There are many different ways of cooking vegetables and fruits What follows is a brief outline of the most common methods and their general effects They can be divided into three groups: moist methods that transfer heat by means of water; dry methods that transfer heat by means of air, oil, or infrared radiation; and a more miscellaneous group that includes ways of restructuring the food, either turning it into a fluid version of itself, or extracting the essence of its flavor or color Hot Water: Boiling, Steaming, Pressure-Cooking Boiling and steaming are the simplest methods for cooking vegetables, because they require no judgment of cooking temperature: whether water is boiling on a high flame or low, its temperature is 212ºF/100ºC (near sea level, with predictably lower temperatures at higher elevations) And because hot water and steam are excellent carriers of heat, these are efficient methods as well, ideal for the rapid cooking of green vegetables that minimizes their loss of color (p 280) One important difference is that hot water dissolves and extracts some pectin and calcium from cell walls, while steaming leaves them in place: so boiling will soften vegetables faster and more thoroughly Boiling In the case of boiling green vegetables, it’s good to know the pH and dissolved mineral content of your cooking water Ideally it should be neutral or just slightly alkaline (pH 7–8), and not too hard, because acidity dulls chlorophyll, and acidity and calcium both slow softening and so prolong the cooking A large volume of rapidly boiling water will maintain a boil even after the cold vegetables are added, cut into pieces small enough to cook through in about five minutes Salt in the cooking water at ...steam are excellent carriers of heat, these are efficient methods as well, ideal for the rapid cooking of green vegetables that minimizes their loss of color (p 280) One important difference is that hot water dissolves and. .. know the pH and dissolved mineral content of your cooking water Ideally it should be neutral or just slightly alkaline (pH 7–8), and not too hard, because acidity dulls chlorophyll, and acidity and. .. difference is that hot water dissolves and extracts some pectin and calcium from cell walls, while steaming leaves them in place: so boiling will soften vegetables faster and more thoroughly Boiling In the case of boiling green vegetables,