A hundred years ago, American Cookery magazine had a Queries and Answers column. I looked at least four or five times at the header, and kept thinking that it should say “Questions and Answers,” but it actually says, “Queries and Answers.” What a formal way of saying “Q&A.”
One query was about the loss of vitamins when vegetables are cooked. It seems really strange that “vitamins” was spelled, “vitamines” in the query. Maybe that’s an archaic spelling. Here’s the answer in the old magazine:
Loss of Vitamines in Cooking Vegetables
In all cooking of food there is more or less loss of vitamines involved, but the lower the temperature the less will be the loss, so we think your friend probably meant “low temperature” when she said “slow fire.”
Authorities on the subject tell us that the temperatures used in the ordinary methods of home cooking involve no very serious loss of vitamines. but when vegetables or other foods are cooked in water, there is a serious loss of the vitamines that are soluble in water. In our own experience, this rather than the high temperature, is the thing to be dreaded and deplored.
When the water used in cooking is drained off down the sink there is a waste of valuable substances which should be regarded as nothing short of criminal. In some of the classic experiments on these substances, pigeons which had been fed on vitamine-free foods until they were at the point of death were quickly resuscitated and made a complete recovery when the water used in boiling vegetables was administered to them.
We, therefore, pray you, boil your vegetables if you wish (though we’d prefer you to steam them), but save every drop of the water from either process. Use it as a basis for soup, for gravy, for mashing potatoes, for breadmaking – for anything you please, only use it.
American Cookery (December, 1926)
Whew – the author of the answer has a strong opinion! I’m apparently acting in a criminal manner. This answer makes me feel guilty, and I hate to admit it, but when I boil or steam vegetables, I throw the water out. Maybe I should stick with roasting vegetables.
I also am a bit alarmed by the pigeon experiments, but things were different back then. Some things have definitely changed over the years.
I’m mostly a water-tosser too, although I never boil any veggie (apart from occasional potatoes). Steaming is my method of choice. I will save veggie water if I have soup-making coming up, since I was told early and often to do that!
Yes, guilty as charged. I steam veggies but don’t always keep the water. I love my veggies still ‘firm’, especially broccoli, carrot and beans – so less cooking may help retain some of the nutrition otherwise lost. I also love leaves like arugula, lettuce, etc. with a little virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Yum… Natural state must be best… Love, love salads. Oh, I’m making myself hungry. Great post, Sheryl.
When I learned to cook, I was taught by my mom to use as little water as possible when cooking foods and to cook it until all the water has evaporated. I thought that was just for a better flavor. (The flavor really is enhanced when you do that)
It can be really tricky, getting the heat turned off just at the perfect stage of evaporation. Green beans and buttered potatoes are examples of this challenge.