How Long To Boil Carrots (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 5 – 10 Minutes

The boiled carrot recipe is extremely simple, easy, and quick. It is a straightforward recipe that results in sweet, tender, and delicious carrots every time.

Carrots should be boiled properly to savor their own naturally sweet flavor. Once carrots are boiled, one can serve them as an easy side dish with fresh parsley for a quick weekend dinner night or special holiday occasion. Boiled carrots are loaded with healthy goodness and are gluten-free and vegan. This recipe gets ready in as little as 10 minutes.

As carrots are naturally sweet, there is no need for any additional sweetener to make this simple side dish. Its naturally sweet taste gets enhanced when they are boiled in a pot of water. Also, boiled carrots taste exceptionally well with a ton of different spices and herbs. One can slice it or boil it whole, but they are surely going to get ready in a jiffy.

How Long To Boil Carrots

How Long To Boil Carrots?

TypesDuration
Sliced carrots4 – 5 minutes
Baby carrots8 – 10 minutes
Whole carrots10 – 15 minutes

Sliced carrots take about 4 – 5 minutes to get boiled whereas whole carrots take about 10 – 15 minutes. The total time for boiling will vary depending on the thickness of the carrots.

When carrots are sliced in 2 inches thickness, it takes approx 3 – 5 minutes to boil. If cut in 2 – 4 inches, it takes about 5 – 8 minutes. If boiling whole carrots will take up to 10 minutes for boiling. Also, if one wants to boil frozen carrots, adding additional 2 – 3 minutes to boiling time is recommended.

Also Read:  How Long To Grill Chicken Thighs (And Why)?

The best way to test whether carrots are thoroughly boiled or not is to place a fork into the cooked carrot and see whether the middle portion is tender. If the fork slides easily through the middle of the carrot then it is done boiling.

One must remember to peel the carrots before boiling to remove any bitter taste. When slicing the carrots for boiling, they can be cut at an angle which can help them look more elegant for a special occasion. Care must while cutting the carrots to ensure that they are similar in size for even cooking.

Why Does It Take So Long To Boil Carrots?

To prepare boiled carrots, firstly one needs to rinse the carrots under running water. It is also important to remove any remaining dirt and debris with a towel after rinsing. Once the carrots are clean, their outer skin should be peeled with a vegetable peeler.

Boiled carrots can be prepared in several ways. One can boil whole carrots as it is after peeling or can slice them up into small pieces. For whole carrots, one can cut and remove the tops from the carrots or leave them on as one desires.

For boiling the carrots, a large pot of water is to be used. It is essential to ensure that the pot contains enough water to completely submerge the carrots inside the water. After the carrots are added to the pot of water, they should be brought back to a boil. The boiling time for carrots will strictly depend on the thickness of the carrots, ideally not taking more than 10 – 15 minutes.

Also Read:  How Long To Cook A Prime Rib (And Why)?

One can easily understand the doneness by inserting a fork inside the carrots. They will be done boiling when they are fork-tender. Lastly, the carrots should be removed from the pot of hot boiling water with a slotted spoon to drain the excess water in the sink. In this way, one can easily prepare this healthy dish in less than 20 minutes.

Conclusion

Boiled carrots are a very versatile side dish that also happens to be gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and vegetarian. Because of this, they pair very well with numerous dinner recipes. It is an extremely healthy side dish, low in calories, and fully packed with nutrients.

It is vital to remember that cooking time will depend on the size of the cut. Thus, when slicing carrots they should be cut into similar sizes. To know if carrots are properly boiled or not, pierce with a fork. The carrots should be soft enough to poke through but firm enough to hold shape. If the fork goes in easily then it is tender and appropriately boiled.

References

  1. https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.4141/cjps73-123
  2. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf904279j

AboutNidhi

Hi! I'm Nidhi.
Here at the EHL, it's all about delicious, easy recipes for casual entertaining. So come and join me at the beach, relax and enjoy the food.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *