You probably just learned that people blend carrots to make juice out of them. But aren’t those carrots too hard for a blender? That’s where you might be wondering whether should I boil my carrots before blending or not! Carrots are a versatile and nutritious vegetable that can be enjoyed in various ways. One common dilemma that many people face is whether to boil carrots before blending them. This article will explore the benefits and drawbacks of boiling carrots before blending, providing you with a clear understanding of when and why you might choose this preparation method.
Well, you can boil your carrots before blending, if and only if you want to – it’s not necessary. If you blend the carrots after boiling them, the process becomes a bit easier because they become a lot less rigid at that point.
We’ve discussed whether or not to boil your carrot before blending in this discussion. Also, you will find out how to boil the carrots if you decide to do so. Let’s see how it’s done.
Should I Boil Carrots Before Blending?
If you plan on chewing your carrots, then we recommend that you don’t boil them – eat them raw. It retains the carrots’ crispiness to your taste buds and is also the healthiest way to eat them. But if you plan on making juice or any other liquid carrot derivatives with them, you should boil them.
Some people argue that boiling heat destroys the vitamins contained in carrots. However, carrots contain vitamins that are soluble in fats and are stable under heat. This means that the vitamins still remain intact after boiling.
Advantages of Boiling Carrots Before Blending
There are several benefits of eating boiled carrots in whatever form you choose afterward. Let’s get through some of them:
It Disinfects The Carrots
Your carrots may still contain some bacteria and other microorganisms after cleaning that can be harmful when eaten. The boiling helps you get rid of these organisms.
It Boosts The Availability And Easy Absorption Of Nutrients
When you boil your carrots, it helps break down the cell walls, further releasing more nutrients into the carrots. Thus, making phytochemicals and other nutrients readily available for your body to absorb.
Increased Calcium Levels
A cup of boiled carrots contains 46.8 mg of calcium, while the same amount of raw carrots contains 40.3 mg of calcium. Thus, you should boil your carrots before blending to get more calcium value for the same amount of carrots. Note calcium is a great supplement to help strengthen your bones and teeth.
Increased Carotenoid Intake
Boiling your carrots helps to break down the cell membranes. This increases the total carotenoids present in the carrots and allows for easy conversion to Vitamin A. Vitamin A helps improve your eyesight and maintain your skin, hair, and immune system.
Easier Blending
The soft texture of the cooked carrots allows for easier blending when compared to the harder carrots when they are raw. That allows your smoothies to be nutritious and smooth.
Increased Vitamin K Levels
The heat helps to increase the Vitamin K content available in your carrot. Vitamin K is useful in healing wounds as it boosts clotting by interacting with your blood platelets.
Increase in Potassium Content
Boiled carrots are known for their high content of an important body mineral known as potassium. Potassium improves nerve impulses, allowing for increased nerve communication.
Disadvantages of Boiling Carrots Before Blending
Everything that has advantages also has disadvantages. Let’s consider some disadvantages of boiling carrots as well:
Some vitamins are lost
Some of the vitamins contained in carrots are soluble in water. When you boil your carrots to certain temperatures, the vitamins contained in the carrots leach out into the cooking water.
- Vitamin C is one such vitamin that gets lost during cooking. A study in January 2014 reports that the vitamin is vulnerable to enzymatic and chemical oxidation when being cooked.
- Vitamin B also gets lost when subjected to high temperatures. This vitamin also aids the body in converting food into energy. It also helps boost your appetite to improve your vision, skin, and nervous system. This vitamin also aids in the formation of red blood cells.
Some amount of Magnesium is lost
Potassium is another mineral that is soluble in water and gets lost when subjected to high temperatures. For example, 100 grams of boiled carrots contain 10mg of magnesium, while the same raw carrots contain 12 mg of magnesium.
Reduced potassium content
As shown in a study, a cup of raw carrot contained 390.4 mg of potassium. However, after cooking, the same amount of carrots contained 366.6 mg of magnesium. So, if you want your carrot’s potassium at its highest, you should use it raw.
How To Boil Carrots For Blending?
You can blend your carrots either raw or boiled. However, if you prefer boiling the carrots before blending, here are some easy steps to guide you.
Wash the carrots
Before making a smooth puree from your carrots, you must first wash the carrots. You must scrub the carrots thoroughly using a vegetable brush under a running water tap. The washing process helps you to get rid of debris and dirt collected on the carrots by any means.
