What you see: A very dramatically (or not so dramatically) bent carrot
What it is: A perfectly edible carrot that hit an obstacle while it was growing
Eat or toss: Eat!
Here’s why it’s OK to eat a bent carrot
Carrots, as we know, tend to grow in the downward direction, sending the tips of their roots deeper into the soil as they develop into the crunchy, typically narrow, cone-shaped roots we know and love.
But, what if the soil isn’t so accommodating? If the root’s underground excavations hit dirt that won’t give way? A rock, say? Or some very hard and compacted soil? Simple: the carrot just changes direction. In the case pictured here, the carrot made a 90-degree turn, but the root veggies might reorient in a variety of different ways, resulting in some rather unusual shapes (see more below!).
Another factor that might cause a carrot to reorient a bit? Crowding. If there are too many root vegetables growing together, things can get weird. But no matter how they twist and turn, they’re all perfectly edible!
SOURCES:
Between a rock and a soil space….
