can serve as a flavorful base for soups, sauces, and other preparations By simmering the vegetables until soft, the cook breaks down their cell walls and releases the cell contents into the water These contents include salts, sugars, acids, and savory amino acids, as well as aromatic molecules Carrots, celery, and onions are almost always included for their aromatics, and mushrooms and tomatoes are the richest source of savory amino acids The vegetables are finely chopped to maximize their surface area for extraction Precooking some or all of the vegetables in a small amount of fat or oil has two advantages: it adds new flavors, and the fat it contributes is a better solvent than water for many aromatic molecules It’s important not to dilute the extracted flavors in too much water; good proportions by weight (volume varies by piece size) are part vegetables to 1.5 or parts water The vegetables and water are simmered uncovered (to allow evaporation and concentration) for no more than an hour, after which it’s generally agreed that the stock flavor ceases to improve and even deteriorates Once the vegetables are strained out, the stock can be concentrated by boiling it down Flavored Oils, Vinegars, Syrups, Alcohols Cooks extract the characteristic aroma chemicals of fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices, into a variety of liquids that then serve as convenient ready-made flavorings for sauces, dressings, and other preparations In general, the freshest-tasting extracts come from slowly steeping intact raw fruits or herbs at room or refrigerator temperature for days or weeks The flavors of dried herbs and spices are less altered by heat, and can be extracted more rapidly in hot liquids The growth of microbes that cause spoilage or illness is inhibited by the acidity of vinegar, the concentrated sugar in syrups, ...concentration) for no more than an hour, after which it’s generally agreed that the stock flavor ceases to improve and even deteriorates Once the vegetables are strained out, the stock... weeks The flavors of dried herbs and spices are less altered by heat, and can be extracted more rapidly in hot liquids The growth of microbes that cause spoilage or illness is inhibited by the acidity... and spices, into a variety of liquids that then serve as convenient ready-made flavorings for sauces, dressings, and other preparations In general, the freshest-tasting extracts come from slowly steeping intact raw fruits or herbs