Why do green vegetables not stand up to steaming?
First of all, steam cooking opens up the pores of the product. Vitamins and minerals immediately begin to escape and the good wholesome vegetables that you planned to enjoy no longer contain the nutrients that you expected. Secondly, for a vegetable to be green, it must contain chlorophyll, and when chlorophyll is cooked, a carbon dioxide-filled steam is created. When you steam vegetables, the pan must be kept covered to prevent the steam from escaping. Therefore the carbon dioxide is trapped inside and turns the chlorophyll dark. The vegetables become gray and drab. The salt water principle creates a barrier against carbon dioxide so that the vegetables stay attractive and bright green. Cooking from A to Z – Example: Green beans • It is important to begin with a large quantity of salted water and to bring it to a boil before adding the vegetables so that their pore openings will be quickly blocked. • Cook for about 10 minutes until tender: neither overcooked nor crunchy! • Drain; drop
