Vegetable Tips

More helping hints from "How To Read A French Fry..and Other Stories of Intriguing Kitchen Science"

*When picking vegetables, choose ones that are heavy for their size (meaning they contain a lot of water) and are smooth and firm.

*Keep them cold in a vegetable drawer-preventing moisture from evaporating too quickly.

*Never refrigerate tomatoes. Their flavors will be irreparably damaged.

*After peeling artichokes or potatoes, cover them with water (artichokes in water with vinegar or lemon juice added)

*Cook green vegetables either uncovered or for fewer than 7 minutes. Much longer than that, and the acids freed by cooking will begin to condense on the lid and rain back down on the vegetables, spoiling their color

*Cooking vegetables until they've completely softened will give you a much more developed, complex flavor.

*To braise vegetables, put them in a cold pan with some liquid and oil. Cover and place over heat. Let cook, shaking occasionally, until the vegetable has begun to soften. Remove the lid from the pan and raise the heat to allow the liquid to evaporate.

*Don't add an acidic ingredient to a dish of green vegetables until ready to serve, helping them retain their color. Vegetables that have been blanched (cooked in plenty of boiling water until just softened) can be dressed in a vinaigrette immediately, because hot vegetables will absorb it better.