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Contents {#contents.TOCHeading} ======== [Controlling quality changes during cooking 1](#controlling-quality-changes-during-cooking) [Controlling Texture Changes 1](#controlling-texture-changes) [Fiber 1](#fiber) [Starch 2](#starch) [Doneness 2](#doneness) [Guidelines for achieving proper done...

Contents {#contents.TOCHeading} ======== [Controlling quality changes during cooking 1](#controlling-quality-changes-during-cooking) [Controlling Texture Changes 1](#controlling-texture-changes) [Fiber 1](#fiber) [Starch 2](#starch) [Doneness 2](#doneness) [Guidelines for achieving proper doneness in vegetables 2](#guidelines-for-achieving-proper-doneness-in-vegetables) [Controlling Flavour changes 3](#controlling-flavour-changes) [Cooking Produces Flavor Changes 3](#cooking-produces-flavor-changes) [Cooking and Sweetness 3](#cooking-and-sweetness) [Controlling Colour Changes 4](#controlling-colour-changes) [White Vegetables 4](#white-vegetables) [Red Vegetables 4](#red-vegetables) [Green Vegetables 5](#_Toc156460502) [Yellow and Orange Vegetables 5](#yellow-and-orange-vegetables) [Controlling Nutrient Losses 5](#controlling-nutrient-losses) [Cooking in a Little Liquid Versus a Lot of Liquid 6](#cooking-in-a-little-liquid-versus-a-lot-of-liquid) [General Rules of Vegetable Cookery 6](#general-rules-of-vegetable-cookery) [Standards of Quality in Cooked Vegetables 7](#standards-of-quality-in-cooked-vegetables) Cooking Vegetables Part 1 Vegetables were once abused and ignored, assigned to the lesser role of inconsequential side dishes that could be taken or left on the table without being noticed. Today, however, vegetables are much more valued, not only for their nutritional value, but also for the variety, flavour, eye appeal, and even elegance and refinement they add to a meal. Modern cooks owe it to themselves and their consumers to approach vegetables with understanding, respect, and creativity. Vegetables require special handling from receipt to serving due to their perishable nature. Freshness is its most appealing and attractive trait, and it must be preserved with extreme caution. The goal is to retain and enhance the fresh flavour, texture, and colour, as well as to prepare and serve vegetables that are not just acceptable but also desirable. Controlling quality changes during cooking ========================================== As a cook, you can choose from a variety of vegetables and cooking methods. Naturally, you must master the principles of cooking vegetables before beginning.  Many guides merely give a broad set of rules to memorise. You will be able to understand the concepts more easily, however, if you first study how vegetables change when they are cooked and how to control those changes. In other words, it is suggested that you understand why you do what you do rather than simply memorise it. Cooking affects vegetables in four ways. It changes the following: 1. Texture. 2. Flavor. 3. Color. 4. Nutrients. The extent to which these four characteristics change determines whether your finished product is appealing and delicious to the customer or ends up in the trash. You have power over these changes if you understand how they happen. Unfortunately, there is still a debate among chefs over the right vegetable cooking methods. Modern technology has not yet solved all of the challenges that skilled chefs face every day in the kitchen. Controlling Texture Changes --------------------------- Cooking vegetables is mostly used to change their texture. ### Fiber Vegetable fibre structures, such as cellulose and pectins, give them form and rigidity. Cooking softens some of these components. The amount of fiber varies on: 1. Different vegetables. Spinach and tomatoes contain less fibre than carrots and turnips, for example. 2. Various examples of the same vegetables. Older, tougher carrots contain more fibre than younger, fresh carrots. 3. In the same vegetable. The soft tips of asparagus and broccoli have less fibre than the harder stalks. Fiber is made firmer by 1. Acids. Lemon juice, vinegar, and tomato products, when added to cooking vegetables, extend the cooking time. 2. Sugars. Sugar strengthens cell structure. You will use this principle primarily in fruit cookery. For firm poached apples or pears, for example, cook in a heavy syrup. For applesauce, cook apples until soft before sweetening. Fiber is softened by 1. Heat. In general, longer cooking means softer vegetables. 