Boil vegetables with the lid on or open, try this method to keep them green and not lose nutrients

Boiling vegetables seems simple but not everyone can do it well. Many people still do not know whether the best way to boil vegetables is with the lid on or without.

How to boil fresh and beautiful vegetables

Just like cooking rice and boiling eggs, boiling vegetables is a basic dish in a meal, which everyone seems to know how to do well. But to boil a plate of green vegetables, to eat crispy, delicious and fresh for a long time, you must definitely pocket this great tip.

Boiling vegetables is a common practice, but not everyone knows how to boil them to keep them green and delicious. Illustration photo.

Put boiled vegetables in ice water: A kitchen secret to help boiled vegetables stay green and retain their color for many hours is to put them in a bowl of filtered water with a few small ice cubes in it. Then let the vegetables cool completely before removing them, draining them and transferring them to a plate.

Know how to add cooking oil to the water: When boiling vegetables, you should add cooking oil to the pot of water to boil the vegetables so that they do not take much time to cool after boiling. Thanks to the thin layer of oil covering the outside, the boiled vegetables will be greener and shinier. At the same time, the layer of cooking oil can also help the vegetables stay green longer without changing color.

A small note is that the vegetable water boiled this way will have less fat, depending on the taste of each family, it can be used or not and you can choose the appropriate way to boil vegetables.

Add vinegar/lemon to the boiling water: Normally, for 1-1.5 liters of vegetable boiling water, you add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice/vinegar (rice, apple,...). Wait for the water to boil slightly, add lemon or vinegar and wait for the water to boil, then boil the vegetables as usual.

The reason for this is that a few drops of lemon juice/vinegar will help the vegetables have a deeper color. Especially for orange-red vegetables like carrots and beets. The lemon flavor also helps the vegetables have a fresher flavor.

Add salt: When boiling vegetables, add about 1 teaspoon of salt to the pot of water used to boil vegetables, about 1 - 1.5 liters. Then wait for the water to boil, then add the vegetables. When the vegetables are cooked, take them out immediately to avoid making them softer.

Many people may not know that with this method, salt increases the heat of the boiling water, helping to speed up the cooking process of vegetables, making them green and lush. In addition, salt also makes vegetables more flavorful.

Rules for boiling vegetables properly

Wait for the water to boil before adding vegetables: Do not put vegetables in cold water or water that is not yet boiling. This will prolong the cooking process of the vegetables, making them soft and no longer crispy. Boiling vegetables over high heat helps retain the nutrients in the vegetables.

Drain vegetables after boiling: Many people have the habit of taking vegetables from the pot and putting them directly on a plate to preserve them. The water from the vegetables that accumulates at the bottom makes the vegetables slimy and spoil faster.

Do not cover the pot when boiling vegetables: There are many opinions about whether to cover or open the pot when boiling vegetables.

According to some studies, when boiling vegetables, you should cover the pot. Leaving the pot open will help the vegetables stay green and look nice, but it will take longer to cook and will easily cause loss of nutrients.

On the contrary, when the lid is closed, more nutrients will be retained. However, the acids and chlorophyll in vegetables will react with the temperature, causing the vegetables to lose their green color and tend to turn yellow.

Suggested "golden" time for each type of vegetable

When boiling vegetables, you need to ensure three factors: enough water, enough heat, and enough time for the vegetables to cook and retain nutrients.

Normally, large, hard vegetables should be cut into small pieces so they cook faster and retain more nutrients.

In addition, when washing vegetables, absolutely do not rub or squeeze hard, causing the vegetables to be crushed and lose some of their nutrients.

- Leafy vegetables such as: cabbage, kale, bok choy, spinach... boil for 3 - 5 minutes.

- Hard vegetables such as: Cauliflower, leeks, peas, sweet corn... boil for about 8 - 10 minutes until cooked.

- Harder vegetables such as pumpkin, radish, carrot... should be boiled for about 12 - 15 minutes.

- For starchy vegetables such as potatoes and sweet potatoes, the boiling time is longer, about 18 - 20 minutes.

To keep the nutrients in boiled vegetables, you should eat them immediately after boiling. Some studies show that boiled vegetables will lose 25% of their vitamins after about 1 hour, and more than 2 hours will cause more loss. Vegetables left overnight will have almost no nutrients left.

How much vegetables should I eat every day?

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Le Thi Bach Mai, to meet the nutritional needs from healthy green vegetables and fruits, adults should eat 300 grams of green vegetables and 100-200 grams of fruit every day.

To ensure the above amount, people should eat fruits and vegetables many times a day, maybe 5 times a day.

Fruits should be eaten between main meals, such as apples, bananas, oranges, papayas, etc. Lunch and dinner cannot lack vegetables or salads.

In addition, you should take advantage of drinking vegetable juice or fruit juice. Note that you must combine whole fruit and juice because eating the whole fruit will take advantage of the fiber source.

- Buy fresh vegetables, should use within the day to avoid reducing vitamin content.

- Rinse under running water, avoid soaking in water as this will wash away the vitamins.

- Cook vegetables briefly, with little water or fat to avoid vitamin destruction by high temperatures; do not reheat for too long.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/luoc-rau-day-vung-hay-mo-moi-dung-thu-cach-nay-vua-xanh-vua-khong-mat-chat-192241202153849845.htm