For this
reason, vegetables so prepared should seldom if ever be served to
children and to persons whose digestion is not good.
35. EFFECT OF COOKING ON VEGETABLES.--The various ways in which cooking
affects vegetables should be thoroughly understood by the housewife. In
the first place, some methods conserve the food material whereas others
waste it. For instance, boiling in water, which is probably one of the
most common ways of cooking vegetables, is decidedly advantageous in
some respects, but the water dissolves much of the soluble material,
such as mineral salts, sugar, etc., found in the vegetables, so that
unless some use is made of this water in the cooking of other foods,
considerable waste results. On the other hand, steaming and baking
permit no loss of food material, and so they should be applied to
vegetables whenever it is desired to conserve food substances.
36. The flavors of vegetables are greatly changed during the process of
cooking, being increased in some cases and decreased in others. In the
case of such strongly flavored vegetables as cabbage, cauliflower,
onions, etc., it is advisable to dissipate part of the flavor. Therefore
such vegetables should be cooked in an open vessel in order that the
flavor may be decreased by evaporation. Vegetables mild in flavor,
however, are improved by being cooked in a closed vessel, for all their
flavor should be retained. The overcooking of vegetables is sometimes
responsible for an increase of a disagreeable flavor.
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