Boiling Food

Wikipedia: Boiling is the rapid vaporization of a liquid, which occurs when a liquid is heated to its boiling point, the temperature at which the vapour pressure of the liquid is equal to the pressure exerted on the liquid by the surrounding atmosphere. 

Water Bubbly Options

Boiling, simmering and poaching are similar methods of wet cooking that differ only by the temp of the water. But cooking occurs similarly no matter what temperature is used. Boiling can change food.

Quoting from wikipedia again: boiling toughens albumin in eggs making soft or hard boiled eggs, softens the fiber and dissolves connective tissues in meat, and softens cellulose in cereals, vegetables, and fruits.

• Poaching: Cooking in enough liquid to cover the food at less than 180F/82C, the liquid will be hot but if there are bubbles they will occur occasionally or be very small.
• Simmering: The liquid will be in motion, but minimal bubbles at 185–200F/85–93C.
• Boiling: A liquid in full bubble motion at 212F/100C where I live, since I am at sea level. Higher elevations water should boil at lower temps..

Boiling + Nutrients

How we cook alters the nutrients in our food.

Healthline: Boiling reduces vitamin C more than any other cooking method. Broccoli, spinach and lettuce may lose up to 50% or more of their vitamin C when boiled. Because vitamin C is water-soluble and sensitive to heat, it can leach out of vegetables when they’re immersed in hot water.

Equipment

All that is required is a heavy-bottomed pot or saucepan with a lid to evenly distribute the heat.

Boiling Process

Boiling makes certain foods palatable and edible by making them soft. So I boil pasta, potatoes, cereal, grains, seeds, rice, and beans. I do not boil meat as my experience is that it turns meat tough and uninteresting flavor-wise. However, I do boil meat bones to make bone broth.

• Start cold water: Par-blanching or parboiling consists of immersing food in cold water first and then bringing the water up slowly to a simmer or boil. This way of boiling works for making boiled eggs (in the shell), and as a much noted “rule of thumb” is good for veggies that grow underground. Food that I boil and start by adding them to cold water includes: turnips, potatoes, or celery root that I am going to mash (as in mashed potatoes).
• Start in boiling water: The “rule of thumb” I have seen written all over the place is this is best for “veggies that grow above the ground.” Food that I put into already boiling water are: corn on the cob, as generally I do not boil veggies.
• Pasta: I heat the water to a boil, add salt, then wait for a full boil again before adding the pasta. Generally, I use 1 quart water for each 1/4# of pasta.
• Boiled Eggs: My best advice is to place eggs in a pot of cool water, enough water to cover them by 1″. Cover and bring water to a boil, then remove from the heat after it has cooked and move to cool water.
• Bone Broth: Using bones from the butcher, or left overs from dinner, combine with water and boil/simmer in a full pot of water. The goal is to leach all the goodness from the meat/bones into the water to create a broth to be used in other cooking. Common bone broth are created from beef, pork, chicken, and turkey. Fish broth can be made as well.

Blanching

Blanch Vegetables: This cooks quickly, yet the foods retain flavor, the bright color is a hallmark of blanching. If cooked at a simmer or boiled, certain veggies (broccoli, green beans, spinach) would dull and texture would be lost.

• Prep the veggies to blanch
• Blanching then starts with boiling salted water
• Put veggies in the water until soft (a few minutes)
• Using a “spider” remove the veggies from the water
• Place on a cooling rack that is in a baking sheet to drain and cool off
• The food will not be cooked all the way through so will retain a bit of crunch
• Some blanched foods will be followed by being sauted, like carrots. I use this to cook frozen peas or corn, as they just need to be heated up.

Boil to Reduce

Boil Sauces + Reduction: Boiling causes speedy evaporation, a useful sauce reduction effect where liquid reduces and flavor concentrates.

• Reducing starts by heating a sauce at a simmer or slight boil
• Stir occasionally to gauge doneness, but the idea is to let water evaporate from the sauce
• What will be left is a concentrated form of the base sauce, thickened and concentrated
• Some recipes will state a percentage reduction, like “reduce by 50%” to help guide how much reduction you should do.

Simmering

Simmer Stews + Meat-based Chilies: You simmer in a slow cooker for meat-based stews, chilis, and some pot roasts. The idea is to keep the liquid in the pot so it is lidded; the liquid evaporates, collects on the lid, and falls back into the pot basting the food.

Poaching

Poach Fish + Eggs: Poaching is a very low liquid cooking process that will not break delicate food apart. Great for fish and poached eggs.

Scalding

Scalding Liquid: You heat water near boiling 185F (85C) using a double boiler, the heat from the pan with water heats up the pan nestled in above it. Thus, cooking without having the food touch the heated water. This technique is often used to prepare milk for breads and custards.  (Some breads call for scalding milk that is then reduced to 80F before adding to dough.)