How to Blanch Carrots

Last Updated: March 22, 2023 Tested

Blanching carrots brings out the best in their vibrant color and flavor. It's commonly done to take the raw edge off of carrots that will be served in a salad, and it's also a good way to prepare carrots for freezing. Just follow these steps to transform ordinary carrots into a delicious side dish!

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Preparing Carrots for Blanching

1
Wash and peel the carrots. After rinsing, use a vegetable peeler to peel the outer skin. This will improve the taste and texture of the blanched carrots, and make them look more appealing.
2
Slice the carrots. Carrots will blanch more quickly and have an improved texture if you cut them into smaller pieces. This helps them cook evenly and prevents you from having to cook them too long. Chop off the root end and trim any bruised areas, then slice the carrots into smaller pieces.
- Slice them into medallions for a great salad add-on.
- Slice them into sticks for a convenient snack.
- Slice them into quarters if you're planning on freezing them for later use.
- Try to make sure the carrot pieces are the same size, so they'll cook evenly.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Blanching the Carrots

1
Prepare a bowl of ice water. You'll need this to stop the carrots from cooking after you boil them.
2
Heat a saucepan of water. Use a saucepan large enough to hold the carrots, and fill it about 3/4 the way full. Heat the water on the stove top on the highest heat. Season the water to taste by adding salt. Wait until the water is at a high rolling boil.
3
Add the carrots to the water and set a timer for 2-5 minutes. Generally allow more time for full size carrots as opposed to baby or chopped carrots. Stay near the stove and take the carrots off the heat as soon as the timer goes off.
4
Transfer the carrots to the bowl of icy cold water. Set the timer and let them cool for the same amount of time as they spent blanching. If they blanched for 3 minutes, let them cool for 3 minutes.
5
Take them out of the water when the timer goes off. Drain the carrots and pat them dry with a paper towel. Use straight away if desired or set aside to use in another recipe.
6
Finished.

Community Q&A

Question

How long it takes to blanch cauliflower?

Rimi Sarkar

Community Answer

A cauliflower takes 3 to 5 min to blanch. Don't blanch it more than that.
Question

How can I prevent carrots from developing a rubbery texture?

Community Answer

Don't put them in the fridge. Blanch them first and store them in the freezer.
Question

Instead of slicing the carrots for blanching, is there another way?

Community Answer

I would think that slicing the carrots before blanching would work best. It's important to try to keep all veggies in equal-sized cuts for blanching, cooking or freezing. It helps to ensure the veggies blanch, cook or freeze equally, and slicing into somewhat even pieces makes it very easy.