2. Alkalis. Do not add baking soda to green vegetables. Not only does it destroy vitamins but it also makes the vegetables unpleasantly mushy. ### Starch Starch is another vegetable component that influences texture. 1. Cook dry starchy foods, such as legumes, rice, and macaroni, in enough water for the starch granules to absorb and soften. Dried beans are typically soaked before being cooked to replenish lost moisture. 2. Moist starchy vegetables, such as potatoes and sweet potatoes, require cooking to soften the starch granules, despite their inherent moisture. ### Doneness A vegetable is said to be done when it has reached its desired degree of softness. This stage varies by vegetable. Some vegetables, such winter squash, eggplant and braised celery, are considered fully cooked when they are quite soft. Most vegetables, however, should be cooked briefly, until crisp-tender or al dente (firm to bite). At this level of tenderness, they have the most appealing texture while also retaining the greatest flavour, colour, and nutrients. ### Guidelines For Achieving Proper Doneness In Vegetables 1. Don't overcook. 2. Cook as close to service as possible. Holding vegetables in a steam table continues to cook them. 3. If vegetables must be cooked in advance, slightly undercook them, cool rapidly in cold water, drain, and refrigerate, then reheat to order. 4. For uniform doneness, cut vegetables into pieces of uniform size before cooking. 5. Vegetables with both tough and tender parts need special treatment so the tender parts are not overcooked by the time the tougher parts are done. For example, 1. Peel the woody stalks of asparagus. 2. Peel or split broccoli stalks. 3. Pierce the base of Brussels sprouts with a sharp knife. 4. Remove the heavy center stalks of lettuce leaves before braising. 6. Don't mix batches of cooked vegetables. They are likely to be cooked to slightly different levels of doneness. Controlling Flavour changes --------------------------- Most flavours are lost during the cooking process as they dissolve in the cooking liquid and evaporate. The longer a vegetable cooks for, the more flavour it loses. Flavour loss can be managed in multiple ways: 1. Cook for the shortest time possible. 2. Use boiling, salted water. Starting vegetables in boiling water reduces cooking time. The addition of salt reduces flavour loss. To minimise leaching, use only enough water to cover. This rule contradicts rule 1 in that adding vegetables to a small amount of water lowers the temperature even more, resulting in a longer cooking time. Save your queries about this until you\'ve read the sections on colour and nutritional adjustments. 3. Steam vegetables when appropriate. Steam cooking prevents flavour loss while also reducing cooking time. #### Strong-Flavored Vegetables It is advisable to remove some of the flavour from certain strongly flavoured vegetables in order to make them more palatable. These include onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots; cabbages, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and broccoli; and several root vegetables. When cooking strong-flavored vegetables, keep them open to let the flavours escape, and use additional water. ### Cooking Produces Flavor Changes Cooked vegetables taste different than fresh vegetables because cooking causes chemical changes. As long as the vegetables are not overdone, the change is desirable. It produces the flavours that people look for in vegetable recipes. Overcooking causes unfavourable alterations in members of the cabbage family. They develop a pungent, undesirable flavour. Cabbage and its cousins should be cooked fast and uncovered. ### Cooking and Sweetness Young, freshly harvested vegetables have a high sugar content, giving them a sweeter flavour. As they mature or lie in storage, the sugar eventually converts to starch. This is particularly visible in corn, peas, carrots, turnips, and beets. To serve sweet-tasting vegetables:  1. Choose young, fresh vegetables that have been picked as recently as possible.  