Vegetable

Cooking Vegetables: Salting

Vegetables are made up mostly of water. When cooking, the biggest challenge is dealing with all these liquid. Salt is often employed to remove liquid from vegetables before using them in recipes. • Whensaltisappliedtovegetables,itcreatesa higher ion concentration at the surface that exists deep within the cells. • Toequalizetheconcentrationlevels,thewater within the cell is drawn out of the permeable cell walls à OSMOSIS • The added salt also causes the pectin to weaken. • Removalofwaterisimportantwhenmakingslaws and salads as the excess liquid can dilute a dressing. • Saltingalsocausestextureofvegetablestobecome softer and less crisp.

Blanching

cooking quickly in a pot of boiling, salted water

Nutrients in Vegetables

o Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain healthy blood pressure. Vegetable sources of potassium include sweet potatoes, white potatoes, white beans, tomato products (paste, sauce, and juice), beet greens, soybeans, lima beans, spinach, lentils, and kidney beans. o Dietary fiber from vegetables, as part of an overall healthy diet, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. Fiber is important for proper bowel function. It helps reduce constipation and diverticulosis. Fiber-containing foods such as vegetables help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories.

Nutrients in Vegetables

o Folate (folic acid) helps the body form red blood cells. Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant should consume adequate folate from foods, and in addition 400 mcg of synthetic folic acid from fortified foods or supplements. This reduces the risk of neural tube defects, spina bifida, and anencephaly during fetal development. o Vitamin A keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps to protect against infections. o Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds and keeps teeth and gums healthy. Vitamin C aids in iron absorption.

Cooking Vegetables

ØWhereas meat is predominantly fats and proteins, plants are primarily composed of carbohydrates such as cellulose, starch and pectin (i.e., polysaccharide found in cell walls of plants). ØUnlike cooking meat, where we want to preserve as much moisture as possible, with vegetables we want the water out.

Shocking

After blanching,we"shock"thevegetablesina bowl of ice water. This abruptly halts the cooking process, preventing any transformation of the chlorophyll and leaving us with crisp-tender vegetables with brilliant color.

Why is it important to eat vegetables?

Eating vegetables provides health benefits - people who eat more vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Vegetables provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body.

What's the difference between a fruit and a vegetable?

Fruits are the reproductive parts of the plant (those containing seeds), while vegetables are everything else (roots, stems and leaves).

How to get green color?

Green Vegetables Like it HOT (Blanching) and then COLD (Shocking)

Why is it important to eat vegetables? (continued)

Most vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories. None have cholesterol. (Sauces or seasonings may add fat, calories, and/or cholesterol.) Vegetables are important sources of many nutrients, including potassium, dietary fiber, folate (folic acid), vitamin A, and vitamin C.

Vegetables

Plant foods that we treat as vegetables remain firm, have a very mild flavor (like green beans and potatoes) or an excessively strong one (like onions and cabbage) and therefore require the craft of the cook to make them palatable.

Health Benefits of Eating Vegetables

• Eatingadietrichinvegetablesandfruitsaspart of an overall healthy diet may reduce risk for heart disease, including heart attack and stroke. • Eatingadietrichinsomevegetablesandfruits as part of an overall healthy diet may protect against certain types of cancers. • Dietsrichinfoodscontainingfiber,suchas some vegetables and fruits, may reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

Health Benefits of Eating Vegetables

• Eatingvegetablesandfruitsrichinpotassiumas part of an overall healthy diet may lower blood pressure, and may also reduce the risk of developing kidney stones and help to decrease bone loss. • Eatingfoodssuchasvegetablesthatarelower in calories per cup instead of some other higher-calorie food may be useful in helping to lower calorie intake.

Vegetable Color

• Heat affects the color of vegetables. • Green vegetables get their bright color from chlorophyll that contains a magnesium (Mg) ion at its center: Structure of Chlorophyll • When chlorophyll is heated, it loses this Mg ion which results into a dull, olive green hue.