32. PREPARING VEGETABLES FOR COOKING.--Before many vegetables can be
cooked, they require a certain amount of preparation, such as washing,
soaking, peeling, cutting up into suitable sizes, etc. When they must be
peeled, great care should be taken not to remove too much of the
vegetable with the skin. Whenever it is possible to do so, vegetables
should be cooked in their skins, as there is much less waste of edible
material if the skins are removed after cooking. Potatoes that are to be
fried, hashed brown, or used for salad and other similar dishes may be
boiled in their skins and peeled afterwards just as conveniently as to
be peeled first and then boiled. Indeed, this plan is strongly
recommended, for it not only saves material that is removed in the
peeling but also conserves the mineral salts and the soluble food
material, much of which is lost in the water during the cooking.
33. If it is desired to remove the peeling before cooking, it will be
found more economical to put the vegetables in water and then scrape off
the skins than to cut them off with a knife. This method is especially
satisfactory with new potatoes and with such vegetables as carrots,
parsnips, salsify, and turnips. The scraping can be accomplished more
easily if the vegetables are first plunged into boiling water for a few
minutes and then dipped into cold water.
When entire heads of such vegetables as cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels
sprouts, etc. are to be cooked, they should be soaked, head down, for at
least 1/2 hour in salted water made by adding 1 teaspoon-full of salt to
1 quart of water. This is done in order to remove any bugs or worms that
may be lodged in the head. The correct proportion of salt is an
important detail of this process, for if salt water that is too strong
is used, it will kill the bugs or worms and they will remain in the
head. 34. METHODS OF COOKING APPLIED TO VEGETABLES.--The usual methods
of cooking applied to vegetables are boiling, steaming, baking, stewing,
frying, sauteing, broiling, and roasting. Which one of these to select
depends, of course, on the particular kind of vegetable that is to be
cooked and the result that is desired, but, if possible, an effort
should be made to select an economical method. Starchy vegetables, such
as Irish and sweet potatoes, beans, etc., develop a more delicious
flavor when they are baked than when they are cooked by any other method
of preparation. Steaming is an excellent means of preparing vegetables
that must be cooked by moist heat, especially when it is desired that no
soluble material be lost, as is often the case in boiling. Frying and
sauteing, when applied to vegetables, usually produce a delicious
flavor, but often render the vegetables decidedly indigestible. For this
reason, vegetables so prepared should seldom if ever be served to
children and to persons whose digestion is not good.
35. EFFECT OF COOKING ON VEGETABLES.--The various ways in which cooking
affects vegetables should be thoroughly understood by the housewife. In
the first place, some methods conserve the food material whereas others
waste it. For instance, boiling in water, which is probably one of the
most common ways of cooking vegetables, is decidedly advantageous in
some respects, but the water dissolves much of the soluble material,
such as mineral salts, sugar, etc., found in the vegetables, so that
unless some use is made of this water in the cooking of other foods,
considerable waste results. On the other hand, steaming and baking
permit no loss of food material, and so they should be applied to
vegetables whenever it is desired to conserve food substances.
36. The flavors of vegetables are greatly changed during the process of
cooking, being increased in some cases and decreased in others. In the
case of such strongly flavored vegetables as cabbage, cauliflower,
onions, etc., it is advisable to dissipate part of the flavor. Therefore
such vegetables should be cooked in an open vessel in order that the
flavor may be decreased by evaporation. Vegetables mild in flavor,
however, are improved by being cooked in a closed vessel, for all their
flavor should be retained. The overcooking of vegetables is sometimes
responsible for an increase of a disagreeable flavor. 37. Another
feature of vegetables often changed by cooking is their color. For
instance, green vegetables do not, upon cooking, always remain green. In
many cases, the color may be improved by adding a very small quantity of
soda to the water in which the vegetables are cooked. Attention should
also be given to the length of time vegetables are subjected to heat,
for the overboiling of some vegetables is liable to develop an
unattractive color in them. This is particularly the case with cabbage,
cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, which develop not only a strong,
disagreeable flavor but also a reddish color when cooked too long.
38. The application of heat to vegetables also has a definite effect on
them. By sufficient cooking, the cellulose of vegetables is softened to
the extent that it is less irritating and much more likely to be partly
digested than that of raw vegetables. The acids of fruits increase upon
cooking, and so the acidity of vegetables is increased to a certain
extent. Vegetables that contain starch are rendered digestible in no
other way than by cooking. On the other hand, the protein material of
this food is coagulated by the application of heat, just as the white of
an egg or the tissue of meat is coagulated and hardened. However,
cooking is the only means of softening the cellulose that surrounds
this material.
Still, high-protein foods, such as beans, peas, and lentils, can be much
improved if they are cooked in water that is not very hard. The lime in
hard water has a tendency to harden them to the extent that they require
a much longer time to cook than when soft water is used. These
vegetables may be still further softened by the addition of a small
quantity of soda to the water in which they are cooked, but care should
be taken not to use too much soda, as it will injure the flavor. When
soda is used, the vegetable should be parboiled for 10 or 15 minutes in
the soda water and then drained and cooked in fresh water. This method,
of course, does not apply to vegetables that are cooked in soda water to
retain their color.
39. Salt is always added in the cooking of vegetables to season them. In
the use of salt, two important points must be borne in mind: first, that
it has the effect of hardening the tissues of the vegetable in much the
same manner as it hardens the tissues of meat; and, secondly, that it
helps to draw out the flavor of the vegetables. These two facts
determine largely the time for adding the salt. If an old, tough,
winter vegetable is to be prepared, it should be cooked until nearly
soft in water that contains no salt, and the salt should be added just
before the cooking is finished. When it is desired to draw out the
flavor, as, for instance, when vegetables are cooked for soup or stews,
the salt should be supplied when the vegetables are put on to cook.
Young tender vegetables may be cooked in salt water, but as such water
extracts a certain amount of flavor, an effort should be made to use it
in the preparation of stews, sauces, and soups.