2. To compensate for the loss of sweetness in older veggies, add a small amount of sugar to the cooking water. Controlling Colour Changes -------------------------- When preparing vegetables, try to keep as much of their natural colour as possible. Customers may reject or accept a vegetable based on its look, thus its visual appeal is just as vital as flavour or nutritional content. Pigments are the compounds that give vegetables their colour. Different colours react differently to heat, acids, and other chemicals that may be present during cooking, therefore each must be discussed separately. A close-up of a recipe Description automatically generated ### White Vegetables Pigments known as anthoxanthins (an-tho-zan-thins) and flavonoids range in colour from pale yellow to white. These are the main colouring compounds found in potatoes, onions, cauliflower, and white cabbage, as well as the white sections of other vegetables like celery, cucumber, and zucchini. White pigments remain white in an acid and turn yellow in alkaline water. To preserve vegetables like cauliflower white, add little lemon juice or cream of tartar to the cooking water. (Don\'t use too much, since it may toughen the vegetable.) Covering the pot also keeps acids inside. Cooking for a brief period of time, particularly in a steamer, helps to preserve colour (along with flavour and nutrients). White vegetables become drab yellow or grey after being overcooked or held on a steam table for an extended period of time. ### Red Vegetables Only a few vegetables contain red pigments known as anthocyanins, the most common being red cabbage and beetroot. These red pigments also give blueberries their colour. (The pigments that cause carrots to turn yellow or orange are responsible for the red colour of tomatoes and red peppers.) Red pigments react strongly to acids and alkalis. Acids make them brighter red. Alkalis turn them blue or blue-green (not a particularly appealing colour for red cabbage). Beetroot and red cabbage turn the nicest colour when cooked with a little bit of acid. Red cabbage is sometimes cooked with green apples for this reason. Red pigments dissolve easily in water. This means: 1. []{#_Toc156460502.anchor}Set a short cooking time. Overcooked red vegetables lose a lot of their colour. 2. Use only as much water as needed. 3. To preserve colour, cook beetroot whole and unpeeled, leaving the root and an inch of stem on. Skins easily peel off when cooked. 4. When steaming, use solid pans instead of perforated ones to keep the crimson juices. 5. If feasible, use the cooking liquid as a sauce for the vegetables. ### Green Vegetables All green plants contain chlorophyll, which gives them their green colour. Green vegetables are frequent in the kitchen. Therefore it is vital to understand the unique handling requirements for this pigment. Acids are the enemies of green veggies. Both acid and prolonged cooking render green vegetables a dull olive green. Maintain the colour of green veggies by: 1. Cooking uncovered to release plant acids. 2. Cooking in the least possible time. Green vegetables that have been properly cooked are delicate and crisp, not mushy. 3. Minimise cooking time on a steam table by cooking in small batches. Steaming is quickly becoming the favoured way to cook green vegetables. Steam cooks food quickly, reduces the loss of minerals and flavour, and does not break up delicate veggies. Overcooking, however, can happen quickly in steamers. Do not use baking soda to keep the green colour. Soda depletes vitamins and makes the texture unpleasant, mushy, and slippery. How much water should you use when boiling? A significant quantity of water helps dissolve plant acids, maintain colours, and speed up cooking. However, some cooks believe an excessive amount of nutrients could be lost. For more information, see the section following this one. ### Yellow and Orange Vegetables Carrots, corn, winter squash, rutabaga, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and red peppers all contain yellow and orange pigments known as carotenoids. These pigments are very resilient. They are relatively unaffected by acids and alkalis. However, prolonged cooking can cause the colour to fade. Short cooking not only keeps the colour vibrant, but it also protects vitamins and flavours. Controlling Nutrient Losses --------------------------- Vegetables are an important element of our diet since they include an extensive number of vital nutrients. They are excellent suppliers of vitamins A and C, as well as a number of other nutrients. Unfortunately, many of these nutrients are easily lost. The majority of nutrients are lost due to six factors: 1. High temperature. 2. Long cooking. 3. Leaching (dissolving out). 4. Alkalis (baking soda, hard water). 5. Plant enzymes (which are active at warm temperatures but destroyed by high heat). 6. Oxygen. Some nutritional loss is unavoidable because it is rare to avoid all of these situations simultaneously. As an example, 1. While pressure steaming reduces cooking time, the high temperature can destroy certain vitamins. 