How and how much to cook carrots | Expert material

In the life of every person there comes a moment when he needs to boil carrots. And, it would seem, what's so hard about that? I washed the root vegetables, threw them into the water, lit the stove and cook. However, improperly cooked carrots can turn out to be tasteless, fall apart, and just ruin the whole salad.

Therefore, you need to cook carrots correctly. And we will help you in comprehending this culinary mystery.

How and how much to cook carrots for salad

For the preparation of the salad, it is better to take large, 'old' medium-sized roots, without visible damage and especially without noticeable 'green' in the upper part. These carrots are not only particularly tasty, they also have a dense texture. Thanks to this, it does not 'creep' in the salad and retains its flavor.

Instructions:

1. Wash the root vegetables thoroughly with a soft sponge under warm water, removing dirt. Try to get rid of the soil even in hard-to-reach places, but do not damage the peel;

2. Put them in a saucepan and fill with water so that it completely covers the roots;

3. Send the saucepan to the stove, cover it with a lid and cook for 20 minutes to half an hour after the start of the boil;

4. Check the food after 20 minutes. Even the thickest parts of it should be easily pierced with a fork and move away from it. If this does not happen, it is worth boiling for another 5-10 minutes;

5. Drain and place the carrots in a colander, where they should cool slightly.

6. After that, the boiled vegetables can be peeled. The peel will be easily removed with one movement of the knife (and for some varieties, even it is not required).

How and how much to cook carrots for soup

Because this orange 'convenience food' takes slightly longer to cook than the rest of the ingredients in the soup, it should be boiled separately until half cooked.

Instructions:

1. Thoroughly wash the surface of vegetables with a soft sponge under warm water, removing dirt;

2. Place the roots in a saucepan and cover with water until completely covered;

3. Cover the pot with a lid and boil the carrots for 10 minutes after boiling;

4. Drain the water, cool the boiled root vegetables, peel them with a knife or a special peeler and cut into circles or semicircles;

5. Add prepared circles or semicircles to soup 10 minutes before cooking.

This method is especially good for cooking vegetable, fish and meat soups with clear broth. Thanks to the addition of this ingredient in a semi-cooked state, the dish will not only be tasty, but also beautiful.

How and how much to cook carrots in a double boiler

Cooking carrots in a double boiler is not too different from cooking in a saucepan. However, this method is best used for young carrots or even the so-called baby carrot, which has the brightest and most intense flavor. This cooking option will help preserve and multiply it.

Instructions:

1. If the roots are old, wash and peel them. It is enough to wash young carrots with a hard sponge;

2. Pour water into the bottom of the steamer and place the prepared carrots on the upper wire rack;

3. Boil a whole carrot for half an hour, and cut into pieces – 20 minutes;

4. Check the cooked vegetables for doneness. Pierce the thickest part of the rootstock with a fork. If she gets in and out easily, the product is ready.

After boiling in a double boiler, it is also advisable to peel young carrots, since their texture will be harder than anything else.

Instructions for cooking carrots in a slow cooker

A multicooker is, in fact, a high-tech analogue of a saucepan with a lid. Therefore, the cooking process in this piece of kitchen equipment does not differ in any subtleties.

Instructions:

1. Wash the surface of the root vegetables, trying to remove all dirt from it;

2. Place the prepared vegetables in the multicooker bowl and cover them with water so that the liquid completely covers them. Close the device;

3. Set the multicooker to the Cooking mode and cook vegetables for half an hour.

The multicooker can also be used as a double boiler. This requires the appropriate tray.

Instructions:

1. Peel the 'old' plants, and just rinse the young ones thoroughly with the hard side of the sponge;

2. Pour water into the multicooker bowl – not very much, about a third of the volume. Set the steaming tray and place the carrots in it. Close the device;

3. Set the multicooker to Steam and cook for 40 minutes.

These multicooker-cooked products taste no different from those cooked in a saucepan or double boiler.

Cook carrots in the microwave

It is not recommended to cook carrots in the microwave. It shrinks noticeably and acquires an unpleasant dryish texture (and in some varieties it even becomes 'rubbery', which is at least unpleasant). However, if there is no other kitchen equipment, then you can cook in the microwave.

It is advisable to cook carrots in the microwave in special bags – reusable steam-holding or intended for baking. Then it will change its appearance and texture minimally.

Instructions:

1. Wash the carrots. It is recommended to cook 3-4 medium-sized root vegetables at the same time, since cooking less quantities of vegetables can simply be burned. You can also prepare a mixture by adding cauliflower, potatoes or any other plants – if you don't have enough;

2. Make 3-4 deep cuts with a knife along the entire length of the vegetable;

3. Put the vegetables in a bowl, cover with a lid, put it in a bag and put it in the microwave. You don't need to add water;

4. Set the microwave to 800-1000 W and cook for 5-7 minutes depending on the size;

5. Remove the skin from the finished dish with a knife or special peeler.

You can also cook carrot slices in the microwave. However, in this case, it is recommended to add 5 tablespoons of water to the dishes with them, and the cooking itself will take 4 minutes at a power of 800 watts.

Tips for boiling carrots in a pressure cooker

But it is not recommended to cook carrots in a pressure cooker. Due to high temperatures and pressure, the texture of the vegetable is destroyed, it becomes crumbling, trite tasteless and is not even suitable for salads or side dishes.

But if you really want to cook this dish in a pressure cooker (or just all the rest of the kitchen utensils and equipment are busy), then this will take 5 minutes after boiling.

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