An Amazing Recipe For Sous Vide Carrots

There are a number of foods that you can cook sous vide, and there are others that are better suited to conventional cooking. When it comes to vegetables, you may think that it is strange to even think about suvee cooking, as a quick boil, blanch or even sauté of asparagus and peas produces pretty good results.

This is true, but the same cannot be said for carrots. If you blanch carrots then you will find that their natural sugars become diluted. If you boil them too much they just turn into mush. With sous vide carrots, you will retain the natural sweetness and your carrots will have a firm bite and maintain a bright color.

Equipment

• Sous Vide Machine – our favorite right now is the Anova or the Joule.
• Container – not necessary, but nice to have for bigger cuts of meat. We recommend the Lipavi as it is large and sturdy. You can also use a pot.
• Vacuum sealer and bags, or a freezer Ziploc bag. If you only have a Ziploc make sure to check our our article on the water displacement method. You can find our favorite vacuum sealers here – 5 Best Sous Vide Vacuum Sealers (Reviews Updated 2021)

Sous Vide Carrots Cooking Times and Temperatures

Carrots cooked sous vide will ensure that all of their natural juices are maintained, and you will not believe the flavor.

In order to make your carrots soft, you will need to cook at a temperature of 183°F (84°C) or higher. At these higher temperatures, your carrots will become soft but at the same time they will not become mushy.

It is recommended that you cook your carrots for at least 45 minutes and up to one hour at this temperature.

Ingredients

• You will need one pound of carrots. These can be whole baby carrots, or larger carrots that have been cut into chunks of an inch (2.5 centimeters). You will need to peel the carrots or scrub them well before cooking.
• You will also need a tablespoon of sugar (granulated) and 2 tablespoons of butter.
• Salt (Kosher preferable) and freshly ground pepper for seasoning.

Directions

This is a two step process where you will need to sous vide the carrots first and then glaze in a skillet.

1. The first thing to do is to pre heat the sous vide machine to 185°F (85°C), which will cook your carrots well and prevent them from being mushy. It will take a while for the water to reach this temperature, so you need to account for this.
2. When you have peeled or scrubbed your carrots you can add them to sous vide bags. It is not recommended to use zip lock bags here, as the seams could break with the higher cooking temperature. Add the butter and sugar to the bags.
3. If you have a best sous vide vacuum sealer, then use this to seal the bags. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, then you can use the displacement method to remove all of the air from the bags. When the water is at the correct temperature, place the bags in the water bath and cook for about one hour.
4. Once the cooking time has expired, remove the bags from the water bath and place the carrots on a dish. Be careful here as everything will be hot.
5. Now for the finishing touch. Place the carrots and the juices from the bags into a large skillet, which is on high heat, and cook for around two minutes. The liquid should reduce and a shiny glaze form on the carrots. You can add more seasoning here if you desire. It is possible that the glaze may break and become greasy. If this happens then add a teaspoon of water and move the pan around so that the glaze returns.
6. Serve when glazing is complete.