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Carrots In Stew

[Replies: 33]

Last Post Oct 1, 2007 7:19 PM by: my alice

Lottie loves Angel Food Cake

Posts: 751

Re: Carrots In Stew

Posted: Aug 31, 2007 10:15 AM

Do you use pre cut frozen carrots? Or how about carrots in a can. Those always come out nice and tender. You should also probably use a slow cooker for best results.

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BilleeJean

Posts: 126

Re: Carrots In Stew

Posted: Aug 31, 2007 9:46 AM

Perfect Winter Beef Stew

*shudder*

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Chef Bill

Posts: 424

Re: Carrots In Stew

Posted: Aug 31, 2007 5:34 AM

Hi queenmidnyte,
I know you asked Kraft Kitchens for help but sometimes it take a while for them to answer so let me try to help you.
I don't know what is in your stew or whether it simmered on stove top, slow cooker, or was baked in the oven.

Sometimes, carrots can end up al dente' in stews, sometimes from being what I call "horse carrots" which are large to start with and have a harder core, are cut too large, are not simmered low enough in the liquid, and sometimes the "tomato factor" is the cause. (I know this will raise eyebrows). A classic example of the "tomato factor" occurs when you make chili. Even if you soak the beans overnight, if you start cooking them with tomatoes and your other ingredients your beans stay hard for a much longer time and longer cooking is usually required. I don't know if your PERFECT WINTER BEEF STEW even had tomatoes in it.

Some overall suggestions:
-Try to use the smallest carrots in the bunch or bag.
-Cut them into small slices (1/4"-1/2") or julienne them (make them thinner and longer.
-Test the carrots to be sure they are cooked to your liking before stopping the cooking process.
-Increase your cooking time with whatever cooking process you use. I make my stews in a slow cooker on low 8-10 hours, high 4-5 hours, and if you have an automatic setting, around 6 hours. When you use a slow cooker, it's hard to overcook the stew, it just gets better.
-Very possibly you just got a bunch of "tough" carrots.

I hope my suggestions will help make your carrots consistently more tender in your future stews. There is a lot of talent on this site and I'm sure you will receive some more helpful ideas.

Welcome aboard!

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queenmidnyte

Posts: 1

Carrots In Stew

Posted: Aug 30, 2007 7:30 PM

Hi my name is Kamra and I love your site. I often make dishes I find here. One of my familys favorite dishes is the PERFECT WINTER BEEF STEW. Sometimes it comes out great and others not as good as before. This time it was the carrots. Though they cooked with everything else as always they stayed hard. Can you tell me why this is? and what can I do to stop this from happening in the future?

Thank YOU
Kamra

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