The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science

(Nandana) #1

vegetables should be cooked with the lid off, to encourage
the partial evaporation of any of these acidic compounds.
Ah, you’re thinking to yourself, if acid is the enemy of green
vegetables, why not add a pinch of baking soda to the water
to keep them bright and green? And you’d be right—baking
soda does keep vegetables greener. Unfortunately, it also
hastens the breakdown of their cells, causing them to turn
mushy while imparting a soapy aftertaste.


Beans   cooked  in  plain   water,  acidic  water,  and baking  soda
water.

Seems like in this case, the pro-big-potters are right. It’s
the only way to achieve vegetables that are simultaneously
bright green and tender-crisp.


Shocking!

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