Several ways to blanch vegetables to preserve nutrients

When we cook food, we always have to process and season it first.

However, the nutritional value of food will inevitably be lost in the process, and blanching vegetables over fire is one of them. In order to maintain the color of vegetables, or remove odor, astringency and oxalic acid, some vegetables must be blanched before cooking. However, from a nutritional point of view, blanching can increase the loss of water-soluble nutrients. If Chinese cabbage is blanched in 100°C water for two minutes, the vitamin C loss rate is as high as 65%; if it is blanched for more than 10 minutes, the vitamin C is almost completely lost. Therefore, appropriate blanching methods should be used to minimize the loss of nutrients.

What is blanching?

Blanching means placing the preliminarily processed raw materials in a pot of boiling water and heating them until they are half-cooked or fully cooked, then taking them out for further cooking or seasoning. It is an indispensable process in cooking, especially in cold dishes, and plays a key role in the color, aroma and taste of the dishes, especially the color. Blanching is also known as boiling water or boiling water. The Northeast region is called "Jin", the Henan area is called "Shan", and Sichuan is called "Lian".

Some foods are inherently toxic

Undercooking or directly cooking can cause harm to human health, but if some foods are blanched excessively, excessive nutrients will be lost, let alone the absorption of nutrients. Therefore, proper blanching methods should be used to minimize the loss of nutrients. Generally speaking, vegetables that must be blanched include day lily, rapeseed, and radish leaves, because they are all toxic and it is healthier to blanch them before eating.

1. Using large amounts of boiling water for a short period of time can reduce the heat loss of nutrients.

Because there is oxidase in vegetable cell tissues, it can accelerate the oxidation of vitamin C, especially in water temperatures between 60℃ and 80℃, where it is most active. In boiling water, oxidase is unstable to heat and quickly loses its activity. At the same time, boiling water contains almost no oxygen, thus reducing the loss of vitamin C due to thermal oxidation.

2. Add 1% salt to the blanching water.

Adding 1% salt to the blanching water so that the vegetables are placed in a physiological saline solution can slow down the diffusion rate of soluble nutrients in the vegetables into the water. This can not only maintain the nutrition of the vegetables, but also keep them fresh.

3. Before blanching, try to keep the vegetables in their intact shape to reduce the area exposed to heat and water.

When blanching vegetables, if there are too many ingredients, do not cook them in one pot. If they are cooked in one pot, they will be squeezed together and turned over, which will inevitably damage the integrity of the vegetables, increase their heating surface, and cause loss of nutrients. The ingredients should be added in batches to ensure that the raw materials are at a higher water temperature and complete the blanching process quickly. This is good for preserving the freshness and color of vegetables.

4. Vegetables should be cooled down in time after blanching.

The temperature of the vegetables after blanching is relatively high. After leaving the water, they come into contact with the oxygen in the air and produce thermal oxygen effect, which is a continuation of nutrient loss. Therefore, the vegetables should be cooled down in time after blanching. The commonly used method is to use a large amount of cold water or cold air to cool down and dissipate heat. The former is because the vegetables are placed in water, and the soluble nutrients are lost due to the effect of water; the latter is more effective because there is no such factor.

According to analysis, the average preservation rate of vitamin C in vegetables after the above blanching treatment is 84.7%. With just a few steps, vegetables can be blanched to remove toxins without losing too much nutrition. They taste better and are more beneficial to human health!