Last Updated on 17th December 2021 by
One of the fastest and easiest ways to prepare carrots and to make them soft and tender is to steam them. There are a few ways you can tenderize carrots, and steaming is a very effective way to do that.
You can steam the carrots on the stovetop using a steamer or even just a pot of water, but you can also use the microwave to steam them. How to steam carrots in microwave? The method I want to show you is simple and quick and even inexperienced cooks are unlikely to mess it up.
Steaming carrots is a great way to make them soft without causing them to lose nay of their nutritious value. Some methods for preparing and cooking carrots can rob them of essential vitamins and nutrients, but not steaming. It infuses them with water that hydrates them and makes them more palatable and easier to eat rather than cooking out any vitamins and robbing them of any benefits.
How to Steam Carrots in the Microwave
To steam carrots using the microwave, make sure you rinse and clean them. You can wash them under running water using your hands or a scrubbing pad. Make sure they are completely clean before trying to cook with them or steam them.
You can cut the carrots to the desired length as well. You may want to peel them using a vegetable peeler as well, as this removes the tough, fibrous outer layer that may not look as appealing as the rest of the carrot. Most people will cut off the upper, wide end of the carrot as well.
Then, put your carrots into a microwave safe bowl. Add about 2 tablespoons of water to your full to help hydrate and steam the carrots. Cover the bowl with either a lid or plate that is also microwave safe. It doesn’t have to be airtight, but be sure you don’t use plastic wrap. The plastic wrap is not a good idea for microwaving your fresh veggies.
How long to steam carrots in microwave? It should take about four to six minutes with the microwave set to high for your carrots to steam. Once they are done cooking, they should be nice and tender. How do you know if they are tender enough to eat? You can test them using a fork. Just poke them and see if the fork slides in easily. If there’s a lot of resistance, put the carrots back in for another 30 seconds to a minute.
When you take the carrots out of the microwave, be careful as there may be steam escaping from the bowl. You may want to use a hot pad to hold the bowl and then carefully remove the lid to allow steam to escape.
Carrots can be seasoned with vegetable rub, salt, butter, or other seasonings of your choice. They’re ready to eat at this point and now you know how to steam carrots in a microwave in a quick and easy method that pretty much anyone can do.
How To Steam Baby Carrots In Microwave
What about baby carrots? Do you need to cook them differently than full-sized carrots? You can cook them in the microwave and steam them using the same method. You know how to steam baby carrots in the microwave if you know how to steam regular carrots.
The only difference between steaming big and small carrots is that you may need to adjust the length of time that they cook in the microwave. How large the carrots are, how thick they are, and how many you steam at once will determine how long it takes to cook them and to make them fully tender.
It’s always better to keep your cooking time low so that you don’t overcook them. You can simply test your carrots after you think they might be done cooking. Use the fork method to check and see if they are tender and if the fork slides in easily. If it doesn’t, just cook them for 30 seconds to a minute more.
How long to steam baby carrots in microwave? That depends primarily on how many you’re cooking at once and how much the total weight is. Two pounds of baby carrots will take about 5 minutes the cook in the microwave. Keep in mind that you need to have enough water in there to hydrate and steam that carrots. For two pounds of baby carrots, that is about four tablespoons of water.
If you don’t add enough water to the carrots, they will dry out and will not steam properly. They will not get soft and tender like they should be.
You will need to adjust your cooking time and the amount of water you use if you have more or less carrots then the two pounds suggested by these instructions.
For steaming baby carrots in the microwave, you still want to make sure you cover your microwave safe bowl with a plate or a lid and not plastic wrap. This will ensure that they steam properly.
When the carrots come out of the microwave, you want to drain out the excess water. It is not necessary to pat the carrots dry and they are ready to eat at this point, or you can add seasoning if you like.
What to Do with Steamed Carrots
Once you have made steamed carrots, they work very well as a side dish with mashed potatoes, fried chicken, beef tips, Italian bread, and spaghetti. They can also be mixed into a stir fry and used in a vegetable medley and many other dishes that incorporate vegetables.
Steamed carrots can be used to make a dessert as well, if you cover them with cinnamon or brown sugar glaze. If you’ve never had carrots as a dessert dish before, I would definitely suggest giving it a try and making the glaze yourself so that you can enjoy a lovely sense of accomplishment.
Steamed carrots can be served with almost any kind of meal or put into soups to make them more filling. Steamed carrots are full of vitamins and minerals and offer a lot of health benefits. Steaming them is one of the healthiest ways to prepare carrots while also making them soft and tender.
I'm Pauline, a mother of four grown children, my passion for cooking stemmed from the joy i get cooking for my family. I love to try new dishes, especially when dining out but creating and sharing my own recipes is my favourite thing to do!
