Food Preparation Fruits and Vegetables

1
Food PreparationFruits and Vegetables
2
Learning Objectives

• Describe the forms in which fruits are procured
• Identify the eight classifications of vegetables
• Understand the vegetable color groups
• Describe the market forms of vegetables
• Understand methods for precooking vegetables
• Describe the various methods of vegetable
  preparation

2
3
Importance of Fruit

• Fruits are nutritionally necessary in all
  well-balanced meals and are complex
  carbohydrates.
•  Minerals
• Vitamins
•  Nutrients/fiber

3
4
How Fruits Are Procured

• Fruits are procured in the following fresh and
• processed forms
• Fresh fruits
• Important from a nutritional and economical
  standpoint.
• Most are highly perishable and bulky to stow.
• Their structure is obtained mainly from
  cellulose.
• Fibrous plant substance, surrounded by fruit
  flesh and held together with pectin, a cementing
  material.

4
5
How Fruits Are Procured (contd)

• Fresh fruits (contd)
• Most fruits, when peeled, turn dark when exposed
  to air.
• Citrus dips, such as lemon or pineapple juice,
  will retard discoloration.
• Anti-browning agent and water may be used.
• Follow AFRS guidelines.
• Fresh fruits may have as high as 40 refuse or
  waste material.
•  

5
6
How Fruits Are Procured (contd)

• Frozen fruits
• Used primarily for preparing desserts.
• Most frozen fruits are packed in heavy syrup
  or sugar.
• Canned fruit
• Essentially cooked.
• Comparable in nutritive value to fresh fruits.
• Convenient to use and permit year-round use.

6
7
How Fruits Are Procured (contd)

• Dried and dehydrated fruits
• If sugar is to be added, it should be at the end
  of the cooking period.
• Dehydrated apples, such as instant applesauce,
  are readily reconstituted by adding a
  proportionate volume of water.
• Because of their small weight and volume,
  dried and dehydrated fruits are
  convenient to store.

7
8
Classifications of Vegetables

• Identification classification followed by
  examples.
•  
• Leaves - Spinach
• Seeds - Peas
• Roots - Carrots
• Tubers - White potatoes
• Bulbs - Garlic
• Flowers - Broccoli
• Stems and Shoots - Celery
• Sprouts - Alfalfa

8
9
Composition or Nutritive Value of Vegetables

• Bulk
• Minerals
• Water
• Vitamins 

9
10
Structure of Vegetables

• Fresh vegetables have an abundance of cellulose.
• This is the fibrous part of the vegetable that
  furnishes essential bulk (fiber) to the diet.
• The extent of cooking and the method chosen for
  cooking vegetables are geared to the amount of
  cellulose present.

10
11
Refuse of Vegetables

• Most raw fresh vegetables has waste material that
  is not edible.
• Fresh corn on the cob 62 waste
• Tomatoes have less than 2 waste
• The greater the amount of waste material removed
  from the vegetable, the less storage space
  required.

11
12
Four Color Groups

• White vegetables will turn yellow if cooked in
  water that is alkaline.
• Freshly peeled vegetables will discolor upon long
  exposure to open air.
• To prevent discoloration, dip vegetables in
  acidic fruit juices, as previously discussed.

• White
• Red
• Green
• Yellow

12
13
Market Forms of Fresh Vegetables

• In selecting fresh vegetables, keep in mind
  the following important factors to
  obtain and retain quality produce
• Personal inspection by food service personnel.
• Seasonal variation and its effect on quality at
  time of purchase.
• Quantity to be used within a specific period of
  time.

13
14
Market Forms of Frozen Vegetables

• Variety is available to the military consumer in
  2 to 5 lb. packages.
• Smaller, 10 oz. packaging is available for small
  operations or isolated units.
• Refer to Prime Vendor Catalog for authorized
  varieties.
• Must be kept at 0 degrees F. until used.
• Partial thawing of most frozen vegetables before
  cooking is not necessary.

14
15
Market Forms of Dried and Dehydrated Vegetables

• Great potential for saving refrigeration storage
  space.
• Have special use in military feeding operations
  because of their keeping quality and density.

