Sweet, snappy, wake-your-taste-buds-up delicious, these carrots are unreal. A bit of sugary earth wrapped up in one perfect package. Like the tomatoes of winter only, with carrots, it’s a cold spell that defines flavor. However it could also be the challenge of growing them that makes them, each respectively, a hot commodity.

*Growing Carrots: It’s always a good idea to follow the instructions on the seed packet when growing anything for the first time but a few extra tips don’t hurt. Carrots are a hardy, cold-climate crop but can be tricky to germinate. Plant directly in a loose soil. Sandy loam is ideal but not essential. Do not manure the soil within 6 months of planting. Over seed and hope you’re lucky enough to thin your crop. Try pre-germinating your seeds within 2 days of planting by placing them between two wet paper towels but be careful of mold. Follow the seeding dates given for your region (this is very important) and be patient. They can take a long time to come up. A small celebration is never overstated when you’ve gown a successful crop of carrots. Take lots of pictures and record everything you did along with weather conditions so you increase the likeliness of a repeat crop.

Try interplanting rows of carrots with rows of onions. Their scents can mask each other, distracting and redirecting carrot and onion flies.