Cooking Veggies - hot water versus cold?

cupcakechef

cupcakechef

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I learned something new today about cooking vegetables. This might be old news to some of you more experienced cooks out there - but here it is:

This rule is simple to remember:
  • Vegetables that grow underground (potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips), should start off in cold water.
  • Vegetables that grow above ground (greens, peas, corn) should be placed into already boiling water.
Farmers’ Almanac explains why this technique works:

Cooking the corn, peas, etc. simply entails softening their cell walls to make them more palatable and easier to digest. Because most green vegetables are small and/or thin, this doesn’t take long. So you add those to boiling water. Root vegetables contain a great deal of starch, which needs to be dissolved before they can be eaten. As root vegetables cook, “It takes a while for the heat to penetrate. Starting root vegetables out in cold water and heating the outside layers gradually allows the cell walls get reinforced and become more resistant to the effects of overcooking.”

Did you already know this rule, or is it news to you as well?!
 
I have always put greens into boiling water, but have to confess I didn't really know why (other than quick cooking etc). Root vegs and cold water is interesting as is the explanation. Its a good one to remember that!
 
@cupcakechef Your thread is very interesting and I had learned again something new today. Thanks for sharing this nice article as to what vegetables should we start cooking in hot and cold water. A very nice and useful tips! :)
 
ReadmeByAmy said:
@cupcakechef Your thread is very interesting and I had learned again something new today. Thanks for sharing this nice article as to what vegetables should we start cooking in hot and cold water. A very nice and useful tips! :)
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I have to agree. I just learned something myself. Once I am going the route of boiling vegetables I almost always bring the water to a boil. Anything other that usually means I am rushing. Great tips.
 
winterybella said:
I have to agree. I just learned something myself. Once I am going the route of boiling vegetables I almost always bring the water to a boil. Anything other that usually means I am rushing. Great tips.
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Absolutely you are right! Me too I usually does what you are doing when it comes to boiling my vegetables but now thanks for this great tips and I am well informed by this article.:okay::)
 
I did not know why I started some vegetables off in hot water and some in cold. The need to start the food cooking at the correct temperature will always result in the food tasting just right when served. I over cooked some pasta the other day because I did not start it cooking right in the first place.
 
I have never heard about this before and find it very informative and interesting. My reason for adding vegetables to boiling water, when I used to cook vegetables in water, is because I liked to start the water while I was preparing the vegetables so as to make the cooking time shorter. However, the way I cook my vegetables these days is in a steamer, so the vegetables do not get put into the water at all. There are times when I would boil the water first and then add the vegetables on top of the steamer. Other times, I would just do everything at once, add the vegetables to the steamer and then turn on the fire. However, I never knew that different vegetables were to be cooked differently.
 
I don't know about this. it is a big help to know things like that. For example, when we cook potatoes, we never cared if it starts with cold or not. What we do is to just mix the sliced potatoes in the stew or in whatever dish we are cooking. For green leafy vegetables like Chinese lettuce, we just toss it in the dish just like what we do with the potato. But we notice that root crops like potatoes and yam takes time to cook as against the vegetables above the ground like cabbage, kale, and other leafy vegetables.
 
I have always done it that way without really knowing why. It just seems to make sense to add green vegetables to boiling water so they can cook quickly, and to place root vegetables in water and let it come to the boil. When cooking mixed veg I sometimes add the green ones after the water containing root veg has come to the boil and is simmering nicely.
 
Delicate green veg into salted boiling water,root veg can be put into cold,I put sprouts into boiling water with a little salt and bicarbonate, and artichokes a little lemon juice or citric acid
 
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