The document discusses how cooking affects the color, texture, and nutritional value of fruits and vegetables. It explains that pigments like chlorophyll, carotenoids, flavonoids, and anthocyanin can change color during cooking based on pH levels, with acids helping maintain color and alkalis causing discoloration. Cooking also impacts texture, with acids generally helping foods remain firm and alkalis causing softening. While cooking destroys some nutrients, it makes others more bioavailable.
2. Pigments are altered by the cooking
process
Chlorophyll
Carotenoids
Flavenoids
Anthocyanin
Color
3. Bright green is a result of expansion and
escape of trapped gases
Acids = enemy
◦ Cause a greyish green color
Color Aid = alkaline elements
◦ Careme used soda ash
◦ Causes vegetables to become mushy!!
Tips: Lots of water dilutes cell’s acids and
short cooking times reduce color loss
Chlorophyll
4. Red and Purples (considered chlorophylls
opposites)
Examples are red cabbage and
blueberries
Naturally water soluble (loss of color)
Alkalinity causes bluish hues
◦ Causes vegetables to become mushy
Acidity tends toward red hues
◦ Helps maintain color
Anthocyanins
5. White pigments (cauliflower)
Acidity helps to retain color and keeps
firm
Alkalinity causes a yellow hue and makes
mushy
Flavonoids
6. Orange and yellows
Very little color change with cooking
Acids keep firm during cooking
Alkalis cause mushiness
Carotenoids
7. Determined by inner water pressure and
cell wall structure
Begins to soften at 140F
Acid helps maintain firmness
Salt and alkalinity speed softening
Starchy vegetables begin to soften
between 137 and 150F
Pre-cooking can give persistent firmness
◦ (blanching potatoes, beets, carrots, beans,
tomatoes)
Textures
8. Mostly intensified by the cooking
process
Heating makes sweet sugars and
sour acids more prominent by
breaking down cell walls
Flavor
9. Destroys some of the nutrients
in food
(vitamins, antioxidants, minerals
)
Makes others more easily
absorbed
Nutritional Value