Selected Nutrients in Certain Vegetables Cokium Vitamin A Ascorbic Calories mg. Value I.U. Acid mg. -------- --------------- 20 Calories or less Per Serving* Asparogus 18 19 790 23 Beans, snap green 15 31 340 8 Broccoli, spears 20 66 1,875 67 Cabbage, row 13 25 65 24 Cabbage, ,ooked 18 38 110 28 Carrots, l row 5:12" x 1" 20 18 5,500 4 Cauliflower 13 13 35 33 Celery 8 20 120 5 Cucumbers, 16-7V2' 1 x 211 8 9 Trace 6 Endive, 2 oz. 10 46 1,870 6 Lettuce, Boston type, %-4" head 8 19 532 4 lettuce, lcel.,o:g, \1'-4%" heod 15 23 375 7 Pepper, greE'n 1 15 6 260 79 R<Jdishes, 4 5 12 Trace 10 Spinach, cooked 20 84 7,290 25 Sprouts, Mung beon 15 8 10 9 Squ<Jsh, summN 15 26 410 10 Turnips, cooked 17 27 Trace 17 21 to 65 Calories Per Serving* Beets, diced 25 12 20 5 llrus,e! sprouts 23 21 340 57 Carrots, cooked 23 24 7,610 4 Onions 30 25 40 7 Peas, green 58 19 430 17 Pumpkio 38 30 7,295 6 S0uerkra11l 23 43 60 17 Squash, winter 65 26 4,305 13 Tomato, one 5 o:i:. 35 20 1,350 34 Tomato juice, conned 25 8 1,090 20 Other Vegetables* Beans, Imm immature 90 38 225 14 Corn es 5 345 6 Potolo, baked, on!!' 5 oz. 90 9 Trace 20 Potato, French fried, 10 pieces 155 9 Troce 12 Potato, mashed {milk and butter) 93 2~ 165 9 Sweet potato, baked, one 155 44 8,910 24 Swee! potolo, condied 295 65 l l,030 17 Swe~ potato, conned 117 27 8,500 15 S..an,~, Mature Ory Common vori;;,ties-red, i::onned 115 37 Trace Common vorieties-<:anned/tomoto $auce 160 70 80 3 Limo, cooked 130 28 Trace Trace Peas, spt,t, cooked 145 14 50 * V2 cup serving unless otherwise indicated. 2 Select Vegetables Carefully cleaned, washed, and stored 111 the retng­ erator. Other vegetables, such as potatoes, Seh:ct fresh, crisp, firm vegetables of may be stored in bins or ventilated boxes medium size. Peas and corn particularly in a cool, dry place. Remove tops of such should be freshly picked as they are vegetables as carrots. Leave peas and !ima less sweet after standing. Some market beans unshelled until you arc ready to use gardeners are icing certain vegetables, them. Keep vegetables from wiltini to rnch as corn in the field to keep this fresh retain their vitamin C. flavor. Vegetables like cauliflower, cab­ bage, and lettuce should be heavy in pro­ portion to size and solid to the touch. Prepare for Cooking Fresh vegetables should have a bright Wash vegetables thoroughly. Use plenty color and show no signs of spoilage. Dur­ of water when washing leafy greens. Lift ing the garden season try to pick your vegetables out of the water, thus letting vegetable~ just before you are ready to grit settle to the bottom of the pan. prepan: them. Purchase vegetables in Soak vegetables such as Brussel sprouts season for good flavor and enconomical and broccoli for 30 minutes to an hour in buying. cold water, if there are any signs of insects Store Vegetables Properly 111 the tight leaYes of flower buds. Store vegetables in a cool place. Those which wilt or spoil easily should be Cooking Methods General Rules for 3. Plan to serve vegetables as soon as Vegetable Cookery they are done since delay causes loss of color, flavor, and food value. l. Cook vegetables as quickly as pos­ sible. The cooking time is shortened by cutting green beans lengthwise and cut­ Boiling ting off the woody part, by slitting stalks Boiling is probably the most common of broccoli nearly to the head, and by method of cooking vegetables. The removing stems from spinach and chard. amount of water used depends on the Cook all vegetables only till they are kind of vegetable, the pan, the quantity tender. of vegetable to be cooked, and the cooking time. Add vegetables to boiling salted 2. Cook vegetables in their skins fre .. water and boil them gently to avoid break· quently. If you peel them, just scrape age. Start on high heat, then turn to low them or pare them thinly. heat as soon as the water starts steaming. 4 the methods of boilmg strong .\ttra;tn,: col.ur m ,,eµ,:- or mild flavored vegetables. tabk, 10 e.it mon l. STRONG-FLAVORED VEGETABLES 2. Yellow Vegetable, Cook strong-flavored , egetables, ~uch The 1ellow col,,r m , 1, not .i.s cabbage and onions, uncovered and as affected bv ordmary method, of cuokiniz quickly as pos\ible to prevent undesirable ;o they c,m be cooked m a smJ 11 atnount flavor changes. The amount of water to ot water m a cm crcd utcn;il. use is a debatable point. A large amount is frequently recommended sinre it pro­ 3. Red Vegetables duces a product more acceptable to some. Red vegetables ordinarily retam thcu A large amount of water, though, usually rnlor best in an acid medium. For exam· lowers food value. ple, add an acid to the cooking water oi red rnbb,1gc to retain its red color. 