Hello lovelies,
in our house, carrots are the vegetable that's almost always in the fridge: raw for snacking, on the baking sheet, in the wok and in cake.
In this guide I show you how to cook carrots: whether you need to peel them, how long they take to boil, how hot to roast them, how to store and freeze them, and what I love cooking with them.
How to cook carrots: boil, steam, sauté or roast?
All of them work. Purdue University Extension boils, sautés, microwaves and roasts carrots, and University of Minnesota Extension also adds them to soups, slow cooker dishes and casseroles.
Carrots are available year-round, with the peak from October through April, according to the Utah State University Extension guide to carrots. And they don't have to be orange: University of Minnesota Extension says carrots also come in purple, white, red or yellow, and they were the first vegetable to be canned commercially. The same Minnesota page adds that California grows the most carrots in the United States.
In Switzerland, where I lived for many years, carrots are called Rüebli, and that's what most of my recipes call them in German to this day. Which other roots and cabbages are in season through the cold months, I show in my guide to winter storage crops and cabbages.
In my kitchen, carrots most often go into the oven, with cake a close second.
Do you need to peel carrots?
Not necessarily. Purdue University Extension peels carrots or scrubs them well with a brush to remove dirt. Utah State University Extension washes carrots under running water, scrubs them thoroughly with a vegetable brush, and says dishes prepared with peeled carrots taste fresher and better.
The University of Minnesota Extension page on carrots scrubs them with a vegetable brush, rinses them under running water and then peels them with a vegetable peeler or knife. It cuts them in several ways: julienne, which are matchsticks, diced, brunoise, which is diced from julienne, and baton, the standard carrot sticks.
For my vegan orange carrot waffles with chia seeds, finely grate the carrots or blitz them in a food processor, and they almost disappear into the batter, perfect for little veggie skeptics. You can grate the carrots and blitz the orange the evening before and keep them covered in the fridge. Leftover waffles freeze beautifully and crisp right back up in the toaster.
How long do you boil carrots?
Purdue University Extension boils carrot rounds for 5 to 7 minutes. In the microwave, it cooks them covered, with about 60 ml (¼ cup) of water, for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until tender.
The Purdue University Extension sheet on carrots also covers sautéing and roasting, and the table pulls all the times together. To steam carrots on the stove, Utah State University Extension fills a pot with 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3 inches) of water and steams the cut carrots in a steamer basket until tender.
| Method | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Boil | cut into rounds (Purdue University) | 5 to 7 minutes |
| Microwave | with about 60 ml (¼ cup) of water, covered (Purdue University) | about 5 to 6 minutes, or until tender |
| Steam | cut carrots in a steamer basket over 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3 inches) of water (Utah State University) | until tender |
| Sauté | rounds about 1.3 cm thick, over medium heat with salt and 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter or oil, then maple syrup and 2 tablespoons of water (Purdue University) | until tender |
| Roast | sliced, on a baking sheet (Purdue University) | about 25 to 30 minutes at 200 °C (400 °F) |
| Roast | spread over a baking sheet (Utah State University) | 20 to 30 minutes at 220 °C (425 °F) |
| Blanch for freezing | small whole carrots, or sliced, diced and lengthwise strips (NCHFP) | 5 minutes, or 2 minutes |
University of Minnesota Extension also adds carrots to soups, and in these three soups of mine they cook right along:
Roasted carrots: what temperature and how long?
Purdue University Extension roasts sliced carrots on a baking sheet for about 25 to 30 minutes at 200 °C (400 °F). Utah State University Extension roasts them for 20 to 30 minutes at 220 °C (425 °F).
In Utah State's guide, the carrots are spread over a baking sheet, and Purdue places the slices on a baking sheet with cooking spray.
My vegan colorful maple-roasted carrots with fresh thyme take 10 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cooking. Cut the carrots into evenly thick pieces so they roast at the same pace. Spread them in a single layer in the pan: if they overlap, they steam instead of roasting and the maple syrup won't caramelize properly. For the holidays, they're also part of my make-ahead side dishes for a vegetarian Christmas. You can cut and marinate the carrots the day before and slide them into the oven shortly before dinner, and leftover carrots taste lovely lukewarm in a salad the next day.
