• Question: Why are carrots purple ?

    Asked by TJJohnson to Heather, Helen, Hugh, Jane, Julian on 13 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Julian Onions

      Julian Onions answered on 13 Nov 2014:

      Its all to do with pigments that accumulate in the growing vegetable.
      Sometimes they are purely decorative having been selected by humans, other times they have a particular purpose like a flavouring to stop it being eaten. Quite a few vegetables have a bitter taste which is designed to stop animals eating them.

    • Photo: Helen Johnson

      Helen Johnson answered on 13 Nov 2014:

      What Julian said. Have you eaten a purple carrot?!

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