Sometimes I buy raw carrots that have split lengthways. They have a deep crack along one side, but still seem edible. What causes this? Does the same thing happen in similarly shaped vegetables such as parsnips?
• Carrots contain a lot of moisture, and if they crack after they have been harvested then it is likely that they have been allowed to dry out. Prior to sale, they should be stored under cool, shady conditions, rather than being exposed to hot and dry conditions, such as those found on a market stall in summer.
If the carrots cracked while still in the ground, then this could have been caused by excessive use of nitrogen fertiliser, particularly during the early growth period.
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More likely, however, is that the carrots were grown with a variable water supply. Carrots require a plentiful and evenly distributed supply of moisture throughout the growing season. When the soil is not damp enough, the main root develops many small feeder roots, so that it can soak up any available moisture more efficiently. However, prolonged drought conditions during the later stages of growth, followed by a sudden period of heavy rainfall, will cause the carrot to absorb too much water too quickly and splitting will result.
Parsnips grow much more slowly than carrots, making them much more resistant to cracking, although the problem is not unknown after very adverse growing conditions.
John Crofts, Former horticultural consultant, Nottingham, UK