There are very many types of carrots. In the Netherlands, the carrot is also known as the carrot. So you have different types such as the winter carrot, the carrot of the woods and the carrot of the wax. Furthermore, you can also find different colors of carrots. Besides the orange carrots we know, there are other colors such as yellow, red, purple and black. These roots are also called the primal carrot.

In cooking, it doesn't matter very much which kind of carrot you use. This is because the taste is similar to each other. In the Netherlands, we actually only use orange carrots out of tradition. It mainly has to do with the fact that orange is the color of the Dutch royal family. 

The taste of all types of carrots is very similar. Some carrots may be a little sweeter than others. However, the difference is not too great. There is, however, a difference in the cooking time. This is because a thick winter carrot needs to cook much longer than a smaller wax carrot.

Getting carrots ready to use

The moment you want to use carrots, it is important to prepare them first. In fact, this is something that can be done in several ways. First, however, it is important to prepare the carrots in the right way. There are several things you must do before you can use them properly. 

Washing or peeling the roots

The first thing to do with carrots is to clean them. This is because a lot of dirt can attach to the skin of a carrot. Cleaning a carrot can be done in different ways. This also mainly depends on the carrot you like to use. 

The way you clean a carrot depends on the carrot you want to use. If there is still foliage on the carrot, you need to break it off. Often this is not too good to eat. This is because carrot foliage is very bitter. However, it is possible to incorporate it into salads. 

For small roots, it is best to scrape. This involves using a knife to remove all irregularities and dirt from the skin. In doing so, you do not immediately remove the entire skin. This is especially suitable to do with wax carrots and carrots. If you do peel these, chances are very high that you will waste some of the root. This, of course, is a waste, 

With larger carrots, however, it is necessary to peel. This is because their skin is very thick and does not cook well with them. Peeling larger roots such as carrots is best done with a paring knife or peeler. This allows you to easily remove the skin. 

Cutting the roots

The moment you want to prepare carrots, it is of course important to cut them first. This will ensure that the carrots can be used in the way you want to use them. This is because it is important that this is done in the right way. 

There are many different ways you can cut a carrot. This is because carrots can also be incorporated into dishes in many different ways. For this reason, it is useful to know what ways of cutting a carrot there are. 

In strips

One of the most popular methods of cutting carrots is in strips. This is because carrots come out best when cut into strips. This is because in strips, carrots are the best to use. The time the carrots have to cook is very short in strips. Because of this, many people find it very convenient to use this. 

Carrot strips are widely used in dishes such as hotchpotch. Hutspot is a dish that many people really enjoy eating. This is because it is a real traditional Dutch dish with onions and carrots. Here, a combination of carrots and onions is often chosen and made into strips by grating. 

In various dishes, these strips ensure that in every bite you have a little carrot. When done correctly, it is delicious to eat carrots that way. With stew, the idea is to grate the onion as well so that you also get it in every bite. Many people find this a delicious dish to eat.  

Carrot julienne

One option of carrot cutting that is widely used in Asian cuisines is carrot julienne. In fact, carrot julienne are thin strips of carrot that are easy to incorporate into various dishes. Because of this, you will also find these in cuisines throughout Asia. 

For example, carrot julienne are widely used in dish such as noodles and wok dishes. However, they are also widely used in soups or sauces. Indeed, carrot julienne is a very versatile way of cutting carrots. Therefore, many people like to use carrot julienne. 

Cutting carrot julienne is less easy than you might think. This is because the pieces of carrot must be cut neatly. Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can achieve this. In this regard, however, it is important to have a sharp knife and also have it well under control. This is because if you do not have it under control, you can face a number of problems. 

First, it is important to determine how long you want the carrot julienne to be. This is because long carrot julienne is a lot harder to cut. For this reason, it is important to make sure that you have a stable base. The first thing to do here is to cut off part of the bottom. This allows the carrot to lie flat on the cutting board. 

