VITAMIN RETENTION AND ACCEPTABILITY OF FRESH VEGETABLES COOKED BY FOUR HOUSEHOLD METHODS AND BY AN INSTITUTIONAL METHOD¹²³

Abstract

Variation in the methods of cooking fresh vegetables exists among homes and institutions, and usually in any one place the same method is used for almost all vegetables. This practice undoubtedly prevails because of habit and because of a priori conclusions, not because a careful comparison has been made to decide which method gives the best product for each vegetable from the standpoint of acceptability as well as that of vitamin retention.I n the study reported in this paper three vegetables-green cabbage, spinach, and peas-were cooked in four-serving portions by four methods : in water to cover, in a minimum amount of water, in a steamer, and in a pressure saucepan. Then the retention of ascorbic acid, thiamin, and riboflavin and also the acceptability were determined for the cooked vegetables. I n addition, the effect of storing the cooking liquid in the refrigerator and subsequently reheating it was determinkd. A comparison was also made of cabbage cut in quarters and shredded and of spinach with and without stems, all cooked in water to cover. Finally two of the vegetables, cabbage and spinach, were also cooked in a steam-jacketed kettle in an institution and held over steam. The vitamin retention found in these institutional products was compared with similarly cut vegetables cooked by a household method in water to cover.A number of studies on these vegetables and their vitamin retention have been reported in the literature, but only those are reviewed in which the methods were a t all comparable to those used in this investigation. Thus, for the household methods only those studies are included in which it was possible to determine that the vegetables were cooked in quantities of a t least two servings and in which more than one method was reported, except in the case of cabbage cut in quarters and spinach with the stems left on.It is difficult to draw clear-cut conclusions from the data presented in the literature for these reasons: (1) the range of results was wide between 'In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy a

COLOR AND ASCORBIC ACID VARIATIONS IN CABBAGE COOKED BY VARIOUS METHODS1

“…The The values, which lie between 30 and 65 mg. of ascorbic acid per 100 gm. of vegetable, are similar to those given by other workers (Eheart and Sholes, 1948 ;Hewston, Dawson, Alexander, and Orent-Keiles, 1948 ;Kelley, Jackson, Sheehan, and Ohlson, 1947 ;Sutherland, Halliday, and Hinman, 1947 ;Mayfield and Richardson, 1940 ;Noble and Waddell, 1945 ;Quinn, Scoular, and Johnson, 1946;and Van Duyne, Chase, and Simpson, 1944) but are markedly lower than ones reported for a number of varieties grown on silty clay loam fertilized with NKP (Burrell, Brown, and Ebright, 1940).…”