Description
The Lammefjordsgulerod PGI is a variety of carrot cultivated all over Denmark.
Production Area
Lammefjordsgulerod PGI carrots are grown in the reclaimed land area of Lammefjord bordering Ringkanal and the Audebo dyke. Lammefjord is in Odsherred in the Zealand region. Svinninge Vejle is on the innermost side of the Lammefjord fjord which is now dry. This reclaimed land was once meadows and marshes. Sidinge Fjord is another reclaimed area in Isefjord, north of Lammefjord and Klintsø is at the most northern part. It was originally a fjord that slowly became enclosed by sediment. This area is also surrounded by drainage canals.
Production Method
The soil is prepared with a natural fertilisation of potassium and phosphates followed by the addition of one third the total quantity of nitrogen at the time of sowing the seeds in the spring and the remaining two thirds during the growing season. The carrots are harvested by hand, usually three or four months after sowing.
Appearance and Flavour
The Lammefjordsgulerod PGI carrot has a stem which divides into several branches as it grows and each of which produces a flower. The root has a red/orange colour and varies in shape and size, the length varying from 5 cm to 30 cm.
History
The history of Lammefjordsgulerod PGI carrots is linked to the reclamation of land round Lammefjord where the first area to be reclaimed was the Siding fjord followed by Svinninge Vejle. Major land reclamation was begun in 1873 and ended with the Klintsø area. Thus an exceptional agricultural area was created since the muddy bottom of the dried out fjords proved to be rich in nutrients formed by the flora and fauna that had been present here thousands of years ago, which in some places is up to 20 m deep and to which sand and clay deposits were slowly added. There are very few stones to be found round Lammefjord but quantities of oyster and mollusc shells guarantee a high quantity of calcium content.
Gastronomy
Lammefjordsgulerod PGI carrots must be stored in a cool place. They can be eaten either raw or cooked. They make an excellent addition to salads but also in cooked dishes and in cake making.
Marketing
These carrots are sold as Lammefjordsgulerod PGI in different varieties depending on either their length, short, medium and long or their age, young, medium or older. They are sold loose or in bunches.
Distinctive Features
The water-smoothed, round grains of sand left by what had once been shores mean that Lammefjordsgulerod PGI carrots are not damaged at the moment of harvest and therefore do not lose their colour, which can often happen to carrots cultivated in sandy soil.