Peel the carrots
Secondly, you should peel the carrots. This process isn’t necessary, though, but some people complain that the outer skin of the carrots has a bitter taste. Eating the carrots unpeeled is safe and hygienic, provided you’ve thoroughly scrubbed the carrots while washing.
Cut the carrots to your preferred size.
After that, you might want to chop the carrots into smaller pieces before boiling them. This helps the carrots to cook faster and saves your time if you’re in haste. However, dicing the carrots makes it easier for some of the nutrients present in the carrots to leach into the water.
Boiling your chopped carrot also causes it to lose some of its flavor faster. So, if you prefer boiling them whole, you have nothing to worry about.
Heat some water
Put some water in a pot, just enough to ensure that none of the carrots is above the water level. You can add some salt to the water to raise the water’s boiling point and make the carrot cook faster. Also, note that filling your pot with excess water causes your carrots to lose more nutrients.
Add your carrots to the water and allow them to cook.
When your water starts boiling, add your carrots and cover them with your heating container’s lid. Depending on the size of your carrots, let the container sit on the fire for 15 to 25 minutes. You can check if your carrots are sufficiently cooked by spearing them with a fork.
The tines of your fork should easily pierce through the carrots if they’ve been sufficiently cooked. Once you’re satisfied with how soft they’ve become, drain the water from the carrots. You can then mash the carrots in a blender to make carrot juice.
How To Blend Boiled Carrots?
Blending your boiled carrot is the easiest part of the whole process. However, you might want to cut your carrots into smaller pieces to easily blend or avoid damaging your blender. If your carrots are not sufficiently moist, you may consider adding some water.
If you wish to make a puree with other additives like lemon or other fruits, add them to the carrots. Then, add them to the blender and switch them on. You can also add a little more water to make the mixture blend better. Allow your mixture to blend till it’s smooth enough for your liking.
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FAQs
- Can I use the water from boiling carrots in my blend? Yes, using the nutrient-rich water from boiling carrots can help retain some of the lost vitamins and minerals.
- Are boiled carrot blends suitable for weight loss diets? Boiled carrot blends can be a nutritious addition to weight loss diets due to their low-calorie and high-fiber content.
- Are there any carrots that shouldn’t be boiled for blending? It’s best to avoid using carrots that are overly mature or have started to go soft, as they might not yield the desired texture.
- Can I blend carrots without any liquid? While it’s possible, adding a small amount of liquid (water, milk, etc.) helps achieve a smoother blend.
- Is it safe to feed boiled carrot blends to infants? Yes, boiled carrot blends are a safe option for introducing carrots to infants, as they reduce the choking hazard and are easier to digest.
Final Thoughts
Blended carrots are useful in a wide variety of applications. Some of the applications include making puree for babies and making carrot juice. Also, your carrots are rich in vitamins, mineral salts, and fiber. Just in case you’re wondering, fiber aids bowel movements and easy digestion.
Blended carrots contain equal nutrients as whole carrots but allow for easier metabolism. So, should you boil carrots before blending? You don’t necessarily have to boil your carrots before blending. However, boiling your carrots before blending allows for easier access to the nutrients. Also, it will enable your blended carrots to have a finer texture.
Evan Lewis is the owner and editor of Indoorguider. By profession, he is a MasterChef in a five-star restaurant. Evan joined as a chef after completing a Diploma in professional cooking. Besides this profession, he’s a researcher and hobbyist blogger. He loves discovering new things, researching them, and sharing them with people who need that information. Most of his time as a chef is spent with different kitchen utensils. He already shares his knowledge and experience with various kitchen tools, utensils, and food blogging. This time he decided to write about one of the most needed kitchen tools and kitchen appliances. Therefore, he created this site, Indoorguider, and shared his experience, knowledge, and research results with people who have less knowledge about this tool. As a MasterChef of a five-star restaurant, Evan Lewis is not only experienced in cooking. He’s also experienced with different kitchen utensils, tools, and equipment. Besides, cooking he’s a hobbyist blogger. He does a lot of research on different kitchen tools for his blog and writes about them to help others, here at IndoorGuider. He shares his experience, knowledge, and research results for the benefit of people seeking different tools and cooking steps, tips, and recipes. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555977246806 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evanlewis9177/ Quora: Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/EvanLewisOfficial/ Pinterest: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-lewis-1157132b8/ Threads: Twitter: https://twitter.com/EvanLewis5656
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