What are the four ways in which cooking affects vegetables?
- Texture
- Flavour
- Colour
- Nutrients
How does fiber affect texture? How does fiber vary?
Fiber structures give veggies shape and firmness
It varies:
• in different vegetables
• in different examples of the same vegetable (old vs young)
• in the same vegetable (tender tips of broccoli have less fiber than stalks)
What is fiber made firmer by?
Acids (lemon, vinegar, etc)
Results in longer cooking times
Sugars (strengthens cell structure) - cook veggies first and then add syrup or sugar
What makes fiber softer?
Heat (longer cooking times means softer veggies)
Alkalis (destroys vitamins and makes veggies unpleasantly mushy)
What is another component that affects textures? What are the two kinds?
Starch
Dry starch (dried legumes, rice, macaroni) must be cooked in enough water for the starch to absorb and soften
Moist starch (potatoes) need to be cooked til the starch softens
When are vegetables said to be done?
When they reach the desired degree of tenderness
This stage varies from veggie to veggie (squash - really soft; most others are cooking til al-dente)
What are the 6 guidelines for achieving proper doneness?
- Don’t overcook
- Cook as close to service as possible (no steam tables)
- If being cooked ahead of time, undercook, cool and refrigerate
- For uniform doneness, cut uniform sizes
- Vegetables with tough and tender parts need to be properly prepared (peel and split broccoli stalks)
- Don’t mix batches of vegetables (they require different times)
What are 4 ways to control flavor loss?
- Cook for as short a time as possible
- Use boiling salted water
- Use just enough water to cover (prevent leaching)
- Steam vegetables whenever possible (reduces leaching and shortens cooking time)
How do you allow flavor loss?
Some vegetables are very pungent (onions and cabbage) so leaching and flavor loss is favorable
- Cook in large amounts of water
- Do not cover
Why do you want to select fresh young vegetables?
Young freshly harvested vegetables have a high sugar content that makes them taste sweet
As they mature, or sit in storage, the sugar changes to starch
To keep sweetness, choose fresh vegetables but if you have to use older vegetables, cook with a little sugar to replace lost sweetness
How do you keep white vegetables white?
white pigments (anthoxanthins and flavonoids) stay white in ACID (not alkaline water)
- add lemon juice or cream of tartar to water (but not too much because acid fortifies fiber and makes tough)
- cover the pot to keep acids in
How do you keep red vegetables red?
Red pigment (anthocyanins) is turned bright red by acids and blue by alkalis
Add acid but not too much (fiber)
How do you keep green vegetables green?
Green pigment (chlorophyll) is turned olive green by acids and longer cooking times
- cook uncovered to allow plant acids to escape
- cook for shortest time
- cook in small batches as needed rather than hold for long time
How do large amounts of water keep pigment?
Leaches plant acids
Helps preserve color
Speeds cooking
How do yellow and orange vegetables stay yellow and orange?
Yellow/orange pigment (carotenoids) are very stable and unaffected by acids and alkalis
• long cooking times can dull color so cook for shorter times
What are the 6 factors for nutrient loss?
- High temp
- Long cooking times
- Leaching
- Alkalis (baking soda, hard water)
- Plant enzyme
- Oxygen (potatoes brown when cut)
What are the advantages and disadvantages of pressure cooking, braising, baking, boiling, cutting vegetables in small pieces, and steaming?
Pressure cooking: short time but high temp
Braising: low temp but long time
Baking: long time but high temp (no leaching)
Boiling: faster than simmer (high temp but leaching)
Small pieces: less time but increased leaching
Steaming: some leaching but high temp
What is the purpose of vegetables in a food service menu?
Good nutrition
Adding colors, flavors and textures
Name two vegetables for roots, bulbs, flowers, fruits, leaves, seeds, and stems
Roots: carrots, beets Bulbs: garlic, onions Flowers: broccoli, cauliflower Fruits: tomatoes, peppers Leaves: cabbage, lettuce Seeds: beans, peas Stems: asparagus, celery
What are three rules to remember when storing fresh vegetables?
- Do not wash before storage
- store leafy veggies in covered containers or plastic bags
- store tubers, roots and bulbs in a cool dry place (don’t refrigerate)
What factors affect the different quality grades of canned veggies food buyers purchase?
Budget, quality standards and intended use impact what different institutions need
What are the basic pre-preparation steps?
Clean thoroughly before cooking in cold running water
Cut food into smaller pieces
What are some ways nutritional content can be preserved? (4)
- use as little water as possible
- don’t overcook
- cook in small batches as close to serving time as possible
- suit the method of cooking to the color family and strength/flavor
What are five methods of cooking vegetables?
- boiling
- baking
- broiling
- sautéing
- deep frying
