10 Commonly Misprocessed Foods

1. Smoked Meat

There are many ways to prepare smoked meat at home, but not every method is effective and fully utilizes the nutrients in this dish.

You should add water to the pan when frying the meat. This helps the meat become crispy and evenly cook the fat.

2. Boiled Vegetables

Boiling vegetables may seem like a very simple method, but if you do it wrong, the vegetables will lose their inherent nutrients.

3 points to remember before boiling vegetables:

• Wait for boiling water: do not put vegetables in cold water or water that is not boiling yet. This will prolong the cooking process of the vegetables, making them soft and losing their crispness. Boiling vegetables over high heat helps retain the nutrients in the vegetables.
• Do not cover when boiling vegetables: doing this will trap the steam in the pot, causing certain vegetables like corn and spinach to turn yellow faster.
• Always drain the vegetables after boiling: do not take the vegetables from the pot and put them directly on a plate for storage. The water from the vegetables remaining at the bottom will make the vegetables slimy and spoil faster, so the vegetables must be drained and then placed on a plate for consumption.

Add a teaspoon of salt when boiling vegetables.

3. Baked Potatoes

Using aluminum foil to bake potatoes is a common mistake that people often make. Instead, preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius and sprinkle salt on the outside of the potato skin.

Then, continue to bake the potatoes with salt for about an hour, turning the potatoes after half an hour to evenly cook the skin, while the inside is soft and fluffy, very delicious.

4. Boiled Eggs

Boiled eggs are a very common method of preparation because of their convenience and nutrient retention. However, to boil eggs correctly with the desired degree of doneness, you need to know what type of eggs you have and whether you want them soft-boiled, medium-boiled, or hard-boiled.

For chicken eggs, the usual soft-boiled time is about 6 minutes, medium-boiled is about 8 minutes, and hard-boiled is fully cooked in 12 minutes.

5. Chicken Breasts

Chicken breasts can be a delicious dish, but if not prepared correctly, this dish can become quite bland and unappetizing.

First, you need to understand the time and temperature needed to have the best-tasting chicken breasts, and then the method of seasoning. Don’t hesitate to use salt, as it will give the chicken breasts a distinctive flavor.

6. Thawing Food

Each type of food has a different thawing method, so you need to pay attention to this, as it is crucial to ensure that your food will be in the best condition after thawing.

To thaw meat and fish, there is a very common method, which is to put it in the refrigerator for 12 hours to fully thaw before taking out the meat and using it.

Another method that is often used is to take the frozen food bag out and soak it in water (the outer packaging will prevent the meat from getting soaked in water during the thawing process).

These methods help the meat and fish retain their freshness and not lose nutrients after the thawing process.

7. Herbs

Herbs are often combined in many dishes to enhance the delicious aroma. Each type of herb has its own usage and requires the right timing.

Herbs such as rosemary, sage, and thyme can be cooked together in a dish.

While cilantro, parsley, and delicate herbs are better added after the cooking process, as they can easily lose their aroma. Therefore, it is necessary to add them when the dish is completed.

8. Olive Oil

Using olive oil is not just about pouring it into a pan or pot for use. However, depending on the type of olive oil, there are different ways to use it.

Extra virgin olive oil has a low heat tolerance, so when the food is boiling or frying, turn off the heat before adding the oil. Cooking at high temperatures will turn the oil into toxins, which can be harmful to the body.

Therefore, this type of oil should only be added after the dish is cooked or mixed into salads to enhance the flavor and nutrients.

9. Steak

Steak can be a simple dish to prepare, but it requires a lot of care and precision.

First, you need to choose the right type of meat, then marinate it with the necessary spices before frying in a hot pan. The desired level of doneness requires precise temperature and time, which you need to carefully consider before cooking.

10. Garlic

When cooking garlic, the common mistake is to mince it and drop it into hot oil, which will burn the garlic and create a bitter taste for the rest of the dish.

Instead, add the garlic to a warm pan before heating it up. This will warm up the garlic and oil at the same time, making the garlic soft and infused with oil, creating a delicious and fragrant flavor.

Above are 10 types of food that are often prepared incorrectly, along with optimal cooking solutions for these foods. Share these useful tips with your friends and family!