37. Another
feature of vegetables often changed by cooking is their color. For
instance, green vegetables do not, upon cooking, always remain green. In
many cases, the color may be improved by adding a very small quantity of
soda to the water in which the vegetables are cooked. Attention should
also be given to the length of time vegetables are subjected to heat,
for the overboiling of some vegetables is liable to develop an
unattractive color in them. This is particularly the case with cabbage,
cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, which develop not only a strong,
disagreeable flavor but also a reddish color when cooked too long.
38. The application of heat to vegetables also has a definite effect on
them. By sufficient cooking, the cellulose of vegetables is softened to
the extent that it is less irritating and much more likely to be partly
digested than that of raw vegetables. The acids of fruits increase upon
cooking, and so the acidity of vegetables is increased to a certain
extent. Vegetables that contain starch are rendered digestible in no
other way than by cooking. On the other hand, the protein material of
this food is coagulated by the application of heat, just as the white of
an egg or the tissue of meat is coagulated and hardened. However,
cooking is the only means of softening the cellulose that surrounds
this material.
Still, high-protein foods, such as beans, peas, and lentils, can be much
improved if they are cooked in water that is not very hard.
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