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Carrots

Does the maroon carrot have a name?

Yes. It was named the ‘BetaSweet’ through a contest sponsored by
Progressive Farmer. The winning entry was sent in by John Dunckelman of
Florida.

Why was it called 'BetaSweet'?

Beta, for the high levels of beta carotene which are found in the carrot and
Sweet because of sweet taste.

When was 'BetaSweet' carrot supposed to be released?

It was released in 1998.

'What does the 'BetaSweet' carrot taste like?

'BetaSweet' taste similar to other carrots but has a very crispy texture which is
easier to chew, much like an apple or piece of celery. It is also sweet and very
attractive when cut into ‘coins’ or sticks.

I heard it tasted like an apple, does it?

No. It only has a texture similar to an apple, not the taste.

Onions

How did the Texas 1015 get its name?

It was based on the prime planting date for the onion, which is October 15th.
Onions bulb according to day length and temperature. There are many varieties
available so onions can be planted during different times of the year to bulb and
be harvested over many different times of the year. Having the name Texas
1015 was a way to make it easy for people to know when to plant this variety
in South Texas and similar areas around the world.

Why does cutting an onion make you cry?

Onions contain several sulfur compounds. The major ones are thiopropanal
S-oxide, Methyl propyl disulfide, dipropyl disulfide and propyl propenyl
disulfide. The onion also contains an enzyme allinase. when you cut an onion
you break the cells and the enzyme mixes with thiopropanal S-oxide and
creates a volatile sulfur that gets into your eyes and causes an irritation which in
turn causes tearing.

If you bite into an onion the same thing happens and causes a slight irritation to
mouth tissues. An uncut onion has no pungency or tearing effect because the
enzyme and sulfur are separate. To demonstrate this either freeze or heat an
onion to kill the enzyme, then cut or taste and you will not experience any
tearing or pungency. Microwaving is a very easy way to kill the enzyme.