2. MILD-FLAVORED VEGETABLES 4. White Vegetables Cook mild-flavored vegetables, &uch as carrots., in a small amount of water as Cook white vegetables, ,uch J~ potatoeb, quickly as possible. Unless vegetables are only until they are tender, because they green, keep the pan covered during the darken when I.hey are oYer,cooked. entire cooking process. Pressure Saucepan You can cook in a pre~sure ,,mcepan with a small amount of water in a very Vary the methods of boiling accord­ ,hort time. Even green iegetables will ing to the color of the vegetable. keep their color when the pressure sauce­ pan b used correctly. It is very important l. Green Vegetables to tune vegetables correctly to avoid over· Cook green vegetables quickly to pre­ cooking. Cut most large vegetables, such serve color. They may be cooked in an as cauots and parsnips, in slices to cook uncovered pan to allow volatik acids them quickly and evenly. formed by the vegetables in cooking to pass off. V o!atiie adds destroy the chloro­ Steaming phyll or coloring of green vegetables. To steam vegetables, put a small These volatile acids usually pass off early ,,mount of water into a kettle, then insert in the cooking process, so you may use the rack to keep the vegetables above the the cover after the first few minutes of water. When the kettle is full of steam, cooking thereby shortening the cooking add the vegetables. Cook the vegetable, time. The amount of water to be used till they are tender. This method is not with green vegetables will vary. Some recommended for strongly-flavored or people recommend a large amount of green vegetables. water while others recommend smaller amounts--especially if vegetables cook quickly. Small amounts of water favor greater retention of nutrients but the color 5 Panning pings. Completely cooked vegetables can be heated m the bottom of a broiler pan P .anning 1s .1 qmck steammg method. while meat and another vegetable are You can cook many ,egetables, such as hro1lmg on the rack \hredded rnbbage, shredded beets, and 'lpinach, by this method. Pl.tee a small amount ot fat m a he.1vy, co\·ered pan Cooking Frozen Vegetables and then add the ,egetable. Use a tight Cook all vegetables from the frozen cover to hold m the steam. Stir occas10n­ state except corn on the cob, which ally to prevent stickmg. Cook over low should be partly defrosted. Cook frozen heat until the vegetable is JUSt tender. vegetables in a small amount of boiling salted water-about Vi cup or less. Keep Baking the heat high until the water returns to boiling after the vegetable b added. Re You can bake vegetables either in their duce heat so that the water simmers gent­ skms or by placing them in a casserole. It ly for the remainder of the woking time. take~ about twice as long to bake as to Keep the sauce pan covered during the boil , egetables. Bakmg retains \ itamms, cooking. Cook th(.. vegetable until it's nunerals, and fl:nor. Vegetables, such as tender-about half as long as 1f the s.1me potatoes, squash, tomatoes, and onions, vegetable we1e tresh. A pressure sauce are often baked in their skins. Many vege­ pan may be med fo!lowmg manufacturer\ tables are diced or sliced ( usually after directions for length of cooking time .. The peeling) and placed m a baking dish with package should be thawed enough to a snug lid. Add su,h ~ea5oning as butter break up before pressure cooking. and salt and a small amount of hquid. Before removing the dish from the oven, remove the lid to allow the steam to escape Canned Vegetables and the vegetables to brown, Heat wmmercia!ly canned ,egetables Many frozen vegetables may be baked m their own liquid. It is recommended m a covered casserole dish in a 350° F. that you drain the liquid from the can oven. Add seasonings such as butter and into a sauce pan and boil it quickly to i.alt and pepper. This takes about an hour concentrate the hquid before addmg the for most vegetables in small amounts. Thh drained vegetables. Use extra liquid for method is recommended when you are soups or gravies.