Contents
Cooking frozen vegetables: is there any benefit? Video
Frozen vegetables are available all year round, as opposed to fresh vegetables, which are mostly seasonal. Shock freezing of fresh vegetables allows you to save a lot of vitamins in them, since freezing is carried out just a few hours after collection. In order for the concentration of vitamins to not decrease significantly after heat treatment, vegetables must be properly cooked.
How to cook frozen vegetables
How to cook frozen vegetables
Vegetables are processed before freezing. They are not only cleaned, but also blanched, that is, they are first treated with boiling water and then immersed in ice water to stop the cooking process. That is why, when cooking tender vegetables such as spinach, young peas, tomatoes, peppers and the like, keep in mind that they are almost ready and you only need to warm them up a little, for example, by steaming them.
How to cook frozen vegetables in the microwave
To cook vegetables in the microwave, you will need: – a glass bowl – a few tablespoons of warm water – salt Place the vegetables without thawing in a glass dish. Drizzle with warm boiled water. The more ice on the vegetables, the less water you will need. Season vegetables with salt and microwave. Set the maximum heating mode, turn on the oven for 90 seconds. Open the door, stir the vegetables, check the doneness. If necessary, return the vegetables to the oven and continue cooking at 60 second intervals, constantly checking the doneness.
If you prefer al dente vegetables, fresh and slightly crispy, as soon as they are ready, immediately place them in ice water for a few seconds
How to steam frozen vegetables
Steamed vegetables are synonymous with healthy eating for a reason. Treated in this way, they retain vitamins and minerals better. The best vegetables for steaming are, for example:
– broccoli; – carrots; – cauliflower; – green beans;
and other relatively soft vegetables.
Fill a wide saucepan with water, place a special container or iron colander over it, and put frozen vegetables. The water should be a few centimeters below the dishes containing the vegetables. Turn on the heat and steam the food, periodically checking the cooking. If you want to saturate steamed vegetables with spicy flavors, place bay leaves, dill, ginger, lemongrass, cinnamon sticks in boiling water under them, depending on your choice.
How to cook frozen vegetables
If you are cooking vegetables for a side dish, it is important for you to preserve their appearance, taste and freshness. Pour as much water into a wide saucepan as needed to lightly coat the vegetables. Bring it to a boil and add food to it. Cook until tender. If you are cooking hard vegetables, beans, potatoes, beets, or other root vegetables, you can put them in a saucepan before the water boils.