VEGETABLE

S
Vegetables are appreciated, not only for their
nutritional significance but for the variety, flavor,
eye appeal, and even elegance and sophistication
they bring to the menu.
Freshness is they’re most appealing and attractive
quality, and one must be especially careful to
preserve it. The goals of proper vegetable
cookery are to preserve and enhance fresh flavor,
texture and color and to prepare.
CONTROLLING QUALITY
CHANGES DURING COOKING

Cooking affects vegetables in four ways. It

changes the following:

1. Texture
2. Flavor
3. Color
4. Nutrients
DONENESS

A vegetable is said to be done when it reaches to the desired

degree of tenderness.
These stages vary from vegetable to vegetable. Some, such as
winter squash, eggplant and braised celery, are considered
properly cooked when they are quite soft. Most vegetables,
however, are best cooked be very briefly, until they are crisp-
tender or al dente (firm to bite). At this stage of tenderness, they
not only have the most pleasing texture but they also retain
maximum flavor, color and nutrients.
GUIDELINES FOR ACHIEVING PROPER DONENESS IN
VEGETABLES
1. Don’t overcooked.
2. Cook as close to service as possible. Holding vegetables in a steam table
continuous to cook them.
3. If vegetable must be cooked in advance, slightly under cooked them, cool rapidly
in cold water, drain, and refrigerate, then reheat to order.
4. For uniform doneness, cut vegetables into pieces of uniform size before cooking.
5. Vegetable with both tough and tender parts need special treatment so the tender
parts ae not overcooked by the time the tougher parts are done:
For example:
a. Peel the woody stalks of asparagus
b. Peel or split broccoli stalks
 
 CONTROLLING FLAVOR CHANGES
Cooking Produces Flavor Loss
Many flavors are lost during cooking by dissolving into the cooking liquid and by
evaporation. The longer a vegetable is cooked the more its losses its flavor.

Flavor loss can be controlled in several ways:

1. Cook for a short time as possible

2. Use boiling salted water. Starting vegetables in boiling water shortens cooking time.
The addition of salt helps reduce flavor loss.
3. Use just enough water to cover to minimize leaching
4. Steam vegetables whenever appropriate. Steam cooking reduces leaching out of
flavor and shortens cooking time.