Whether raw or cooked, carrots bring a welcome dose of pleasant texture and delicious flavor to almost any meal. While carrots can be steamed, boiled, braised, roasted, or sauteed, sous vide is one of the absolute best ways to cook this versatile vegetable. The steady and precise sous-vide cooking process results in perfectly tender, toothsome, and tasty carrots with minimal effort.
Follow this simple guide to prepare perfectly cooked carrots every time.
Temperature and cooking times for leeks
| Device | Temperature | Time |
| Suvie | Slow Cook: Low | 1 Hour |
| Immersion Circulator | 185°F | 1 Hour |
In general, vegetables require higher cooking temperatures than meats and other proteins. For firmer vegetables such as carrots, setting your sous vide water bath to 185°F for 1 hour should be enough to break down the vegetable cell walls enough to get them tender. It is possible to cook carrots and other vegetables at a lower temperature such as 175°F, however, this will require a longer cook time of about 2 hours.
Ingredients and Tools
- 4-6 small carrots (about 1 lbs)
- Salt
- Olive oil or butter
Equipment
- Suvie or immersion circulator
- A large pot (if using an immersion circulator)
- Vacuum sealer and bags or freezer safe recloseable bags
Directions
If you’re using a sous vide immersion circulator, pre-heat your water bath to the desired temperature.
Wash and peel the carrots and cut off the ends.
Cut the carrots into chunks or batons of a similar size.
Place the carrots into a plastic bag. Season with salt and add several small pats of butter or (about 1 tbps) or a drizzle of olive oil to the bag.
Vacuum seal the bag, If you’re using a recloseable bag, follow our guide on the water displacement method.
Lower the bag into the water bath and cook for 1 hour.
If you are using Suvie, place the bag into a Suvie pan and cover completely with water. Place in the top right zone of Suvie and use the following settings:
My Cook > Slow Cook Settings
Low, 1 hour
Once the cook is done remove the bag from your Suvie or water bath.
Remove the carrots from from the bag.
Recipes to try
Herby Sous Vide Carrots
FAQs
Are the cooking temperatures safe?
Our recommended cooking temperatures for Sous vide and Suvie are lower than what the USDA recommends, however, cooking times and temperatures are long enough and high enough for “pasteurization” to make your food safe. The USDA recommendations indicate the temperature needed to instantly kill food pathogens. By cooking for a longer time at a lower temperature we are able to achieve the same effect. However, high-risk populations should use extra caution when preparing foods below the USDA recommended temperatures.
Can I use any type of plastic bag?
You can, however, make sure that they are made from polyethylene. Brand name recloseable bags are made using polyethylene which is a BPA and dioxin free plastic that can safely handle sous vide cooking temperatures up to 190°F. Some generic branded plastic bags are made using cheaper polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which cannot handle high temps and contains chemicals that can leach into food.
Can I leave my food in the water bath indefinitely?
You can, but you shouldn’t. While leaving carrots in sous vide for long periods of time won’t result in overcooking, it will have a negative effect on the overall texture of the vegetables.
Can I cook other vegetables in the same bag as the leeks?
You can! Fortunately, most vegetables can be cooked at around the same temperature so feel free to add other similar veggies. However, avoid mixing the carrots with quick-cooking vegetables like green beans as these require a shorter cooking time.