15
16
Market Forms of Canned Vegetables

• Most vegetables are packed in 303 and 10 can
  sizes.
• The 3 vacuum can is used for sweet potatoes.

16
17
Precooking Procedures for Fresh Vegetables

• Wash thoroughly.
• Use a vegetable scrub brush to clean vegetables
  that are pulled or dug from the soil.
• Tightly grown blossoms, heart, and stem-type
  vegetables may harbor worms or insects that may
  not be dislodged by normal washing.
• Soak in salted cold water (1 tbsp. salt per quart
  of water) 1/2-1 hour, then rinse. See AFRS A-31.
• After washing, keep in a cool storage place until
  ready to prepare for cooking.
• Wilted vegetables can be freshened by placing in
  containers of ice cold water in a cool storage
  room until used. 

17
18
Precooking Procedures for Frozen Vegetables

• Keep at 0 degrees F. or below until scheduled for
  breakout and immediate use for retention of
  color, flavor, texture and food value.
• Sanitation is controlled better when maintained
  in the solidly frozen state.

18
19
Precooking Procedures for Dried and Dehydrated
Vegetables

• Directions for preparation of these vegetables
  are contained in specific recipes in AFRS.

19
20
Methods of Cooking Vegetables

• Before choosing a cooking method for vegetables
  it is best to group them according to their
  moisture content.
• High moisture, mild flavor
• These fragile vegetables require extreme care in
  preparation to produce optimum quality products.
• Furnish most of their own moisture for cooking.
• High moisture, strong flavor
• Contain sulfur substances.
• Undesirable color and flavor develops when
  overcooked.
• Moist starchy
• Contains 70-75 moisture/contains 20-25 starch
  content.
• Starch content should be considered prior to
  cooking.

20
21
Methods of Cooking Vegetables (contd)

• Boiling (simmering)
• Vegetables are cooked where the temperature can
  be brought quickly to boiling and then reduced to
  simmering temperatures.
• Rapid boiling tears apart tender leaves, pods or
  shoots and a mushy texture results.
• Cover all vegetables while cooking.
• Cook vegetables until just done or tender.

21
22
Methods of Cooking Vegetables (contd)

• Baking
• Cooking in the oven with dry heat.
• Some items called baked may be precooked and then
  finished by baking.
•  
• Grilling or sautéing
• A small quantity of fat is placed on a grill or
  in a frying pan to a depth of approximately 1/8
  inch.
•  

22
23
Methods of Cooking Vegetables (contd)

• Oven frying
• Vegetables are parboiled or steamed to partial
  doneness and then is completed by cooking in the
  oven.
•  
• French and pan frying
• AFRS incorporates a number of recipes for cooking
  vegetables by French and pan frying methods.
•  
• Progressive vegetable cookery
• Vegetables are cooked in small quantities as
  required.

23
24
Questions?
24
25
Test for Lesson

1. What are the four forms in which fruits are
   procured?
2. What are the eight classifications of vegetables?
3. Name the four color groups of vegetables.
4. Name the six methods for cooking vegetables.
5. Cooking in small quantities is known as what?

25
26
Test for Lesson

• Match the classification with the example
  
• A. Leaves ___ 1. Spinach
• B. Seeds ___ 2. Alfalfa
• C. Roots ___ 3. Celery
• D. Tubers ___ 4. Broccoli
• E. Bulbs ___ 5. White potatoes
• F. Flowers ___ 6. Peas
• G. Stems Shoots ___ 7. Carrots
• H. Sprouts ___ 8. Garlic

26
27
Test for Lesson

1. How do you prevent the discoloration of fresh
   fruits and vegetables?
2. At what temperature are frozen vegetables stored?
   
3. What is the most important factor to serving
   attractive, nutritious vegetables?

27
28
Test for Lesson

1. Fruits are what type of carbohydrate?
2. Frozen fruit is used primarily in what type of
   products?
3. Tomatoes have less than what of waste?
4. How much fat should be used in pan-frying
   vegetables?

28
29
Test for Lesson

• Turn in Answer Sheet now.

29
30
Questions?
30