After this, it is convenient to cut the carrots into thin slices. This makes it easy to slice the carrots into carrot julienne. Next, it is convenient to take small piles of these slices. You can gently cut these piles into the strips. After all, carrot julienne is really just strips of carrot. 

Slice of carrot

If you are looking for some larger pieces of carrot, slices of carrot can also be a good option to go for. These are also good to use in soups. However, these are also delicious in stews. Here it is important to consider how thin you want the slices to be. Many people like to go for slightly larger slices in a stew. 

For soups, instead of carrot julienne, it is also possible to go for thin slices of carrot. This gives your soup a bit more bite. However, it is important to make sure that the slices are well cooked through. This way you will not have too much bite in your soup. You do not want that either. 

Ways to prepare carrot

There are different ways you can prepare carrots. This makes a big difference in the way a carrot tastes. Especially the spices and flavors you use to prepare the carrot have a great effect on the taste of the carrots. Therefore, this is very important to consider. 

Cooking carrots

If you want to go for the taste of the carrot, it is best to boil it. This is because boiling carrots ensures that the flavor stays well in the carrot. Cooking only softens the carrot so that the soft and sweet carrot flavor comes out well. That, of course, is what you are looking for. 

Steaming carrots

Like boiling carrots, steaming carrots is also a good option to go for. This is because steaming carrots also brings out the flavor strongly. For this reason, it can be convenient to take advantage of this. The difference between steaming and boiling is that steaming carrots brings out the flavor even more. 

Stew in different dishes

Carrot is a vegetable that is very suitable for stewing. It is therefore used in many different dishes. Stewing carrot can be done in a number of ways. There are several dishes you can add carrot to. For example, it can be a good addition to stews with meat. 

It is also a good addition to soups and various sauces. This is because the roots impart a sweet earthy flavor. This flavor gives a sweet undertone to the sauce. It is especially suitable for sauces with tomato. This is because tomato has a slightly sour taste. The carrot balances this out a bit. 

Fry, wok or roast carrots

Carrots are also suitable for baking, wok and frying. When doing so, it is best to use carrots in the form of carrot julienne. That way you can be sure that you are dealing with a soft carrot when you eat them. After all, in most dishes it is not so tasty if the carrot is still hard. 

If you want to use larger pieces of carrot, it is important to blanch them first. This is boiling them briefly in water. Here it is not necessary to make the carrots completely al dente. It is better to go for carrots that are just barely cooked. This way you can be sure that the carrots will still be tender when you fry, wok or roast them. 

When wokking carrots, it is possible to use very small pieces such as carrot julienne. This is because that way you can be sure that the carrots are completely cooked after wokking. Since wok cooking is often done on the highest possible heat, it does not take too long for the carrots to be cooked if you use carrot julienne. For this reason, this can also be a good option to go for when you want to prepare carrots. 

At the time of baking or roasting, it is convenient to use whole carrots and blanch them for 5 minutes in boiling water with some salt. After this, you can bake or roast them until they are cooked. This is delicious to eat with some parsley on top. 

Carrots in the oven

It is also possible to prepare carrots in the oven. Here, in most cases it is convenient to go for somewhat larger rustic pieces of carrot. This is because carrots often go into the oven for a while. Especially if you are going to roast meat in the oven, it is very convenient to put carrots in the oven. 

Roasting carrots in the oven can be done in a number of ways. For example, it is possible to do this when roasting meat in the oven. In doing so, the meat picks up some of the flavor of the carrots and the carrots pick up some of the flavor of the meat. This can become very tasty. 

It is also possible to put the carrots in the oven with some salt, pepper and honey. This gives the carrots a delicious savory, yet sweet flavor. This makes the carrots a little sticky and very tasty. This gives you the delicious taste of carrots combined with the delicious sweet taste of honey. 

Furthermore, it is also possible to steam the carrots in the oven. You can do this by wrapping the carrots with some white wine and thyme in aluminum foil and steaming it in the oven for 45 minutes. This ensures that the carrots pick up the wonderful flavor of the wine and thyme. To make sure the carrots are cooked, you can prick them with a fork.