Perfect Glazed Carrots Recipe - Savory Nothings (2024)

FAQs

How do you get the most flavor out of carrots? ›

Cooking instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan, then add the carrots and parsnips and toss to coat in the oil. Add the thyme, cinnamon, star anise and some seasoning. Cook over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes, turning the vegetables frequently, until golden brown and almost cooked through.

Undercook them, and the texture is tough and dense. Overcook them, and they're dry and wrinkled. The secret is to soften the carrots slightly by boiling them briefly before roasting. The texture will be firm-tender with just the right amount of caramelization on the outside.

Fill a medium wide-mouthed pot with 2 inches of water. Set a collapsible steamer basket insert into the pot, then bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Put the carrots in the steamer basket and cook, covered, until tender when pierced with a knife, about 8 minutes.

#1 Roasted

This is our CSA members' favorite way to enjoy our farm's fresh carrots. Slice or keep them whole if baby sized and toss with salt and pepper as your most basic preparation, or optionally add garlic, dill or honey to change it up. Roast on a baking sheet at 400 degrees until tender. So, so, so sweet!

There are a few possibilities for why your carrots aren't as sweet as they should be. You are right to think about your soil--a crop of carrots can deplete a soil of nutrients. Be sure to rotate crops in your garden, rather than planting carrots in the same place year after year.

Mixing carrots and oranges can be very dangerous. This mix has been known to cause heartburn and kidney damage.

No matter which way you cook them, carrots are a healthy choice. Steaming is a slightly better pick since the carrots don't lose as many of their nutrients to the water. (Steaming is also more environmentally friendly since it uses less water.)

You're Using Too Much (Or Too Little) Oil

But skimp on that oil and those vegetables will be too dry. Luckily, it's easy to find Goldilocks' just right amount. The solution: Before hitting the sheet pan, place the vegetables in a large bowl and add a tablespoon of oil.

Salt in the cooking water seasons the carrots as they cook, which makes them tastier than carrots that have merely received a superficial postcook sprinkle. Finishing touches of fat, acid, herbs, and spices make these simple side dishes a complement to any meal.

Why do my roasted carrots burn? ›

Forgetting to flip halfway through

Leaving the pan totally unattended means that the bottom of your vegetables will burn, while the tops never crisp up. Flip halfway through, and you'll be rewarded with vegetables that are evenly cooked and golden all over.

At least, that is, if they're boiled or steamed. A January 2008 report in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry said that boiling and steaming better preserves antioxidants, particularly carotenoid, in carrots, zucchini and broccoli, than frying, though boiling was deemed the best.

While both use water as a cooking mechanism, you're entirely submerging your veg into the water when boiling. Whereas with steaming, the vegetables are placed above the water, allowing the steam produced to cook them gently.

Steaming carrots on the stove top using a steamer basket is just as speedy as boiling carrots. This method also helps the carrots retain their nutrients and bright color.

Instead of simply tossing carrots in the vegetable drawer, take a few minutes to cut off the greens and submerge the carrots in water. You'll be rewarded with carrots that stay crisp for weeks, not days.

The healthiest way to cook carrots is by steaming or baking them. Steaming carrots helps retain most of their nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin K, and fiber, while also preserving their natural flavor and color.