Why should you add salt to the boiling water for vegetables?
Salt plays an important role in increasing the heat of the water when boiling spinach, helping to shorten the cooking time and ensuring even cooking while retaining its crispness and vibrant green color. Adding salt to the boiling water also enhances the flavor and makes the dish more enticing.
To achieve the right amount of salt when boiling spinach, you should use about 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of salt, depending on the amount of water in the pot.
When boiling spinach, add salt to the water from the beginning and wait until the water boils. Then, add the spinach to the pot. When the spinach is cooked, remove it from the water and soak it in a bowl of ice water to maintain its freshness and ensure its crispness.
Add vinegar/lemon juice to the boiling water for vegetables
Adding a little vinegar or lemon juice when boiling spinach will make the dish more vibrant and visually appealing. Using a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice will preserve the natural color of the vegetable without affecting its original flavor.
The process is very simple, just add about 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar to the boiling water for vegetables and bring it to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the vegetables and boil until they are cooked. Then, remove the vegetables from the water and use as desired.
Boiling vegetables in ample water
To ensure that boiled spinach is vibrant and crispy, it is important to submerge the vegetables in water and cook them until they are partially cooked. If the spinach is not fully cooked, it will turn brown, while overcooking will result in a faded yellow color.
Soaking vegetables in cold water after boiling
To keep boiled spinach fresh and vibrant, you can follow these tips. First, prepare a bowl of cold water with ice cubes, and you can add a few pieces of lemon peel to make the vegetables more aromatic. After the spinach is cooked, immediately immerse it in this cold water and keep it submerged until the water is no longer cold, then remove the spinach and drain excess water.
These are some simple tips to help keep spinach fresh, vibrant, crispy, and appealing. Another simple tip is to boil more water and less vegetables. When the temperature quickly boils and the vegetables cook faster, if you boil more vegetables, the water will take longer to boil and the vegetables will cook slower, making them more susceptible to changes in color. The appearance of red in vegetables is due to prolonged boiling causing polyphenol oxidation, making the vegetables appear unappetizing.
However, the amount of salt should not be too much or too little, as this will not effectively preserve the vibrant color and nutrients in the vegetables. It may make the boiled vegetable dish less enticing and difficult to eat.