New idea for safer colors. Below, a short Blueberry history. One of the best antioxidant-bearing colored fruits!
I love all the colored carrots, @Shirley Martin. I really don't think these new colors in our veggies taste very different but they are so pretty.
Not me, @Chrissy Cross . Not yellow tomatoes, yellow watermelon, yellow potatoes or white sweet potatoes. That's just wrong in so many ways.
@Shirley Martin I suspect you are, and my suspecting is always subject to reprisal (!), you pursue an old-fashioned way of looking at this new stuff. I respect that a lot, though, as I, too, was once suspicious of new-fangled marketing devices. I once loathed the thought of buying Mexico produce, as rumor had it they still use DDT. Ditto for pond-raised fish from China, fed diets consisting of chicken-droppings. I have managed to "ease" my loathing somewhat, after reflecting upon the fact that at 75, having lived as "cleanly" as possible most of my life, a few indulgences at this point likely will not kill me (at least hopefully not soon). Frank EDIT: BTW, how much different from sugar beets are white sweet potatoes, anyway? You DO eat sugar, no? It's very likely made from sugar beets unless marked "pure cane sugar"
I am of the belief very strongly in the health benefits of a group of "antioxidants", or "flavonoids", of the basic Cyanidin type. Here is what I'm talking about: "Cyanidin is a natural organic compound. It is a particular type of anthocyanidin (glycoside version called anthocyanins). It is a pigment found in many red berries including grapes, bilberry, blackberry, blueberry, cherry, cranberry, elderberry, hawthorn, loganberry, açai berry and raspberry.[1] It can also be found in other fruits such as apples and plums, and in red cabbage and red onion. It has a characteristic reddish-purple color, though this can change with pH; solutions of the compound are red at pH < 3, violet at pH 7-8, and blue at pH > 11. In certain fruits, the highest concentrations of cyanidin are found in the seeds and skin." OK, so what? "Cyanidin, like other anthocyanidins, has putative antioxidant and radical-scavenging effects which may protect cells from oxidative damage and reduce risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Other studies have indicated that dietary intake of cyanidins may inhibit development of obesity by inhibiting the effects of unhealthy diets. Other studies have indicated that cyanidin intake may inhibit development of diabetes as well as provide anti-inflammatory effects." So these beneficial compounds are reddish, bluish, and purplish in color, and contribute (obviously) to the color of the natural foods containing them. List of cyanidin derivatives Antirrhinin (cyanidin-3-rutinoside or 3-C-R), found in black raspberry Cyanidin-3-xylosylrutinoside, found in black raspberry Cyanidin-3,4′-di-O-β-glucopyranoside, found in red onion Cyanidin-4′-O-β-glucoside, found in red onion Chrysontemin (cyanidin-3-O-glucoside), found in blackcurrant pomace (Which is JAM in my lingo). Ideain (cyanidin 3-O-galactoside), found in Vaccinium species Cyanin (cyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside), found in red wine. This information comes from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanidin I relate to the OP about purple carrots, because they likely contain Cyanins as do similarly-colored veggies. I'd eat 'em!! Frank
@Shirley Martin Wondering what you think of the new trends in seedless watermelon, and a great variety of different grapes. As a kid, my Mother bought Thompson Seedless Grapes, they were green, and the only ones seedless. Are these new offerings safe, do you think? Frank
I like seedless watermelons. As long as they are RED. Watermelons are supposed to be RED. I like seedless grapes, both red and green. I like grapes with seeds to make wine but not to eat. I'm afraid I'll swallow a seed and have a grapevine growing out of my ears. As for the rest of the veggies, sweet potatoes are supposed to be orange. Carrots are supposed to be orange. Tomatoes are supposed to be RED. Corn is supposed yellow. Irish potatoes are supposed to be .