Along with other vegetables, carrots go into my vegan turmeric roasted vegetables with lemon tahini with sweet potatoes, bell peppers and zucchini, after 15 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cooking. Turmeric stains, so wash your bowl, board and hands right after mixing. You can cut the vegetables a few hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. Once roasted, they keep for 3 days in the fridge and taste great cold in a salad or briefly reheated in the oven at 180 °C (356 °F).
Carrots in the skillet: sautéed, glazed and stir-fried
Purdue University Extension cooks carrots in a skillet over medium heat with salt and 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter or oil. Then maple syrup and 2 tablespoons of water go in, and the carrots cook until tender.
For sautéing, Purdue University Extension cuts carrots into rounds about 1.3 cm (½ inch) thick. University of Minnesota Extension also suggests sautéing carrots with a sweet glaze. Utah State University Extension cooks them in a skillet over medium heat with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
My vegan chop suey with colorful vegetables and rice noodles brings together carrot, bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms and broccoli, and it's on the table in 30 minutes. Stir-fry the vegetables briefly over high heat, and in the wok they stay lovely and crisp and pick up a little char. I always add the noodles right at the end so they don't turn mushy. You can wash and chop all the vegetables a day ahead, and the sauce can be mixed in advance too.
Can you eat carrots raw?
Yes. University of Illinois Extension says carrots are eaten both raw and cooked, and they can be stored for winter use.
University of Minnesota Extension dips raw carrots in hummus, peanut butter or cottage cheese, calls them a great mobile snack, and tops salads with sliced or grated carrots.
In a salad, carrots go into my vegetarian Asian red cabbage salad with peanuts and cilantro, along with red cabbage, red bell pepper, spring onions, soy sauce and rice vinegar. I always shred the red cabbage on a mandoline, it turns out paper-thin and soaks up the dressing much better. After 30 minutes in the fridge the cabbage is tender and full of flavor, and with pan-fried halloumi or tofu it becomes a vegetarian dinner for 4 people. Tightly covered it keeps in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, and keep the peanuts separate if you are planning leftovers.
Carrots in cake and babka
Baked, carrots go into my carrot cake, my polenta carrot cake and the filling of a babka. All three keep well for a few days.
My vegan carrot cake with marzipan and cream cheese frosting tastes almost better the day after baking, once it has settled and turned really moist. So feel free to bake it a day ahead and frost it just before serving. The finished cake keeps airtight in the fridge for about three days.
For my vegetarian polenta carrot cake with almonds and lemon glaze, I grate the carrots on the fine side of the grater, coarse shreds stay noticeable as threads in the batter. Well wrapped, it keeps at room temperature for 3 days, and the lemon glaze is the lightest option and keeps the cake fresh the longest. The carrot roses on top are easier than they look.
My vegan babka with carrot filling and marzipan turns out juiciest when you grate the carrots really finely and spread the filling evenly almost all the way to the edges. Covered, it keeps at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, and you can freeze individual slices and toast them to serve.
How to store and freeze carrots
University of Minnesota Extension refrigerates carrots in a plastic bag with the tops removed for up to two weeks. Before freezing, the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) blanches small whole carrots for 5 minutes, and sliced or diced carrots and lengthwise strips for 2 minutes.
University of Minnesota Extension recommends well-shaped, smooth, firm, crisp carrots with deep color and fresh, green tops, and avoids soft, wilted or split carrots. Purdue University Extension passes on carrots that are cracked, rough, shriveled or green at the top. Huge, overgrown carrots are less tasty, according to University of Illinois Extension, and they may have a tough woody core that may need to be removed.
Storage times vary from source to source. Purdue University Extension stores carrots in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel, and notes that baby carrots won't last as long. According to the University of Illinois Extension page on carrots, they keep for several weeks in the crisper drawer in perforated plastic bags. Trim the green tops before storing: they're edible, but during storage the greenery robs the carrot of moisture, Illinois says.
