Boil carrots for vinaigrette, Olivier salad or other salad - what could be easier? But for many novice housewives, the question of cooking this bright root vegetable is not so clear-cut. Many questions arise: how long to cook and how to cope with the task correctly and quickly. My simple and step-by-step recipe with photos, I hope, will help you understand all the intricacies of this process. You will see that cooking carrots in a saucepan is quite simple, the main thing is to remember some very simple rules.
How long to cook carrots until tender
A healthy and tasty vegetable is widely used in folk medicine and cooking. It is used to prepare first courses, second courses, baked goods and various desserts. To prepare tasty and healthy dishes, you need to know how long to cook carrots until tender in different ways, and what products they are combined with.
In a saucepan
The traditional method of cooking carrots is used most often. The cooking time will depend on the size of the root crop and the type of vegetable crop. Whole, medium-sized, unpeeled carrots are placed in a saucepan and filled with water. To make it cook faster, you can pre-boil the water. Cooking time is about 20 - 25 minutes after boiling water. It only takes 10 minutes to cook chopped and peeled root vegetables.
In the microwave
This is the best way when you need to boil a vegetable quickly. This method is not suitable for already chopped carrots. The vegetable may burn or become overcooked. The root vegetables are placed in a heat-resistant bowl and a little water is poured. Cover the dish with a lid and cook at medium power for about 8 - 10 minutes.
In a slow cooker
The smart device is increasingly used for quick cooking and frying of foods. There are two ways to cook vegetables in a slow cooker: in water and steamed. Place the carrots, previously washed and peeled, at the bottom of the bowl. Fill with water, close the lid and set the timer to “Baking”. Cooking time – 20 minutes. Steaming will require a longer time. Water is poured into the bottom of the bowl, carrots are placed on the grate and placed above the water. With the lid closed, cook in the “Steam” mode for about 40 minutes.
In a steamer
An excellent option for cooking carrots for salads. In a double boiler, the vegetable will not be overcooked and will cut well. Carrots can be peeled before cooking, or they can be placed with the skin on. Place the vegetable in a steamer bowl with holes and set the time to 30 minutes. After the time has passed, the carrots are ready for further use.
In a pressure cooker
In a pressure cooker, even large root vegetables will cook very quickly. You need to load the carrots into the device, pour water. Cook small vegetables for about 5 - 6 minutes, large ones - 10 minutes. A quick cooking method is suitable for those who have little time to prepare salads. The vegetable turns out dense and does not overcook.
Entirely
Usually, for a vinaigrette or for a salad, you need to boil the vegetables in their skins. To preserve the maximum amount of vitamins, whole root vegetables are cooked for no more than 20 - 25 minutes from the moment the water boils. For peeled vegetables, the time is reduced to 15 minutes.
Pieces
Vegetables cut into pieces or cubes require minimal cooking time. It will take 10 to 15 minutes for carrots to cook in soup or stew. The grated culture is boiled even less - 5 - 10 minutes.
In uniform
The cooking time for jacket carrots depends on their size. For large, unpeeled vegetables, it takes about 25 minutes to cook until tender. Medium carrots will cook in 15 - 20 minutes, and small root vegetables - 10 minutes.
Purified
Vegetables without skin can be cooked in a saucepan in 15 minutes; in a steamer or pressure cooker the process will take from 6 to 10 minutes.
For the salad
Carrots are used to prepare a wide variety of salads, where additional ingredients include beets, cabbage, onions or potatoes. Therefore, it is important to know how long it may take to boil it along with other vegetables:
- The beets and carrots are boiled in a saucepan for about 20 minutes, then the carrots are removed, and the beets are still cooked for at least 40 minutes. Large beet roots can be cooked for up to 3 hours.
- Potatoes and carrots are cooked for the same amount of time. Both vegetable crops can be safely placed in one container and pulled out at the same time, 20 - 25 minutes after boiling.
- Onions and carrots are usually fried together and added to soups and main courses. Vegetables require almost the same amount of time to cook. Usually the onions are fried first, and after a few minutes the grated carrots are added.
For the vinaigrette
Vitamin salad vinaigrette is often prepared for holidays or the everyday menu. Carrots for salad cook faster than beets. You can cook large carrots in 20 – 25 minutes. For medium and small root vegetables, the time is reduced to 10 - 15 minutes.
For Olivier
For everyone's favorite Olivier salad, carrots are boiled in such a way that they are easy to cut. Therefore, it is important not to overcook the vegetable. Large root vegetables should be cooked for 20 – 25 minutes.
Important!
It is not recommended to add salt to the water; carrots may lose their sweet taste.
Mimosa
In mimosa salad, carrots are one of the main components. It is the carrot sweetness and pleasant orange color that give the dish its uniqueness. You can boil vegetables in their skins or peeled form.
How to cook carrots for salad
We measure out the required amount of root vegetables. The main thing here is to choose carrots that are approximately the same size in length and thickness. There is no need to achieve complete identity.
