3 Easy ways to soften carrots

Carrots are a family favorite the world over - even picky eaters and veggie phobes gobble up carrots for dinner!

But sometimes you end up with a bunch of huge, hard, practically inedible carrots. But don’t give up, we can turn them back into a tasty carrot!

So what is the easiest way to soften carrots?

You can soften carrots in three ways: blanching, microwaving, or quick pickling. Softening carrots by quickly blanching them in hot water is the best way to preserve the fresh, raw flavor of carrots.

If you’ve found yourself with carrots in your crate or salad drawer that are too hard to eat, read on for everything you need to know about softening carrots!

Why do you have to soften carrots?

Carrots are one of the most popular vegetables around the world. Easy to store and cook with, they are a regular item on most of our shopping lists. But why do you have to soften carrots?

Well, the point is that one carrot is not always the same as another. Carrots can vary greatly in size, shape, thickness, and age, all of which affect the firmness of the carrot.

Younger carrots tend to be smaller and skinnier – these are the deliciously sweet baby carrots we often eat in salads and as a snack at lunch.

These little carrots can normally be eaten without softening them first. It’s their sweet, juicy crunch that makes them so delicious.

And then we have the big knobby carrots, those huge ones that, if eaten raw, would taste stringy, chewy, and tough . These carrots have been allowed to grow longer in the ground and will taste less sweet than their younger counterparts.

Typically, these types of carrots are sliced or diced, and then boiled, steamed, or roasted until cooked through and tender. These are the carrots we would use for soups, stews, roasts, and casseroles .

But what if you want to use these carrots for something else? This is where softening comes in!

The goal of softening a carrot is to change its texture without changing its flavor. Once softened, you should be able to easily run a knife through them, but they should still taste like a raw carrot.

By softening them in this way, your hard, crunchy carrot will be transformed: the texture will be softer but still firm, and it will taste sweet and full of aroma.

Softened carrots can be used in many ways:

• Stir -fry - softened they will cook in just a couple of minutes in a wok.
• Salads - softened carrots work especially well in rice salads.
• Quick Stews – Short on time after work? Whip up a tasty one-pot dinner in no time with softened carrots.

How to prepare carrots to soften them

Regardless of the method you use to soften the carrots, the preparation technique is always the same:

1. Gently brush any debris from the outside of the carrots.
2. Remove the tops and roots of the carrots.
3. Wash the carrots in cold tap water (if you use hot water, the carrots will start to soften).
4. If you want, you can peel the carrots at this time; this depends on your personal preference! Peeling isn’t necessary, but it can make an old carrot look more appetizing.
5. Now, shall we chop the carrots or not? 

Whether to chop carrots before softening depends on how tough they are, and also what you plan to do with them after softening.

Larger, tougher carrots may benefit from being coarsely chopped to ease the softening process. Cutting carrots too small can make it difficult for them to soften without accidentally overcooking.

If your carrots are very large, they may have a woody core, which no amount of cooking will soften. Cut these carrots into long strips lengthwise and carefully trim the inner core.

Smaller carrots can be left whole or cut into pieces small enough to fit in the pan or bowl.

1. Soften the carrots by blanching them

We love this method of softening carrots: blanching softens even the toughest carrot without changing its flavor.

Blanching consists of blanching carrots in boiling water for a very short period of time . The carrots are then removed and immediately placed in ice water to stop the cooking process.

This cooling process is very important and ensures that the carrots are softened but not cooked. They will still taste the same as raw carrots, but can easily be cut with a knife.

To soften carrots by blanching you will need the following

• A large saucepan with boiling water
• A colander or colander
• A sink or large bowl filled with ice water
• Gloves or tongs to handle the hot pan and carrots

Method:

1. Prepare the carrots as described above.
2. Bring the large saucepan of water to a boil on the heat.
3. Place the carrots in the pot of boiling water. If you have a large number of carrots to blanch, it’s best to divide them into smaller portions.
4. Keep the carrots in the water for 3-5 minutes , depending on the size of the carrots. Small or chopped carrots will take less time, large whole ones will take longer.
5. Now you have to transfer the carrots from the boiling water to the ice water as quickly as possible . There are two ways to achieve this: Drain the carrots in a colander and dump them into the ice water, or lift the carrots with tongs from the boiling water to the ice water. If you don’t have ice water, you can use cold water, but you will need to change the water frequently while it heats up.
6. After 5 minutes, the carrots should be completely cool . Take the carrots out of the water and put them in the colander to dry.
7. Once dried, the carrots can be sliced, diced, or julienned , whichever is your preferred method!

