Chapter 9 Fruits and Vegetables

1. Chapter 9 Fruits and Vegetables

2. Vegetables: Typesand Market Forms A vegetable is an edible, herb-like plant. The edible parts of vegetables include the leaves, fruit, stems, roots, tubers, seeds, and flowers. • Vegetables are often categorized by their botanical origins or by their edible parts: • Flower vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage. • Fruit vegetables include avocados, cucumbers, eggplants, peppers, squash, and tomatoes. • Green leafy vegetables include various types of lettuce, mustard greens, spinach, and Swiss chard. • Some greens are lettuces; some are related to cabbage; others, like radicchio, are chicory. Even leafy herbs like cilantro find their way into flavorful salads. 9.2 Chapter 9 | Fruits and Vegetables

3. Vegetables: Typesand Market Forms (cont.) • Spring greens are the new leaves of leafy vegetables that had been harvested the previous season: • Field mixes may be more tender and can be planted in the spring for harvest a few weeks later. • Seed vegetables include corn, peas, and beans. • Root vegetables include carrots, beets, radishes, turnips, and onions. • Tuber vegetables include potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams. • Stem vegetables include asparagus, celery, artichokes, and mushrooms. • In hydroponic farming, vegetables are grown indoors year-round, under regulated temperatures and light, in nutrient-enriched water. • As with fruit, during their growing seasons vegetables are plentiful, the quality is higher, and the prices are usually lower. • The same USDA fruit quality grades apply to vegetables as well. 9.2 Chapter 9 | Fruits and Vegetables

4. Flower Fruit Green Leafy Seed Root & Tuber Stem Categories of Vegetables: The edible part varies with each vegetable

5. Include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussels sprouts. The flower of the plant (floret) and attached stems are eaten either raw or cooked. Raw broccoli/cauliflower Used in Crudités Cabbage/Brussels Sprouts Thick, waxy, green leaves Flower Vegetables

6. Except for eggplant and squash, most fruit vegetables are eaten raw. Eggplant – purple-black glossy skin and a spongy flesh that is best when cooked. Fruit Vegetables - Includes avocados, cucumbers, eggplants, peppers, squash and tomatoes • Avocados have black leathery skin and a rich, buttery flavor

7. Squash Summer Smaller and have a soft, edible skin Winter Hard shell with large seeds Fruit Vegetables • Chili Peppers • Chiles in Spanish • Small, hot peppers • Most of the heat is from the seeds.

8. Tomatoes Best when they are vine ripened. Cucumbers 95% water Low in calories Great in salads Used as an appetizer Fruit Vegetables

9. Green leafy vegetables are high in vitamins A and C, iron and magnesium. The most common types of lettuce are iceberg, romaine and leaf. Mustard greens have a bitter taste and are best in salads or sautéed. Spinach is very versatile and is good in soup, salad and in main dishes. Swiss Chard is a type of beet that has no root. It is often steamed, sautéed or used in soup. Green Leafy VegetablesLettuce, Mustard Greens, Spinach and Swiss Chard

10. To retain their nutrients, seed vegetables should be eaten as soon as they are picked. Sweet corn can be yellow, white or bicolored. Popcorn is a variety of corn grown for its small ears and pointed kernels that make it good for popping. Seed VegetablesCorn, Peas and Beans

11. Green peas have a sweet delicate flavor and are good steamed in soup and as a garnish. Fresh beans include green beans, yellow wax beans, and Haricot verts. Small and usually eaten in the pod. Good beans for shelling are lima beans and fava beans. Haricot Verts: Peas: Beans: Seed Vegetables

12. Roots are rich in sugars, starches, vitamins, and minerals, and grow above and below the ground. Carrots contain a large amount of carotene, which is easily converted to vitamin A. Beets were originally grown for their tops. Today the root is far more popular , and found in salads, stews, soups and as crudités Root VegetablesCarrots, Beets, Radishes, Onions, Turnips

