The Ultimate Guide to Preparing Carrots
For young, small carrots, there’s no need to peel – simply use a brush to gently scrub the outer skin under running water to remove any dirt or soil.
Larger, older carrots with multiple roots, a bumpy surface, rotten spots, or thick, dirty skin should be peeled and have any rotten parts cut off. Try not to peel too deeply, as this will remove many of the carrot’s nutrients.
End-of-season carrots tend to be bitter, so to improve the flavor, blanch them in boiling water before cooking.
Blanch small carrots for 5-6 minutes, and larger, older carrots for 10-12 minutes.
Cooking Carrots Perfectly
Steaming carrots is one of the simplest and healthiest ways to cook them, as it retains the most nutrients, vitamins, and freshness.
Steam young carrots whole, and cut older carrots into smaller pieces before steaming. When steaming, make sure the water level is below the steamer – too much water will take longer to boil and prolong the steaming process, reducing the carrot’s nutrient content.
Steam for around 10-15 minutes, checking after 8 minutes – if the carrots are already soft, turn off the heat to prevent overcooking.
When boiling carrots, use chicken broth or the water used to cook other vegetables to enhance the flavor. If these aren’t available, add a little butter to the water before boiling.
Maintain a boiling time of around 10-15 minutes.
– For roasted carrots, cut them into long strips, brush with melted butter, and roast in the oven at 200°C for 20-40 minutes.
– When stir-frying carrots, cut them into thick strips and cook until soft but still holding their shape.
For more tips, see:
Keep these tips in mind to make your carrot dishes tastier and more nutritious. Share your own carrot cooking tips with us by leaving a comment below!
Source: wikihow.vn