Tip : This blanching method also works well if you want to freeze the carrots.

2. Soften carrots in the microwave

Softening carrots in the microwave is a quick and easy way to soften them without altering the flavor too much. This method also requires much less equipment and effort than blanching—no pots of boiling, ice-cold water needed!

However, it can be hard to judge the cooking time for carrots in the microwave, it’s a fine line between softening and cooking!

1. Place the prepared carrots in a microwave-safe container. 
2. Add two tablespoons of water to the container and cover it with a lid or plastic wrap.
3. Microwave on full power for three minutes.
4. Check the texture of the carrots with a knife – you should be able to cut them easily. If not, microwave them again for 30 seconds at a time until done.
5. Pour out the remaining water from the container and run cold water over the carrots for a few minutes to stop the cooking process.

3. Soften carrots by quick pickling

Quick pickling is a very popular technique in East Asian cooking, and its popularity is spreading all over the world.

Many people don’t realize that adding something acidic, like vinegar or lemon juice, to food alters its texture. It can be a good way to soften up tougher vegetables, like large carrots.

This softening method works best with smaller pieces of carrot. The thinner pieces will “cook” in less than half an hour, resulting in a softer vegetable that retains the delicious flavor of raw carrots.

1. Cut the carrots into strips or thin slices and put them in a bowl.
2. Add enough lemon juice to cover the carrots well.
3. Dip the carrots in the juice, cover and leave for 15-20 minutes.

The result: soft carrot strips, with some crunch, and a fresh, spicy flavor. Perfect for salads!

Related questions

Now that we’ve gone over some of the best and easiest methods for softening carrots, let’s take a look at some related questions that we think you may have come up with while reading this article!

How do you soften carrots for stir fry?

Carrots taste great in a stir fry! Their juicy sweet flavor and crunchy texture pair perfectly with Asian-inspired flavors, and they are a regular ingredient in many stir-fry recipes.

However, some carrots are too tough to sauté. Once cooked, the stir-fried carrots should be soft with a firm texture, not chewy and hard.

This is the best way to get the perfect texture for your sautéed carrots:

• Cut the carrots into slices as thin as possible, so that they cook well.
• Grate the carrots and add them to the stir fry during the last couple of minutes of cooking.
• Tenderize carrots before sautéing by blanching, microwaving, or quick pickling.

How do you cook carrots in the microwave?

Using the microwave is one of the fastest and easiest ways to cook carrots. Although most of us are familiar with boiling or roasting carrots, microwaving them is the perfect solution if you need to cook carrots in a hurry.

Here’s the best way to microwave carrots:

1. Rinse carrots well under cold water, peeling if desired.
2. Cut the carrots into bite-sized pieces. Baby carrots can be cooked whole.
3. Transfer the prepared carrots to a microwave-safe plate or bowl.
4. Add ¼ cup of water to container; this will allow the carrots to steam.
5. Place a lid on the container or cover it with plastic wrap.
6. Put the container in the microwave and put it on the highest position for 3 minutes.
7. Stir the carrots and then microwave them for another 3 minutes on high.
8. Scoop out the carrots, season with salt, pepper, herbs, and butter if desired, and serve.

Voilà: perfect carrots, cooked in less than 10 minutes!

What can I do with leftover, overcooked or mushy carrots?

Have you found some mushy old carrots in the bottom of your salad drawer? Or maybe you’ve cooked too many for dinner and have half a pan left over?

Don’t throw away these little orange beauties, they may not be at their prime, but there are some great recipes to put your cooked, leftover, or mushy carrots to good use.

Here are our favorite suggestions for taking advantage of carrots that are no longer in their prime:

• Carrot Fritters – Mix grated soft raw carrots with herbs, spices and cheese. Join it with egg, form hamburgers and fry them in the pan. They are delicious!
• Tarts – Leftover cooked carrots are perfect for a tart. Combine them with the rest of the leftovers from a roast to make the perfect filling for a pie.
• Soup - don’t toss those overcooked carrots as they will make an amazing soup! Combine with the sautéed onion, garlic and herbs, add a splash of water and mix for a delicious hot bowl of nutritious soup.