Here are a few tips to remember when boiling vegetables of different colours or textures. All tough-textured, starchy root vegetables like potatoes, turnips etc, should be started in cold water so it cooks evenly, whereas green vegetables should be added to boiling water. When boiling vegetables with bright colours like red (for example, beets), white (like turnips), yellow (like pumpkin), and orange (like carrots), cover the pot during boiling in order to retain acids that help hold the colour fast. However, never cover green vegetables when they are boiling, as they will lose their colour.