2. Braising requires a longer cooking time due to the low heat used. 3. While baking prevents vitamin and mineral leaching, prolonged cooking at high temperatures might lead to nutritional loss. 4. While boiling is faster than simmering, it can be detrimental due to the increased temperature and rapid activity, which can break down fragile vegetables and cause leaching. 5. Cutting vegetables into little pieces reduces cooking time but increases leaching due to more exposed surfaces. 6. Steaming vegetables might cause nutrients to leak into the moisture that condenses and drips down. ### Cooking in a Little Liquid Versus a Lot of Liquid This is a point of contention with compelling reasons on both sides. 1. Excessive liquid usage leads to vitamin loss through leaching. Use only enough liquid to cover. Save the cooking liquid for reheating the vegetables, stock, or soup. 2. Using less liquid increases cooking time. When the veggies are combined with a tiny amount of boiling water, the temperature drops significantly, and the vegetables must sit in warm water while it heats back up. Plant enzymes may also degrade some vitamins before the water reaches a high enough temperature to do so. For these reasons, tests have shown that cooking vegetables in a lot of water does not result in any more nutrient loss than cooking vegetables in just enough water to cover. When cooking green veggies, it is beneficial to use a lot of water.\ Plant acids are diluted and pushed off more quickly, resulting in greater colour preservation. Nutritionally, the best cooking methods are typically those that yield the most appealing, tasty results. 1. They\'re more likely to be consumed. No one benefits from discarded veggies, regardless of their nutritional value. 2. Nutrient-destroying factors often affect colour, flavour, and texture. General Rules of Vegetable Cookery ================================== Now that you understand how vegetables change as they cook, let's summarize that information in some general rules. You should now be able to explain the reasons for each of these rules. 1. Don't overcook. 2. Cook as close to service time as possible, and in small quantities. Avoid holding for long periods on a steam table. 3. If the vegetable must be cooked ahead, undercook slightly and chill rapidly. Reheat at service time. 4. Never use baking soda with green vegetables. 5. Cut vegetables uniformly for even cooking. 6. Start with boiling, salted water when boiling green vegetables and other vegetables that grow above the ground. Roots and tubers are started in cold, salted water for more even cooking. 7. Cook green vegetables and strong-flavored vegetables uncovered. 8. To preserve color, cook red and white vegetables in a slightly acid (not strongly acid) liquid. Cook green vegetables in a neutral liquid. 9. Do not mix a batch of freshly cooked vegetables with a batch of the same vegetable that was cooked earlier and kept hot in a steam table. Standards of Quality in Cooked Vegetables ========================================= 1\. Color. Bright, natural colors. Green vegetables, in particular, should be a fresh, bright green, not olive green. 2\. Appearance on plate. Cut neatly and uniformly. Not broken up. Attractively arranged or mounded on plate or dish. Not swimming in cooking water. Imaginative and appropriate combinations and garnishes are always well received. 3\. Texture. Cooked to the right degree of doneness. Most vegetables should be crisp-tender, not overcooked and mushy, but not tough or woody either. Vegetables intended to be soft (potatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, vegetable purées) should be cooked through, with a pleasant, smooth texture. 4\. Flavor. Full, natural flavor and sweetness, sometimes called garden-fresh flavor. Strong flavored vegetables should be pleasantly mild, with no off flavors or bitterness. 5\. Seasonings. Lightly and appropriately seasoned. Seasonings should not be too strong and should not mask the natural garden flavors. 6\. Sauces. Butter and seasoned butters should be fresh and not used heavily; vegetables should not be greasy. Cream sauces and other sauces should not be too thick or too heavily seasoned. As with seasonings, sauces should enhance, not cover up. 7\. Vegetable combinations. Interesting combinations attract customers. Flavors, colors, and shapes should be pleasing in combination. Vegetables should be cooked separately and then combined to allow for different cooking times. Acid vegetables (like tomatoes) added to green vegetables will discolor them. Combine just before service.