Utah State University Extension stores carrots best between 0 and 10 °C (32 and 50 °F) in the crisper, and for a few weeks in a perforated plastic bag. It also says not to store carrots with fruit: fruits produce ethylene gas as they ripen, and this gas decreases the storage life of carrots and other vegetables. Purdue University Extension discards fridge-stored carrots that become soft or slimy, and for longer storage it keeps carrots unwashed in a cool, damp place like a cellar or cold room.
To get them ready for freezing, the NCHFP instructions for freezing carrots select young, tender, coreless, medium-length carrots, remove the tops, then wash and peel them. Small carrots stay whole, and the others are cut into thin slices, 6 mm (¼ inch) cubes or lengthwise strips. Small whole carrots are water blanched for 5 minutes, and diced or sliced carrots and lengthwise strips for 2 minutes. Then they are cooled promptly, drained and packed with 1.3 cm (½ inch) of headspace, sealed and frozen. The whole method is in my guide to blanching, cooling and packing vegetables.
What can I cook with carrots?
Carrots go into my oven dishes, the wok, salad and soups, and finely grated into polenta carrot cake, babka and waffles. The table shows 8 of my recipes, how the carrots go in, and one tip from each recipe.
My three soups with carrots are further up, next to the boiling times.
| How the carrots go in | My recipe | Tip from the recipe |
|---|---|---|
| colorful, from the oven | Maple-roasted oven carrots | spread them in a single layer in the pan |
| with sweet potatoes on the sheet pan | Turmeric Roasted Vegetables with Tahini Dressing | wash bowl, board and hands right after mixing |
| briefly in the wok | Easy Vegan Chop Suey with Colorful Vegetables and Rice Noodles | add the noodles right at the end |
| in a salad | Asian Red Cabbage Salad with Peanuts | keep the peanuts separate for leftovers |
| finely grated in waffle batter | Crispy and healthy orange-carrot waffles | grate the carrots the evening before |
| in cake | Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting | bake a day ahead, frost just before serving |
| finely grated in the batter | Polenta Carrot Cake with Almonds | grate on the fine side of the grater |
| finely grated in the filling | Babka with carrot filling | spread the filling almost to the edges |
Frequently asked questions
How long do you boil carrots?
Purdue University Extension boils carrot rounds for 5 to 7 minutes. In the microwave, it cooks carrots covered, with about 60 ml (¼ cup) of water, for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until tender.
Do you need to peel carrots?
Not necessarily. Purdue University Extension peels carrots or scrubs them well with a brush to remove dirt. University of Minnesota Extension scrubs them with a vegetable brush, rinses them under running water and then peels them with a vegetable peeler or knife.
How long do carrots take to roast?
Purdue University Extension roasts sliced carrots on a baking sheet for about 25 to 30 minutes at 200 °C (400 °F). Utah State University Extension roasts them for 20 to 30 minutes at 220 °C (425 °F).
How do you store carrots in the fridge?
University of Minnesota Extension refrigerates carrots in a plastic bag with the tops removed for up to two weeks. Utah State University Extension stores them best between 0 and 10 °C (32 and 50 °F) in the crisper, and for a few weeks in a perforated plastic bag.
Can you freeze carrots?
Yes. The National Center for Home Food Preservation blanches small whole carrots for 5 minutes, and sliced or diced carrots and lengthwise strips for 2 minutes. Then they are cooled promptly, drained, packed with 1.3 cm (½ inch) of headspace, sealed and frozen.
Can you eat carrots raw?
Yes. University of Illinois Extension says carrots are eaten both raw and cooked. University of Minnesota Extension dips raw carrots in hummus, peanut butter or cottage cheese and tops salads with sliced or grated carrots.
Boiled, roasted, stir-fried or baked into cake, carrots fit in almost anywhere, and with an eye on the clock they turn out exactly as tender as you like them. Now it's your turn: how do you like your carrots best, raw, roasted or baked into cake?
Yours, Verena
Sources
- 1.Purdue University Extension, FoodLink · Carrot
- 2.Utah State University Extension · Fruit and Vegetable Guide Series: Carrots · 2023
- 3.University of Minnesota Extension, Real Life Good Food · Carrots
- 4.University of Illinois Extension · Carrots
- 5.National Center for Home Food Preservation · Freezing Carrots
