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General Cooking (rec.food.cooking) For general food and cooking discussion. Foods of all kinds, food procurement, cooking methods and techniques, eating, etc. |
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Steaming vs. Boiling Vegetables
Dear All:
Many sources now say that steaming vegetables is better than boiling, because more nutrients are retained in steamed vegetables. When I ask friends for the reason, the answer is invariably that boiling water washes away the nutrients when you boil them. Is that all? Are there more reasons than that? What if you boil them without cutting them (in other words, boil WHOLE green leaves, WHOLE carrots, WHOLE potatoes, etc.)? And what if you boil vegetables and drink the water afterwards in addition to eating the boiled vegetables? You don't need much water in the pot especially if you boil leafy vegetables. The upper part of the vegetables in the pot is like being steamed and only the lower part is in contact with the boiling water. When it is done, very little water is left at the bottom, and you don't quite need to drain the vegetables, and the water can be mixed with the vegetables and be "eaten" along with the latter. In this case, do you still lose nutrients? On the other hand, the water below the steamer changes color apparently because some nutrients separate out from the vegetables being steamed and find their way in the water, and the water then goes down the drain. Despite these puzzling questions, I recently started steaming. Thank you for reading and replying! --Roland |
Posted to rec.food.cooking
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Steaming vs. Boiling Vegetables
In article
>, qquito > wrote: > Dear All: > > Many sources now say that steaming vegetables is better than boiling, > because more nutrients are retained in steamed vegetables. In the early days of the human race, before the atomic bomb and through man walking on the moon, American people boiled vegetables until the boiling liquid was the same color as the vegetables themselves. It's true! During that dark period of existence, the water certainly contained as much of the vegetable nutrient as the vegetable itself. It was also the same consistency. I believe times have changed. > On the other hand, the water below the steamer changes color > apparently because some nutrients separate out from the vegetables > being steamed and find their way in the water, and the water then goes > down the drain. Yep, for both methods. > Despite these puzzling questions, I recently started steaming. I generally steam vegetables too, unless I want their flavor in a finished dish that includes the water. I'm not particularly inclined to buy the vitamin argument with quickly steamed or quickly boiled vegetables. leo |
Posted to rec.food.cooking
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Steaming vs. Boiling Vegetables
"qquito" > wrote in message ... > Dear All: > > Many sources now say that steaming vegetables is better than boiling, > because more nutrients are retained in steamed vegetables. > > When I ask friends for the reason, the answer is invariably that > boiling water washes away the nutrients when you boil them. > > Is that all? Are there more reasons than that? > > What if you boil them without cutting them (in other words, boil WHOLE > green leaves, WHOLE carrots, WHOLE potatoes, etc.)? > > And what if you boil vegetables and drink the water afterwards in > addition to eating the boiled vegetables? You don't need much water in > the pot especially if you boil leafy vegetables. The upper part of the > vegetables in the pot is like being steamed and only the lower part is > in contact with the boiling water. When it is done, very little water > is left at the bottom, and you don't quite need to drain the > vegetables, and the water can be mixed with the vegetables and be > "eaten" along with the latter. In this case, do you still lose > nutrients? > > On the other hand, the water below the steamer changes color > apparently because some nutrients separate out from the vegetables > being steamed and find their way in the water, and the water then goes > down the drain. > > Despite these puzzling questions, I recently started steaming. > > Thank you for reading and replying! > > --Roland > > What do you gain from steaming rather than cooking vegetables in the microwave in a small tightly covered container with a small amt. of H2O? Kent |
Posted to rec.food.cooking
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Steaming vs. Boiling Vegetables
"qquito" > wrote in message ... > Dear All: > > Many sources now say that steaming vegetables is better than boiling, > because more nutrients are retained in steamed vegetables. > > When I ask friends for the reason, the answer is invariably that > boiling water washes away the nutrients when you boil them. > > Is that all? Are there more reasons than that? > > What if you boil them without cutting them (in other words, boil WHOLE > green leaves, WHOLE carrots, WHOLE potatoes, etc.)? > > And what if you boil vegetables and drink the water afterwards in > addition to eating the boiled vegetables? You don't need much water in > the pot especially if you boil leafy vegetables. The upper part of the > vegetables in the pot is like being steamed and only the lower part is > in contact with the boiling water. When it is done, very little water > is left at the bottom, and you don't quite need to drain the > vegetables, and the water can be mixed with the vegetables and be > "eaten" along with the latter. In this case, do you still lose > nutrients? > > On the other hand, the water below the steamer changes color > apparently because some nutrients separate out from the vegetables > being steamed and find their way in the water, and the water then goes > down the drain. > > Despite these puzzling questions, I recently started steaming. > > Thank you for reading and replying! I prefer to eat most of my vegetables raw. Not potatoes though. Yuck! Although my mom and daughter like them raw. You didn't mention roasting. If I'm going to cook my veggies, I most often roast them. If I make mashed potatoes, I do use some of that water to mash them with. I know, not the norm, but we can't have dairy. So I use that water mixed with a broth concentrate to match whatever meat or veg we are having. If I steam anything, it's usually for my husband. He likes cooked broccoli and asparagus. I don't! I simply sprinkle on a little water and seasonings and nuke them using a covered casserole. That's how I steam them. I found the steamer basket to be a pain in the butt. I also sometimes eat canned vegetables. Not the best I know. I reserve their use for times when I'm in a super hurry or when I'm snowed in and can't get fresh stuff, or the power is off and I can't cook or something like that. I actually use far less canned vegetables than I used to. But if I do eat them, I don't worry about any lack of nutrients because I don't eat them often. |
Posted to rec.food.cooking
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Steaming vs. Boiling Vegetables
