Prepare Vegetable Dishes

PREPARING
VEGETABLE
DISHES
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
• Determine the types and characteristics of vegetables;
• Identify the qualities of vegetables;
• Prepare vegetable dishes; and
• Perform procedures for controlling changes in the quality of

vegetables.
WHAT IS VEGETABLE?
A vegetable is an edible plant or parts of a
plant. Vegetables may be classified as
root, green or fruit vegetable. This lesson will
present the types and characteristics as well as
the qualities of vegetables.
TYPES AND
CHARACTERISTIC
S OF VEGETABLE
QUALITIES OF
VEGETABLES
• Cooking affects the following factors or qualities of
vegetables:
• Texture Flavor
• Color Nutrients
The changes in these four characteristics determine

the outcome of the dish that you are cooking.
• Controlling Changes in Color
• White-pigmented vegetables:
• Add a little lemon juice or cream of tartar to the cooking
water (Do not add too much as this may toughen the
vegetable). Covering the pot also helps keep acid in.
• Cooking for a short time, especially in the steamer, helps
maintain color (and flavor and nutrients as well).
• Overcooking or holding too long in a steam table turns
white vegetables dull yellow or gray.
Red-pigmented vegetables:
• Anthocyanins dissolve easily in water which means:
• Use a short cooking time. Overcooked red vegetables lose a lot of
color.
• Use only as much water as is necessary.
• Cook beets whole and unpeeled, with root and an inch of stem
attached to protect color. Skins easily slip off cooked beets.
• When steaming, use solid pans instead of perforated pans to retain
the red juices.
• Whenever possible, serve the cooking liquid as a sauce with the
vegetable
Yellow and orange-pigmented vegetables:
• Carotenoids get affected by acids and alkalies
minimally.
• Long cooking can dull the color while short cooking
not only prevents dulling of the color but also
preserves vitamins and flavors.
Green-pigmented vegetables:
• Cooking uncovered to allow plant acids to escape.
• Cooking for the shortest time possible. Properly
cooked green vegetables are tender-crisp, not mushy.
• Cooking in small batches rather than holding for
long periods in the steam table.
• Contolling Flavor Loss
• Flavor loss can be controlled in several ways:
• Cook for as short a time as possible.
• Use boiling salted water. Starting vegetables in boiling water
shortens the time. The addition of salt helps reduces flavor loss.
• Use just enough water to cover to minimize leaching. Note that
this rule contradicts rule 1 in that adding vegetables to a small
quantity of water lowers the temperature more, so cooking time is
extended.
-Steam vegetables whenever appropriate. Steam cooking reduces
leaching out of flavor and shortens cooking time.
To serve sweet-tasting vegetables:

-Try to serve young, fresh vegetables that have been stored for a
short time only.
-For older vegetables, add a small amount of sugar to the cooking
water to replace loss of sweetness.
• Controlling Changes in Color
• White-pigmented vegetables:
• Add a little lemon juice or cream of tartar to the cooking water
(Do not add too much as this may toughen the vegetable).
Covering the pot also helps keep acid in.
• Cooking for a short time, especially in the steamer, helps maintain
color (and flavor and nutrients as well).
• Overcooking or holding too long in a steam table turns white
vegetables dull yellow or gray.
• Red-pigmented vegetables:
• Anthocyanins dissolve easily in water which means:
• Use a short cooking time. Overcooked red vegetables lose a lot of color.
• Use only as much water as is necessary.
• Cook beets whole and unpeeled, with root and an inch of stem attached to
protect color. Skins easily slip off cooked beets.
• When steaming, use solid pans instead of perforated pans to retain the red
juices.
• Whenever possible, serve the cooking liquid as a sauce with the vegetable
• Yellow and orange-pigmented vegetables:
• Carotenoids get affected by acids and alkalies minimally.
• Long cooking can dull the color while short cooking not
only prevents dulling of the color but also preserves
vitamins and flavors.
• Green-pigmented vegetables:
• Cooking uncovered to allow plant acids to escape.
• Cooking for the shortest time possible. Properly cooked
green vegetables are tender-crisp, not mushy.
• Cooking in small batches rather than holding for long
periods in the steam table.
PREPARING
VEGETABLES FOR
COOKING
The best dishes are made with the use of the
freshest ingredients. That is why most of the time
cooks prefer using fresh vegetables. This lesson
will present the procedures for preparing
vegetables for cooking and the measures for
controlling the changes in the quality of vegetables
during cooking.
• In order to preserve and maximize the good quality fresh
vegetables have, it is important to learn how to handle
vegetables before, during and after preparation.
• Guidelines for Preparing Vegetables for Cooking

• Preparing vegetables for cooking includes washing, soaking,
peeling, cutting and trimming vegetables.
•
• Washing:
• Wash vegetables thoroughly.
• Root vegetables that are not peeled, such as potatoes for baking, should be scrubbed
very well with a stiff vegetable brush.
• Wash green, leafy vegetables in several changes of cold water. Lift the greens from
the water so that the sand will sink to the bottom. Pouring off into a colander dumps
the sand back onto the leaves.
• If needed for later use, drain vegetables well, cover and refrigerate to prevent drying.
• Soaking:
• To preserve as much flavor, do not soak vegetables in water for long periods (except for dried
legumes).
• If necessary, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower may be soaked for 30
minutes in cold salted water to eliminate insects.
• Limp vegetables can be soaked briefly in cold water to restore crispiness.
• Dried legumes are soaked for several hours before cooking to replace moisture lost in drying.
Dried beans absorb their weight in water.
• Treat vegetables that brown easily (potatoes, eggplant, artichokes, sweet potatoes) with an
acid, such as lemon juice, or an antioxidant solution, or hold under water until ready to use
(some vitamins and minerals will be lost).
Peeling, Cutting and Trimming:
• Peel most vegetables as thinly as possible. Many nutrients lie just under the skin.
• Cut vegetables into uniform pieces for even cooking.
• Peel and cut vegetables as close to cooking time as possible to prevent drying and loss
of vitamins through oxidation.
• Save edible trim for soups, stocks, and vegetable purees.

Prepare Vegetable Dishes

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Prepare Vegetable Dishes

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

PREPARING

• Identify the qualities of vegetables;

• Prepare vegetable dishes; and

• Perform procedures for controlling changes in the quality of

The changes in these four characteristics determine

To serve sweet-tasting vegetables:

• Guidelines for Preparing Vegetables for Cooking

• Limp vegetables can be soaked briefly in cold water to restore crispiness.

• Cut vegetables into uniform pieces for even cooking.

• Save edible trim for soups, stocks, and vegetable purees.

You might also like