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_Buying Leafy Vegetables |
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Leaves are the most common and the most perishable of vegetables. They include lettuces, spinach, endives, cabbages, cresses, herbs, rabe, and sprouts. Although leaf vegetables vary in color, toughness, and flavor, all of them are prone to wilting because of their unique structure.
Leaves are energy factories, producing sugar via photosynthesis. Photosynthesis uses water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight from the atmosphere and turns them into oxygen, which is released back into the air, and sugar, which is stored as starch. To do their job, leaves need to be broad and flat, exposing maximum surface area to sunlight and water. Inside the leaf, a network of air pockets increases the number of cells that come into contact with the air. This allows optimal transfer of carbon dioxide and oxygen through the cell walls where photosynthesis takes place.
This unique framework makes leaves much more susceptible to dehydration and bruising than other vegetables. It also causes them to shrink dramatically during cooking. Most of a leaf is air and water. As it is heated its cell structure collapses. The leaf wilts and all its water and air are released, which is why a gallon of fresh spinach collapses into less than a cup of cooked vegetable and a sea of water.
Because leaves are prone to dehydration, it is best to store them in loosely closed plastic bags and use them as soon as possible. Do not seal them too tightly, or the leaves may absorb excess water and become soggy. Wash leafy vegetables as close to serving time as possible.
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01-The Changing Face of Homemade
02-What's Your Hurry?
03-The Ingredients
04-Organic and All-Natural Ingredients
05-Setting Up A Pantry
06-Using the Recipes
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