qquito wrote:
> Dear All: > > Many sources now say that steaming vegetables is better than boiling, > because more nutrients are retained in steamed vegetables. You may lose some nutrients when boiling vegetables but not a significant amount. How long the vegetables are boiled is a more important factor. The trick is to cook the vegetables enough to make them palateable but not so much as to make them colorless sludge. Here's the way I "boil" vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and kale without bothering with the steamer: Bring the water in a pot to a boil. Add the chopped vegetables Poke them down in the water so they're covered. Put the lid on the pot. Turn the heat off! Do not regain a boil. I move the pot to a cold burner on the stove. Time for exactly 5 minutes. Now pour off the water and serve the vegetables. They come out cooked but not overcooked, a tad crunchy but not raw. If you're happy with using your steamer, go for it, but you're not making a huge difference in nutrients. The important thing is to prepare the vegetables in a way that YOU like them so you keep eating them and eat more of them. If you like them raw, eat them raw. If you like them a little softer, then cook them a little longer. That's better than telling yourself that you have to eat them raw, not liking them, and then stop eating them. Me, I can't stand plain steamed vegetables so I make them more nutritious by adding butter or salad dressing. The fat and calorie content go up, but in my diet, broccoli with butter is better than no broccoli at all, and broccoli without butter is something I'm not going to stick with for long. Boiling them whole without chopping only means it will take longer for them to cook thoroughly. It doesn't make any difference to nutritional content. Making use of the cooking water is a great idea flavorwise. You can use the water in soups or use it for moisture in the sauce. It doesn't make a huge difference as far as vitamins and nutrition. If you're really worried about vitamins leaching out of vegetables, take a daily vitamin. Unless you have a specific health condition that requires a doctor's care and advice, just make sure you get plenty of vegetables in general without worrying about cooking them a specific way, and you'll be fine. --Lia |
Posted to rec.food.cooking
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Steaming vs. Boiling Vegetables
On Nov 17, 1:18�am, "Kent" > wrote:
> "qquito" > wrote in message > > ... > > > > > Dear All: > > > Many sources now say that steaming vegetables is better than boiling, > > because more nutrients are retained in steamed vegetables. > > > When I ask friends for the reason, the answer is invariably that > > boiling water washes away the nutrients when you boil them. > > > Is that all? Are there more reasons than that? > > > What if you boil them without cutting them (in other words, boil WHOLE > > green leaves, WHOLE carrots, WHOLE potatoes, etc.)? > > > And what if you boil vegetables and drink the water afterwards in > > addition to eating the boiled vegetables? You don't need much water in > > the pot especially if you boil leafy vegetables. The upper part of the > > vegetables in the pot is like being steamed and only the lower part is > > in contact with the boiling water. When it is done, very little water > > is left at the bottom, and you don't quite need to drain the > > vegetables, and the water can be mixed with the vegetables and be > > "eaten" along with the latter. In this case, do you still lose > > nutrients? > > > On the other hand, the water below the steamer changes color > > apparently because some nutrients separate out from the vegetables > > being steamed and find their way in the water, and the water then goes > > down the drain. > > > Despite these puzzling questions, I recently started steaming. > > > What do you gain from steaming rather than cooking vegetables in > the microwave in a small �tightly covered container with a small amt. > of H2O? Um, steaming IS cooking, and veggies can be steamed in a microwave oven just as easily as on a stove top, in fact most often vegetables are indeed steamed in a microwave, no one boils veggies in a large quanty of water in a microwave, even frozen veggies say to add only a Tbls or two. Regardless which method, steaming on stove top or in the nuker the water is only to prevent burning. The tight lid is only to prevent loss of water, minerals do not evaporate, nor do vitamins to any great degree, vitamin loss is mainly from destruction due to heat.... and of course overcooking by any method destroys texture ergo fiber... fiber is one of the main reasons to eat veggies, otherwise just take a multivitamin with a glass of metamusil All things equal (what you do with the remaining liquid) there is no difference in nutrition loss between steaming and boiling... if one is truly concerned with retaining as much nutrition as possible besides eating raw stir frying is best. And "steaming" is a misnomer, just a *******ization of a term that evolved culinarily because the vast majority of people who cook for a living (professionally) are uneducated, but scientifically it is hot water vapor (not steam) that does the cooking, no difference from boiling. Sheldon |
Posted to rec.food.cooking
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Steaming vs. Boiling Vegetables
"Julie Bove" wrote:
> > > I prefer to eat most of my vegetables raw. �Not potatoes though. �Yuck! If you peel potatoes it matters not how you cook/eat them, most of the vitamins and minerals are contained in the skin. > Although my mom and daughter like them raw. �You didn't mention roasting. > If I'm going to cook my veggies, I most often roast them. � Roasting concentrates flavor by dehydration but the higher temperatures for longer times destroys much of the vitamin content... nutritionally roasting is by far the very worst way to cook veggies. If I make mashed > potatoes, I do use some of that water to mash them with. � Who cares, if you threw the skins in the trash you're just eating starch. If you peel your spuds, boil them, and beat them with a mixer then you may as well prepare dehys... in fact dehys are much more nutritious than mashed spuds prepared as you and most do. Try boiling thin skinned (new potatoes) in their skins and smashing them minimally them with a hand masher... much more nutritious and tastier. But I know most of yoose prefer your method because they prefer to eat library paste diluted with lots of milk and butter. > I also sometimes eat canned vegetables. �Not the best I know. �I reserve > their use for times when I'm in a super hurry or when I'm snowed in and > can't get fresh stuff, or the power is off and I can't cook or something > like that. �I actually use far less canned vegetables than I used to. �But > if I do eat them, I don't worry about any lack of nutrients because I don't > eat them often. Canned veggies retain more nutrients than boiled or steamed, but if you toss the liquid down the drain you may as well eat the can. Sheldon |
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