Fancy Vegetables - 76 Types of Vegetables for You to Choose

Author: Sun Baohuo / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The number of times vegetables are washed should not only be limited but also should be washed before cutting to maintain their original flavor and minimize nutrient loss. There are several methods for cleaning and disinfecting vegetables:
1. Boiling Method: For vegetables that can be boiled (e.g., green vegetables, cauliflower, flat beans), it is best to blanch them in boiling water after washing, then discard the water. This can remove more than 90% of residual pesticides in the vegetables. Flat beans, in particular, should be blanched thoroughly to avoid poisoning.
2. Soaking Method: For vegetables that cannot be blanched (e.g., chives, pea sprouts), soaking in water with a small amount of dish soap for 20–30 minutes, then rinsing with clean water, can remove residual pesticides.
3. Salt Soaking Method: Soaking vegetables in a weak salt solution for a period of time can remove residual pesticides. Rinsing with water afterward can also eliminate small insects on the leaves.
4. Alkali Soaking Method: Add 3–5 grams of alkali to a basin of water and stir until dissolved. Soak the cleaned vegetables in the alkali solution for a while (the concentration of the solution should generally be 1%–5%). Most organophosphorus pesticides remaining on the vegetables will convert into non-toxic substances, after which they should be rinsed several times with clean water.
5. Peeling Method: For vegetables like potatoes, yams, carrots, and pumpkins, peeling them first and then rinsing with water can remove pesticides.
6. Sunlight Method: Fresh vegetables exposed to sunlight for 5 minutes can decompose 56% of organochlorine and organomercury pesticides. Dried vegetables in the sun have almost no pesticides.
III. How to Cook Vegetables to Keep Them Crisp and Vibrant
To maintain the freshness, crispness, and vibrant color of vegetables during cooking, the following points should be noted:
1. Before stir-frying, blanch vegetables, especially green ones, in boiling water to remove oxalic acid, then soak them in cool water to preserve their green color.
2. When stir-frying vegetables, use less soy sauce or none at all, as excessive soy sauce can make the vegetables dull and yellow, affecting their flavor.
3. Stir-fry vegetables over high heat for speed. If the heat is insufficient or the cooking process is too slow, the vegetables will release a lot of liquid, making them tasteless and less crisp, with excessive vitamin loss as the nutrients dissolve into the liquid.
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