How to cook vegetables until they are tender

The key to cooking vegetables until tender lies in controlling the heat, time, and pre-treatment method. There are five main methods: extending the blanching time, shredding vegetable leaves in advance, adding a small amount of edible alkali, using a pressure cooker to stew, and pairing with acidic ingredients.

1. Prolong blanching time

Blanching in boiling water for 3-5 minutes can soften the fiber of green vegetables, especially suitable for coarse fiber varieties such as mustard and rapeseed. Adding a few drops of cooking oil to water can reduce vitamin loss, and immediately supercooling after blanching can maintain the emerald green color. Note that leafy vegetables should not exceed 5 minutes to avoid nutrient damage.

2. Tear the vegetable leaves in advance.

Tear the stem longitudinally into thin strips and the leaves into palm sized pieces, which can damage the structure of the plant cell wall and make it easier to cook. Suitable for processing vegetables with distinct stems and leaves such as chrysanthemum and water spinach. The stem part of the vegetable needs to be boiled in the pot for 2 minutes before adding the leaves.

3. Add a small amount of edible alkali

Adding 1 gram of edible alkali to 500 grams of green vegetables can accelerate the decomposition of pectin, making amaranth, sweet potato leaves, etc. softer and more tender. However, an alkaline environment can damage vitamin B1. It is recommended to add alkali and quickly remove it from the pot. hypertensive patients should use this method with caution.

4. Use a pressure cooker to stew

After steaming with a pressure cooker for 3 minutes, the watercress and pea seedlings can be completely softened and tender, and a sealed environment can retain more folic acid. Pay attention to the water level not exceeding the height of the ingredients, and naturally release pressure after turning off the heat to avoid excessive breakage of the vegetable leaves.

5. Paired with acidic ingredients

Acidic substances such as tomatoes and lemon juice can break down cellulose, and when stewed with bok choy for 10 minutes, it will become soft and tender. It is recommended to stir fry tomatoes until fragrant before adding water to cook. For those with excessive stomach acid, it is necessary to control the amount of acidic ingredients used. The cooking tolerance of different varieties of green vegetables varies greatly. Tender leafy vegetables such as spinach and lettuce only require short-term heating, while mustard greens and collard greens require longer heating time. It is recommended to adjust the cooking method based on the chewing ability of the teeth. Elderly people can prioritize using pressure cookers or pre freezing methods to break down fibers. During the boiling process, try to minimize the amount of water and the number of flips to preserve water-soluble vitamins to the greatest extent possible. People with weak gastrointestinal function can mash boiled vegetables into vegetable puree, which is more conducive to digestion and absorption.