Messages:
    13,568
    Likes Received:
    16,301
    Enjoyed yer post Frank, don't overdo the carrots then - you may turn orange ! :p
    I knew about carrots and eyesight, I love them in a casserole but I guess they're too well cooked !
     
    #2
    Chrissy Cross likes this.
  3. Chrissy Cross

    Chrissy Cross Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2015
    Messages:
    19,089
    Likes Received:
    18,917
    True about turning orange....at least babies do, especially if carrots are the only Baby food they'll eat. Most babies don't like the green ones and I would have to mix it with some fruit for my kids.
     
    #3
    Frank Sanoica and Patsy Faye like this.
  4. Patsy Faye

    Patsy Faye Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2015
    Messages:
    13,568
    Likes Received:
    16,301
    Just as well Chrissy, an orange baby is better than a green one ! :p
    Flamingos are pink cos they eat a lot of shrimps !
     
    #4
    Chrissy Cross likes this.

Share This Page