Methods of Cooking Food: Boiling

Definition

Scientifically speaking, boiling is an explosive phase change between a liquid state and a gas state. In the kitchen, boiling is cooking food at a relatively high temperature, 212 degrees, in water or some other water-based liquid. When liquids boil, bubbles caused by water vapor rush to the surface of the liquid and pop. It’s a vigorous process that works best for sturdier foods; anything delicate can get damaged.

Boiling is a moist method of cooking in which foods are immersed in a liquid that is either at or brought to the boiling point. This liquid may be water stock, milk or court bouillon.

Heat Transfer

Heat is conducted through the equipment surfaces to the liquid in contact with them. The liquid transfers this heat to the food by convection currents. Heat is absorbed by the surface of the food and passes through it by conduction and the food cooks.

Techniques Associated With Boiling

Simmering

This is gentle heat treatment which causes small bubbles to rise slowly from the liquid. The food remains whole, with a better texture and more and.  The water does not evaporate so quickly and less vigilance is required to maintain the correct level of a liquid.

Parboiling

Parboiling is the boiling of food until it is only partially cooked. The food is placed in boiling water for a short time from 1 to 5 minutes, or until the outside becomes soft. The cooking process is then completed using another method. Potatoes, for example, maybe parboiled to reduce roasting time and to help brown them and give a crisper texture.

Blanching

Blanching does involve placing food in boiling water. Food is plunged into boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes depending on the size of the food and then removed. It is then immediately refreshed in cold water.

Advantages

1. Time: In terms of time, boiling can be lightning fast, or very slow. Blanching vegetables can take very little time. Pasta and potatoes can take 10-15 minutes, somewhere in the middle. And tough meats or poultry can be given long, slow cooking to make nutritious stock and tender proteins.
2. Taste: Boiled food retains its natural flavor, without the addition of fats or oils in sautéing or frying. Boiling also makes flavors more concentrated by reducing sauces.
3. Texture: No one could eat a meal of raw potatoes, dried beans, or uncooked quinoa. Boiling makes grains, beans and starchy vegetables palatable and edible by breaking them down and making them soft.
4. Nutrition: Boiling is the best way to make delicious and highly nutritious stocks out of meat and vegetables. However, many water-soluble vitamins can leach out into the cooking liquid during the boiling process. If you drain away your boiling liquid, you may be throwing away a lot of nutrients, too. One way to prevent this is to serve the cooking liquid as part of the dish to maintain the nutritional value of what you’re cooking. Soups and stews use this to their advantage.

Disadvantages

1. Flavour and some color may be lost from the food into liquid.
2. Loss of nutrients (especially water-soluble vitamins) may be high.

Foods to Boil

1. Eggs: Hard- and soft-boiled eggs require different stovetop boiling times. Generally speaking, aim for 5 minutes for a soft yolk, and 6-7 for a hard-cooked egg. For more details, see my other egg cooking techniques, including one in the Instant Pot.
2. Pasta: Every pasta is different, but the goal is to boil until the pasta is al dente, or “to the tooth.” Ideally, the pasta should still provide some resistance instead of being completely soft all the way through.
3. Potatoes and root vegetables: Depending on the density and size of the potato or root vegetable, this can vary. It is considered cooked when the tip of a sharp knife can be inserted easily into the vegetable without too much resistance.
4. Blanching vegetables: No more than a few moments for green vegetables like broccoli, green beans, and spinach.
5. Grains: Every grain has its own unique cooking time, so read the instructions carefully. Spelt, farro, quinoa, millet, wheat berries all cook up beautifully with boiling.
6. Rice: If you don’t use a rice cooker, boiling rice is the next best way to cook it. Brown, wild, and black varieties all take much longer than any of the white rices, so plan accordingly and read the instructions on the label of each carefully. Some rice requires exact measurements of water for an accurate rice-to-water ratio, while others can be boiled freely in water and then drained.

Ways to Make Water Boil Faster

The old adage of “a watched pot never boils” seems true if you’ve ever waited an eternity for a large stock pot of water to heat up. If you’re wondering what you can do to speed up the process, there’s some science that suggests that adding a water-soluble substance like salt or sugar to the liquid can lower the boiling temperature somewhat and make that water boil faster. If that doesn’t appeal to you, put the lid on your pot and that should help.

Safety Rules

1. The boiling utensil should be matched with the quantity of food to be cooked. If not enough space is available water will spill as it boils.
2. The food handler should take care when placing foods into or removing items from, boiling liquids.
3. When reducing liquids adequate ventilation should be available to remove steam from the atmosphere. Condensation can cause slippery floors and dampness on electrical appliances.