One really easy way to cook carrots is to boil them. All you need to makeboiled carrots is a cooking pot and some water, and you’re ready to cook!
Cooking carrots by boiling might like it’s kind of boring. And while it’s true that they don’t have the caramelized sweetness of roasted carrots, or the crispness of sautéed carrots, boiled carrots can be very delicious if you know how to do it right.
In this article, we’ll talk about how to prepare the carrots for boiling, and how to boil them.
Preparation Steps
Boiled carrots are really, really easy to make, so there’s actually not a whole lot of preparation work needed. Here’s what you need to do.
Wash The Carrots
Like any vegetable, you need to wash the carrots to get rid of any dirt or chemicals that might still be on the surface. Just scrub them gently under lukewarm water, being sure to get all the dirt out.
Peel The Carrots?
A lot of the carrot’s flavor and nutrients is near its surface. So often it’s better just not to peel the carrot, and just wash it thoroughly – you get much more flavorful carrots than way. But if you need to peel the carrot, use a vegetable peeler and be sure to only peel off a single layer.
Cut The Carrots
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re cutting up your carrots for boiling.
- Boiling causes the carrots to lose some flavor and nutrients, by leeching them out through the surface. When you cut the carrots, you’re exposing more surface area, and so you lose more flavor and nutrients. The result? Bigger carrot chunks taste better when boiled!
- Smaller carrot chunks take much, much less time to cook than whole carrots. Very small pieces might only take a few minutes to boil, whereas really large, whole carrots might take a whole hour.
- You’ll also want to trim the carrot, cutting off the top, which can be kind of tough and woody. You might also want to cut off the tip, too, if it’s not very nice looking.
It’s all about balancing flavor, time, and how crisp you like your vegetables. If you like slightly crisp vegetables, they won’t take as long to cook, and so even cutting them up in small chunks won’t mean too much flavor and nutrient loss. But if you like soft veggies, you might get better results boiling whole carrots. And if you prefer small pieces of carrot? Don’t forget that you can always cut the carrot into smaller pieces after it’s done!
Of course, if you’re short on time, even cutting the carrots in half can make a huge difference in how much time it takes to cook.
How To Boil Carrots
Once the carrots are washed, trimmed, and cut the way you like them, you’re ready to boil them. It’s not hard at all.
Here’s what you do.
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Bring a pot of water to a boil.
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If you want, salt the water. About half a teaspoon per liter of water is plenty.
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Salting the water raises its boiling point, making it boil hotter, so that your carrots cook faster. And the slightly salty water will also flavor the carrots. Of course, if you’re trying to cut back on salt, it’s not necessary – just convenient and tasty!
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Add the carrots to the water.
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Cook, covered, until the carrots are as done as you like them. This can take anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour depending on how you cut them and how cooked you like them.
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Drain, season and serve. Cut them into smaller pieces if needed.
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You can serve them as is, or with a bit of butter, salt, or other herbs and spices.
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There’s really not a whole lot to making boiled carrots. The key is really to know how you like them. If you like them crisp, take them out when they’re crisp! But if you like them very soft, don’t be afraid to leave them in a bit longer. Just test them regularly, and take them out when they’re just perfect for you.
Enjoy!