Add a twist to your boiled morning glory: Throw in some ingredients and you’ll have a delicious and nutritious green dish

Adding salt to the boiling water

Salt has the ability to increase the heat of the water, thereby shortening the cooking time for vegetables effectively. As a result, the boiled water spinach is evenly cooked, crispy, and does not become mushy or lose its color. Besides, adding salt when boiling water spinach also makes the boiled dish more flavorful and enticing.

To boil water spinach with the right amount of salt, you can use about 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of salt, depending on the amount of water in the pot.

Add salt to the water from the beginning and wait until the water boils. Then, add the water spinach to the pot. When the vegetables are cooked, remove them and soak them in a bowl of ice water to keep the vegetables fresh and ensure their crispiness.

Adding vinegar/lemon juice to the boiling water

Adding a little vinegar or lemon juice when boiling water spinach will make the boiled dish greener and more appealing. This way, you can maintain the color of the vegetables without affecting their original taste.

The process is very simple. Add about 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar to the boiling water when boiling the vegetables, then let the water simmer. When the water is simmering, you can add the vegetables to the pot and remove them when they are cooked.

Boiling the vegetables in a large amount of water

To make the boiled water spinach green and crispy, it is necessary to immerse the vegetables in water. Boil the vegetables until they are cooked just right, as undercooked vegetables will turn dark, while overcooked vegetables will turn yellowish.

Soaking the vegetables in cold water after boiling

To achieve a fresh, crispy, and attractive green color for the boiled water spinach, you can apply some tips.

The first tip is to prepare a bowl of cold water with ice (you can add a few slices of lemon peel for fragrance). After boiling the vegetables, immediately immerse them in this cold water bath and let them soak until the water is no longer cold. Then, remove the vegetables and let them drain.

The second method is to boil the water spinach in more water, but with a smaller amount of vegetables. This way, the temperature will quickly rise and the vegetables will cook faster. If you boil a large amount of vegetables, the water will take longer to boil, resulting in slower cooking and potential color changes. The red color of the vegetables is caused by the oxidation process of polyphenols due to prolonged boiling temperature, creating an unappealing and less tasty red color.