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s
Starches and
sugars
Fiber
complex
substances that
give structure
and firmness
to plants.
Fiber cannot be
digested.
Proteins
Fruits,
vegetables,
grains, beans,
and nuts.
Meats and fish
in a small
amount
Fruits,
vegetables,
major
component of
meats, poultry,
fish, eggs,
milk, and milk
products.
nuts, beans,
and grain in
smaller
amounts in
Game changer
Acids inhibit gelatinization. A sauce thickened with flour or
starch will be thinner if it contains acid.
Connective tissues are special proteins that are present in meats. Meats
with a great deal of connective tissue are tough,but some connective
tissues are dissolved when cooked slowly with moisture. Cooking tough
meats properly, therefore, makes them more tender
Fats
meats, poultry,
fish, eggs,
milk products,
nuts, whole
grains, and,
to a lesser
extent,
vegetables and
fruits. Fats are
also important
as cooking
mediums,
as for frying
Minerals,
Vitamins,
Pigments,
And Flavor
Components
Water
Fats can be either solid or liquid at room temperature. Liquid fats are
called oils.
When solid fats are heated, they melt, or change from solid to liquid.The
melting point of solid fats varies.
When fats are heated, they begin to break down.When hot enough, they
deteriorate rapidly and begin to smoke.The temperature at which this
happens is called the smoke point, and it varies by type of fat.A stable fat
one with a high smoke pointis an important consideration in deep-fat
frying.
Nearly all
foods
contain
water.
Dried
Some of these components are soluble in water, and others are soluble in
fats. All of these components may be leached out, or dissolved away, from
foods during cooking.
Vitamins and pigments may also be destroyed by heat, by long cooking,
and by other elements present during cooking.
It is important, then, to select cooking methods that preserve, as much as
possible, a foods nutrients, taste, and appearance. This is addressed
whenever cooking techniques are explained in the remainder of this book.
Water exists in three states, solid (ice), liquid, and gas (water vapor or
steam). At sea level, pure liquid water becomes solid, or freezes, at 32F
(0C) and turns to steam at 212F (100C).When water molecules turn to
steam and energetically escape into the atmosphere,water is said to be
boiling.
foods may
contain as
little as a
fraction of
1
percent
water, but
fresh
meats,
fish,
vegetables
, and fruits
consist
mostly of
water
Water can also turn from liquid to gas at lower temperatures.When water
turns to gas at any temperature, the process is called evaporation.
Evaporation happens more slowly the lower the temperature is.
Evaporation is responsible for the drying of foods. The drying of food
surfaces as they are cooked enables them to be browned.
Many minerals and other compounds dissolve in water, so water can be a
carrier of flavor and of nutritional value.
* Cheat Sheet: In a Pinch Baking Soda is often used to soften beans and lentils quickly. But soak the beans amd lentils whenever possible. Baking soda destroys the nutritional
value
Blanching
Test the pH of your water. If in doubt, boil a few peppers and watch them for color change. If you like the way they look, youre
good. If not, try adding a tiny pinch of baking soda (I calculate something like a tenth of a gram/L) and work up from there. Aim for
a pH of about 7.5, which is all you need to preserve green color.
Limit blanching time. I found I preferred a cook time of just 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately evacuate to an ice bath or rinse under
cool water until cool to the touch.
Hold off dressing vegetables with acids for as long as possible, especially if they will be served heated.
Blanching destroys the enzymes that turn green veggies brown and mushy over time or with cooking. This makes it perfect for
preparing ingredients for recipes that rely on the bright green color, such as this risotto verde.
It cooks vegetables just enough while still leaving them crisp and fresh-tasting. Blanched peas make this minty pea salad
perfect for spring, while blanched carrots are delicious in a lemon dressing.
Blanching is a simple way to soften the skin of tomatoes for peeling; this method also works on soft fruits like peaches and
plums.
If youre a vegetable gardener, youll want to blanch most kinds of vegetables before you freeze the surplus for the winter. Not
only does blanching preserve the color and texture of your vegetables, but it will also preserve nutrient content.
Blanching is an easy way to remove peels from nuts such as peanuts and almonds.
To prepare vegetables for stir-frying, blanching is the perfect way to jump-start the cooking process, especially for dense
vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower (which usually take a while to stir-fry and often get soggy). Scallop and snap pea stir fry
sounds delicious when you know the peas will be perfectly crisp!
Blanched vegetables are a nice change of pace in salads, like Salad Nicoise (pictured below), or in a vegetable and dip platter.
n order to stop the enzyme action that breaks vegetables down, the food must reach 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
Blanching will take up to a minute longer at high altitudes, since water boils at a lower temperature.
The time spent in boiling water and time spent in ice water should be roughly equal. If youre not able to prepare a cold immersion
for your vegetables, putting them in a colander under cold running water will do.
Adding salt or baking soda to your boiling water will help make green vegetables even greener! Steer clear of lemon juice or other
acids, though; these will react with the chlorophyll and turn your greens brown.
You need to use a lot of water. Use at least a gallon of water for each pound of food to be blanched. If you overload the water with
vegetables, it will lower the waters temperature and slow the cooking process, defeating the purpose.
To blanch or not to blanch? This chart will help you decide whether to blanch your vegetables before freezing them for later, and
gives you approximate blanching time for several different foods
Vegetable
Preparation
Asparagus
Green Beans
Snap off tips. Rinse, then cut or break into desired sizes or
freeze smaller beans whole.
3-1/2 minutes.
Lima Beans
Wash, snap off ends and slice into 1" to 1-1/2" pieces.
3-1/2 minutes.
Beets
For young, tender beetsRemove tops and cook until tender. Chill,then remove skins.
Leave small beets whole. For medium to large beets, slice or
cut into pieces. Pack into freezer boxes or bags.
not applicable
Broccoli
pieces - 4 minutes
stems - 5 minutes.
Brussels Sprouts
Wash and trim any tough outer leaves. Soak in salt water (2
tablespoons salt to 1 quart water) to remove any insects and
larvae. Rinse with tap water and drain.
Carrots
Remove tops, peel, and wash. Cut into 1/4" thick slices.
3-1/2 minutes.
Cauliflower
Remove leaves, trim and wash. Split into individual 1" to 1-1/2"
pieces. Soak in salt water (2 tablespoons salt to 1 quart water)
to remove any insects and larvae. Rinse with tap water and
drain.
4 minutes.
Corn-on-the-Cob
Husk, remove silk and trim off ends. Blanch in a large stockpot
with 10 - 12 quarts of boiling water.
Husk, remove silk and trim off ends. Use a corn cob cutter or a
curved grapefruit knife to remove kernels from cob.
4-1/2 minutes
Kohlrabi
2-1/2 minutes.
Mushrooms
Onions
1-1/2 minutes
1-1/2 to 2 minutes
2-1/2 to 3 minutes
Peppers
halves - 3 minutes
slices - 2 minutes.
Pumpkin
Cut; scoop out seeds; peel; and cut into pieces. Bake or steam
until tender. Cool, then strain in a ricer, food mill or process in a
food processor until smooth. Pack into containers and freeze.
not applicable
Spinach
1-1/2 to 2 minutes
Zucchini
Select 5" to 7" long, tender zucchini. Wash, peel and cut into
1/4" to 1/2" slices.