Cooking Green Vegetables
Dark green vegetables are sources of vitamins A and C.
Never add a pinch of baking soda to vegetables. It will preserve the green color, because it makes the water alkaline, but it destroys vitamins and makes vegetables mushy.
Don't overcook green vegetables! The best way to ensure the best flavor, color, texture and food value is to cook vegetables only until they are tender. The less water you use in cooking, and the shorter the cooking time, the more nutrients will stay in the vegetables.
Careful preparation is worth while because dark green vegetables are excellent sources of vitamins A and C.
If you overcook…
Green vegetables contain chlorophyll, the green pigment. If you overcook vegetables, or cook them in an acid liquid, they will lose the attractive green color and become drab olive-green or brown. Leave the lid off for the first five minutes of cooking. This will allow the plant acids to escape in the steam and help to prevent some of the discoloration.
Here are some suggestions for cooking green vegetables:
- Cook green vegetables quickly in a small amount of boiling, salted water
- Cook just until tender.
- Don't add acid, such as lemon juice or vinegar, to vegetables.
- Never add a pinch of baking soda to vegetables. It will preserve the green color, because it makes the water alkaline, but it destroys vitamins and makes vegetables mushy.
- You might want to stir-fry green vegetables like broccoli. Cook and stir chopped vegetables in a small amount of hot oil in a frying pan or a wok. Remove vegetables from oil as soon as they are crisp-tender.
If you serve green vegetables often, you can cut calories and overall food costs and, at the same time, improve the nutritional quality of your meals.
For more information on cooking green vegetables, contact your local county Extension office.
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