The process of plunging vegetables into ice water after cooking is known as "shocking." This technique halts the cooking process immediately, preserving the vegetables' vibrant color, crisp texture, and nutritional value. It also helps to stop enzymatic reactions that can lead to overcooking or undesirable flavors. After shocking, the vegetables can be drained and stored or served immediately.
You can use a water heater for cooking by filling a pot with water, placing it on top of the water heater, and turning on the heat to boil the water. Once the water is boiling, you can cook food like pasta, vegetables, or eggs in the pot. Just be sure to monitor the cooking process closely to prevent overcooking or burning.
To maintain the texture of vegetables when prepping, it is important to not overcook them. Use cooking methods such as sautéing, roasting, or stir-frying that help retain their crispness. You can also shock vegetables in ice water after blanching to stop the cooking process and keep them crisp.
Vitamin C is the nutrient most easily lost by the process of boiling. It is water-soluble and can leach out into the cooking water. To preserve vitamin C, it is recommended to cook vegetables for a shorter time or to use cooking methods that involve less water, such as steaming.
Cooking softens vegetables primarily by breaking down the pectin and hemicellulose in the cell walls. Both heat and water play a role in this process, as they help break down the structural components that give vegetables their firm texture. This allows the cell contents to soften and the vegetable overall to become more palatable.
Vegetables can be cooked without added salt. But salt causes water to boil at a higher temperature than unsalted water, shortening the cooking time. Salted water also improves the flavor of most vegetables. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Heavily salted water boils at about 213F (100.5C). The main reasons for adding salt is to keep starchy foods from sticking, prevent nutrient loss by "sealing" the surface of the food or to enhance the flavor of foods. See link below.
To stop the cooking and set the color, "refresh" vegetables by immediately draining and plunging them into ice water.
blanching
Blanching works by quickly cooking the food and then quickly stopping the cooking progress. This is usually stopped using ice water.
shocking.
In culinary terms, "shock" refers to the process of rapidly cooling food, typically vegetables, after blanching or cooking. This is usually done by plunging the food into ice water, which helps preserve color, texture, and nutrients. Shocking stops the cooking process immediately, preventing overcooking and ensuring the food remains crisp and vibrant. It's a common technique used in preparing ingredients for salads, freezing, or further cooking.
Steaming the vegetables rather than boiling.
Blanching is a cooking technique where vegetables are briefly boiled in water, then quickly cooled in ice water. This process helps to soften the vegetables slightly, making them easier to cook further. It also helps to preserve the color and texture of the vegetables by stopping enzyme activity that can cause them to become dull and mushy.
I do not enjoy plunging into cold water.
does soaking vegetables in water before cooking cause leaching of water soluble vitamins and minerals
You can use a water heater for cooking by filling a pot with water, placing it on top of the water heater, and turning on the heat to boil the water. Once the water is boiling, you can cook food like pasta, vegetables, or eggs in the pot. Just be sure to monitor the cooking process closely to prevent overcooking or burning.
Vacuum packed vegetables are blanched, which is a process of partially cooking them in boiling water. They do this because raw vegetables give off gases when stored. Vacuum packed fruits are uncooked when frozen.
To maintain the texture of vegetables when prepping, it is important to not overcook them. Use cooking methods such as sautéing, roasting, or stir-frying that help retain their crispness. You can also shock vegetables in ice water after blanching to stop the cooking process and keep them crisp.