Q&A for How to Boil Carrots

Look for carrots that are either small or medium in size. Large carrots can be woody and hard. Avoid split carrots unless you want to use them for juicing (large carrots can also be juiced). Avoid carrots that feel soft, limp or have blemishes, although these can be added to soup if they're a bargain. If buying carrots with the leaves and stalks still intact, these should appear fresh and bright green.

The amount of time for boiling the carrots depends on how tender or crisp you want the carrots to be. For sliced carrots, a general amount of time for cooking is 7 to 10 minutes. If boiling whole carrots, you might want to boil them for up to half an hour if you want them to be quite soft.

To peel or not to peel is up to you, although it is generally better to leave the peel intact because this keeps the nutrients when boiling. If you leave them peeled, wash them before boiling.

Carrots can be roasted in olive oil at a temperature of 200ºC for about 45 minutes. For instructions on preparing the carrots, then roasting them, check out the wikiHow How to Roast Carrots .

Probably the easiest way is to lightly boil them until they're soft. Start by washing and peeling them to remove the tough outer layer. You can then cut them into smaller pieces to help them cook faster. On the other hand, the boiling process leeches some of the nutrients and flavor out of the carrots through their exposed surface area. Chopped up carrots have a larger exposed surface area, and lose more flavor and nutrients in the boiling process than uncut carrots. Whichever way you decide, you'll want to fill a pot with just enough water to cover the carrots and bring it to a boil. Once your water has begun boiling, add the carrots and cover them with the pot lid. Check the carrots after about 5 minutes and spear them with a fork to see how soft they are. If they're where you want them to be, drain the water and you're all set. If they're still too hard, let them boil for another minute or so.

It can vary slightly on how ripe they are and how big the pieces are. Cut up carrots will boil quicker because of the greater surface area. They'll also lose more flavor and nutrients in the boiling process than uncut carrots. Cooking carrots whole helps to retain both the taste and the nutrient levels, but it takes longer. Fill a pot with just enough water to cover the carrot and bring it to a boil. Add the carrots to the boiling water and cover the pot with a lid. After 5 minutes, check the carrots by sticking one of them with a fork. If the tines slide easily into the carrot, then they're finished boiling. If not, give them another minute or two and then check them again. Once they're finished, drain them into a colander and enjoy!

Usually, no. Carrots generally cook much faster than potatoes. But it can depend on how you boil them. If you boil a carrot whole, it may take longer than diced up potatoes, for instance. A whole potato can take anywhere between 20-30 minutes to fully cook in boiling water. A whole carrot can take between 10-20 minutes. But if you boil sliced or cut up carrots, it can take between 5-10 minutes. So while it does depend on the size of the carrots or the potatoes that you're boiling, carrots generally cook quicker.