I learned in botany class that most of the vitamins are in the skin, so I've been scrubbing them, but peeling seems easier. Does anyone have a good suggestion for a veggie scrubber - better than blue scotch-brite sponges? Q&A; Peels and Vitamins<br> By C. CLAIBORNE RAY, NY Times<br> Published: March 11, 2003<br> > Q. I have read serious assertions that all the nutrition of carrots is > in the peel, and so you shouldn't peel them. Is this true? What about > other vegetables? > > A. Plenty of nutritional value is left in a peeled carrot, said Dr. > Stephen Reiners, associate professor of horticulture at Cornell's New > York State Agriculture Experiment Station in Geneva, N.Y., who works > with root vegetables. > > The deep orange color of a carrot indicates the presence of beta > carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, he said, ''and when you peel the > carrot, it is just as orange when you take off the outer layer.'' > > As for other similar vegetables, he said, ''if it is the same color > throughout, you are getting the same nutrition with a peeled > vegetable.'' > > The big exception is the potato, where there is a striking difference > between peel and flesh. ''There is a lot of nutrition in the skin,'' > Dr. Reiners said, ''but this is not to say the rest of the potato is > without nutritional value.''