Understanding the Science Behind Carrot Curling: Insights into the Aging of Root Vegetables

January 23, 2024

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Collaboration with University of Bath

The common and widely enjoyed snacking food, chopped carrot pieces, are a staple in school lunchboxes, picnics, and party platters around the globe.

Researchers from the University of Bath recently deciphered scientific methods of preparing this popular root vegetable and calculated the processes that cause them to curl if left uneaten for an extended period.

Nguyen Vo-Bui, a Mechanical Engineering student of the university, conducted the research during the 2021 COVID-19 lockdowns. The research paper, titled 'Modelling of longitudinally cut carrot curling induced by the vascular cylinder-cortex interference pressure' is now published in Royal Society Open Science.

Nguyen aimed to pinpoint the geometrical and environmental factors affecting carrots' shelf-life due to unease of access to labs. He analytically modeled and verified the aging of over 100 longitudinally halved Lancashire Nantes carrots in a limited scope due to the pandemic, applying finite-element (FE) models typically used in structural engineering.

The research concluded that residual stresses and dehydration were pivotal factors driving the curling behavior. A longitidunal cut causes unbalanced stress leading to curling as the carbohydrate-rich outer layer (cortex) is more rigid than the soft inner part (vascular cylinder).

The research team's suggestions for preserving their natural properties and prolonging their edible lifespan include storing carrots in cold, moist, airtight, and humidity-controlled surroundings.

The team also pointed out that their research provides a methodology to foresee the deformation of root vegetables. The introduced mathematical tool could be beneficial for food producers to design packaging and handling processes, which could consequently lead to a reduction in food waste. Carrots have a considerable market value, but recurrence of wastage is high due to physical deformations, infections and mechanical damages before processing and packaging.

Dr. Elise Pegg, who supervised the research, explained how they represented the curling of carrots mathematically over time. She underscored the importance of understanding the bending behavior of such systems to develop more durable products.

Over a week, the curling of carrot halves increased, and their average radius fell from 1.61m to 1.1m. The average weight also dropped by 22% due to dehydration.

Nguyen added how surprisingly fun it was to apply mechanical principles to vegetables. The project inspired him to continue his studies examining residual stresses in porous ferroelectric ceramics for his doctoral research.

As well as having to use a suitcase to collect the 30kg of carrots the experiment demanded from a farmers' market, a further challenge was finding ways to use them afterward. Carrot cake, the Indian carrot dessert Gajar Ka Halwa, carrot pesto and many other dishes kept Nguyen and his flatmates fed for several days.

Journal information: Royal Society Open Science

Provided by University of Bath