13. Radishes and Turnips have a crisp, peppery flavor that are good in salads or baked. All varieties of onions have a pungent flavor and aroma. Common, or bulb onions, like red, white and yellow, are good in many dishes and used as seasoning. Root Vegetables

14. Green onions, or scallions are bulb onions that are pulled before they are mature. Shallots are shaped like small bulb onions and separate into cloves when broken apart. Root Vegetables

15. Leeks resemble large green onions and have the mildest flavor in the onion family. Root Vegetables

16. Tuber Vegetables – Include potatoes, sweet potatoes and yams. • Tubers are enlarged, bulbous roots, capable of generating a new plant. • The most common form of potatoes are the long russet, long white, round russet, round white and round red. • Sweet potatoes are native South American vegetables, and range from light orange to dark red.

17. Stem Vegetables include asparagus, celery, artichokes and mushrooms. • Asparagus – Best steamed while standing upright in a pot, with the tips on top. • Celery was originally grown in Europe, often used in soups, stews and salads. • Young, tender globe artichokes can be cooked whole; more mature artichokes need to have the fuzzy center removed first.

18. RYL, WB & Quiz Stem Vegetables • Mushrooms are family of fungi with flavors that range from delicate and fruity to pungent and garlicky. • Wild mushrooms should always be purchased from reliable vendors because of the danger of poisonous varieties.

19. Storing Vegetables • Roots and tubers should be stored dry and unpeeled in a cool, dark area. • If possible, vegetables should be stored separately in one refrigerator and fruit in another refrigerator. • Most vegetables need to be kept dry because excess moisture causes produce to spoil quickly. • Produce should not be peeled, washed, or trimmed until just before it is used. • Vegetables that need to ripen should be stored at room temperatures of 65°F to 70°F. Once produce is ripe, refrigerate it immediately or it will become overripe. • Green vegetables must be placed carefully in a refrigerator. 9.2 Chapter 9 | Fruits and Vegetables

20. Preparing Vegetables Vegetables must be properly prepared before they are cooked. • All fresh vegetables must be cleaned thoroughly. Washing removes surface dirt as well as other contaminants. • When cutting vegetables, the cutting surface should be at a comfortable height. The cutting station should have a container to hold peelings and another to hold the cut vegetables. • For safety, foods such as raw meat, fish, and poultry require a different cutting board from that used for fruits and vegetables: • Dicing is cutting a product into cubes with a chef ’s knife. Normally, dicing refers to about a half-inch cube. This is a common technique for use with vegetables. • Mincing is a fine chop cut made by using a chef ’s knife or mezzaluna. This cut is commonly used on smaller foods, such as garlic, fresh herbs, and ginger. 9.2 Chapter 9 | Fruits and Vegetables

21. Cooking Vegetables • Prepare vegetables for cooking as close to the actual cooking time as possible to ensure the vegetables’ freshness. • Vegetables must be cooked in a way that protects their texture, flavor, color, and nutrients: • Boiling is best for hard, starchy vegetables. Blanch vegetables by quickly and partially cooking them in hot water or oil. • Parboiling, like blanching, partially cooks vegetables in boiling water. • Steaming is the best way to retain vitamins and minerals. • Cook vegetables in a microwave-safe container, covered, in a small amount of liquid. Or leave the vegetable whole, with the skin or peel intact, and steam it with its own moisture. • Roast or bake vegetables in a hot or moderate oven. This cooking method is best suited to vegetables with thick skins that protect the interior from drying or scorching. 9.2 Chapter 9 | Fruits and Vegetables

22. Cooking Vegetables (cont.) • While thick-skinned vegetables are well suited for roasting, vegetables with little or no skin are best when sautéed. • Glazing is a finishing technique that gives vegetables a glossy appearance. • Cooks often coat pan-fried vegetables with breading or batter. Cook batter-dipped vegetables in oil or butter until their exteriors are lightly browned and crisp. • To marinate vegetables, soak them in oil or vinegar, herbs, and spices. This gives them added flavor and helps to tenderize the vegetable. • Vegetable stews and braises are good ways to retain the vitamins and minerals that are transferred to the cooking liquid. • The best way to maintain overall quality is to cook vegetables soon after purchase and then serve them as quickly as possible. 9.2 Chapter 9 | Fruits and Vegetables

