24 June 2018 - Tips on Cooking Vegetables!

Cooking Fresh Vegetables

"Remove bruised, wilted, yellowed, or tough portions from fresh vegetables. Trim sparingly to avoid excessive loss of food and nutrients."

It's summer time!

That means that a lot of fresh produce is in season.

You should be able to buy and keep fresh produce now for cooking rather than getting items canned.

You might even save money on buying fresh now!

Save getting canned items for fall and winter time.

Try to buy veggies that you are planning to cook within a few days.

Don't leave them to rot on your countertop or in your fridge.

Here are some cooking tips from our Almanac:

1. Wash all vegetables before cooking.

Especially leafy greens. They grow in the dirt so chances are you are going to find dirt.

You can see in our Homemaker Heroine in the picture of the day!

She is washing in a colander and lifting from the water, letting the dirty water to pour out.

2. To ensure the best flavor and texture, boil only until tender.

Vegetables like potatoes that have a skin, retain more nutrients when cooked in their skin.

To shorten the cooking time, cut, slice, or shred your veggies.

3. Use salted water when boiling.

Salted water helps to keep nutrients in your veggies. Regular water tends to pull salt and minerals from foods. Salted water also seasons your food, brings out color in the vegetables, and helps speed up the boiling process.

When it comes to vegetables and cooking them, Salt is your friend!

Salt can pull extra moisture from eggplant and cucumbers.

Salt is used in pickling if you ever want to attempt your own homemade pickles.

Salt can help reduce bitter flavors by tricking our tastebuds.

For any cooking other than baking, Kosher Salt is recommended.

The salt crystals are larger that helps to draw moisture and you can use your fingers to pinch or sprinkle the amounts you need.

If you are not boiling your vegetables, try blanching them before grilling or sauteing.

Blanching is just briefly boiling them for a minute or two, remove them from the boil, and set in an ice bath to stop the cooking process.

Blanching will help keep the colors bright and give them extra flavor.