23. Four natural colors or pigments. Anthocyanins Red and purple Anthozanthins Colorless or white Carotenoids Orange, yellow, red-orange and red Chlorophyll Green All pigments are affected by acids or alkaline solutions. The pH level is the measure used to indicate the acidity or alkalinity of an object or solution. Vegetables consist of water, sugar and starch.

24. Vegetables must be peek quality, properly stored and handled, and prepared with the proper cooking method. Cooking affects color, texture, flavor and nutrients. Vegetables must be properly prepared before they are cooked by any other method. Vegetable Cookery – Preserve as much color and nutrients as possible.

25. Do not hold in water prior to cooking. Rinse, peel and trim as close to cooking time as possible. Cook as quickly as possible and in as less liquid as possible. Steam or microwave vegetables, or bake them whole, in their skins, whenever possible. Cooking – Minimize the loss of nutrients.

26. Boiling Steaming Microwave Roasting and baking Saluting and stir-Frying Pan Frying and Deep Frying Grilling Stewing Braising Pureeing Vegetable Cooking Methods

27. Blanching Makes skin easy to remove Sets vegetable color Eliminates or reduces strong flavor 1st step in other cooking methods. Parbroiling Partially cooks vegetables: Braises, Grills Gratins Broiling – best for hard, starchy vegetables such and corn and potatoes.

28. Steaming – Great way to cook for short order. Best way to retain vitamins and minerals. Microwave – the friction of the vibrating food molecules generates heat, causing the food’s natural liquids to steam the item. Use appropriate safe dish. Vegetable can be left whole, with skin or peel intact, and steamed with its own moisture.

29. Roasting and Baking Left whole or cut into large pieces with no additional liquid added. Vegetables with think skins are good for baking. Potatoes Yams Sautéing and stir-frying are methods that give vegetables a crisp texture Finishing – in butter involves reheating cooked vegetables by sautéing them prior to serving. Glazing – a finishing technique where a small amount of honey, sugar maple or sugar is added to coat it, giving it a sheen.

30. Pan Fried Vegetables – Often coated with breading or batter. Any sauce served with pan-fried vegetables should be made separately. Vegetables that are to be deep-fried must be precooked and coated with any breading or batter just before cooking. Tempura is a Japanese cooking term in which vegetables or seafood are coated with a light batter and deep fried.

31. Vegetables prepared by grilling or broiling must be able to withstand intense heat. Some vegetables can be grilled or broiled from the raw state and some must be precooked or marinated. Vegetable stews and braises - good ways to retain the vitamins and minerals that are transferred to the cooking liquid. Stewed vegetables are cut into small pieces. Braised vegetables are large pieces or left whole.

32. Pureed vegetables can be served as individual dishes or used in other preparations, such as timbales, custards, and soufflés. • Vegetables must be cooked until tender enough to puree easily. • Tomatoes, spinach and cucumber can be pureed from the raw state.

33. Section 9.2 Summary • Flower, fruit, green leafy, seed, root/tuber, and stem are categories of vegetables. • Hydroponic farming allows vegetables to be grown indoors year-round under regulated temperatures and light in nutrient-enriched water. • Roots and tubers should be stored dry and unpeeled in a cool, dark area. • There are many ways to cook vegetables, including boiling (blanching, parboiling), steaming, microwaving, roasting and baking, sautéing and stir-frying, pan-frying, deep-frying, sous vide, stewing and braising, grilling, and puréeing. • The best way to maintain overall quality is to cook vegetables rapidly and then serve them as soon as possible. 9.2 Chapter 9 | Fruits and Vegetables