veggies

• Vegetables


  All other parts of plants which are edible (raw or cooked), such as roots, pods, bulbs, buds, tubers, stems, leaves, etc. Accompanying the main course of a meal

  
• 3 broad classifications of vegetables based on botanical parts

  • Earth vegetables (edible parts below ground)
  • Herbage vegetables (aboveground parts like stems, leaves, buds, flowers)
  • Fruit vegetables (botanical fruits usually cooked and rarely eaten raw)

  
• Classification of vegetables based on plant parts used

  • Bulb
  • Flower
  • Fungi (mushrooms)
  • Leaves
  • Roots
  • Tuber
  • Stem
  • Seeds

  
• Cell wall of plant cells

  • Rigid, due to fibrous compounds like cellulose, pectic compounds, hemicellulose, lignin, and gums
  • Permeable to water and solutes
• Parenchyma cells


  • Most common type of cell in vegetables and fruits
  • Essential for activities like photosynthesis, storage, secretion, assimilation, respiration, excretion and radial transport of water and solute
• Types of plastids


  • Leucoplasts (store starch and some water)
  • Chloroplasts (contain chlorophyll for carbohydrate synthesis and green color)
  • Chromoplasts (contain carotene or xanthophyll pigments for orange-yellow color)
• Vacuoles


  Membrane-bound sacs which act like the storage unit of the cell (store water and other compounds)
• Function of vacuoles


  • Maintain proper pH
  • Store water
  • Maintain turgor pressure
  • Adjust cell size
• Acids


  Organic acids found in the cell contribute to its pH and to the food's flavor and acidity
• Intercellular air spaces


  Spaces between cells filled with air, adding volume and crispness to vegetables and fruits
• Pigments


  • Carotenoids (yellow-orange, red)
  • Chlorophyll (green)
  • Anthocyanins (red, purple, blue)
  • Anthoxanthins (cream, white)
  • Betalains (deep purple-red)
• Nutrients in vegetables


  • Good sources of carbohydrate (including fiber), vitamins, and minerals—vitamin C, beta-carotene, certain B vitamins, calcium, and potassium
  • Unprocessed vegetables contain little or no fat
  • Some are high in complex carbohydrates that can substitute for grain-based starches
  • Many are rich in dietary fiber
  • Usually higher in vitamins and minerals than fruits
• Selecting vegetables


  Consider season, ripeness, freshness, yield, and freedom from bruising or mold

  
• General guidelines for buying and storing vegetables

  • Purchase only the freshest possible in amounts that will be used within a few days
  • Store immediately at the appropriate temperature and do not leave out of storage for any length of time unless being prepared
• General guidelines for preparing vegetables

  • Thoroughly wash to remove soil, microorganisms, pesticides, and herbicides
  • Cook in as small an amount of liquid as possible
  • Cooking time should be as short as possible to avoid undesirable changes
• Changes during heating of vegetables

  • Texture (gelatinize starch, decrease bulk, reduce turgor)
  • Flavor (loss of volatile oils, organic acids, etc.)
  • Odor (development of undesirable odors)
  • Color (undesirable changes)
  • Nutrients (leaching, increase in some)
• Dry-heat preparation methods for vegetables

  • Baking
  • Roasting
  • Frying
• Moist-heat preparation methods for vegetables

  • Simmering
  • Steaming
  • Foil-wrapping
  • Braising
  • Microwaving
• Storage of vegetables


  Respiration continues after harvest, so storage aims to slow this down by maintaining humidity, using refrigeration, freezing, or controlled atmosphere
• Fruit


  • Botanically, mature ovaries and seed-bearing parts of plants
  • From a consumer point of view, plant products with aromatic flavors, which are either naturally sweet or normally sweetened before eating

  
• Parts of a fruit

  • Pericarp (exocarp, mesocarp, endocarp)
  • Seed

  
• Classification of fruits


  • According to type of flower from which they develop
• Fruit


  Botanically, are mature ovaries and seed-bearing parts of plants. From a consumer point of view, fruits are plant products with aromatic flavors, which are either naturally sweet or normally sweetened before eating

  
• Parts of a fruit

  • Pericarp (exocarp, mesocarp, endocarp)
• Classification of fruits


  • Simple fruits
  • Aggregate fruits
  • Multiple fruits
• Classification of fruits by climate

  • Temperate
  • Tropical
  • Sub-tropical/Mediterranean
• Organic acids


  Organic compounds that typically have acidic properties, contributing to the tart flavor of fruits
• Pectic substances


  Pectin, protopectin, and pectic acids that act as a cementing substance between cell walls and are partially responsible for the plant's firmness and structure
• Phenolic compounds


  Also known as tannins, found predominantly in unripe fruits, giving them a bitter taste and leaving an astringent feeling in the mouth. Responsible for browning and bruising in ripening fruit
• Nutrient contents of fruits

  • Carbohydrates
  • Vitamins (water-soluble, fat-soluble)
  • Minerals
  • Fiber
  • Phytochemicals
• Fruits are nutritionally low in calories, fat, and protein
• Selection tips for fruits

  • Apples
  • Apricots
  • Bananas
  • Blueberries
  • Cantaloupes
  • Cherries
  • Figs
  • Grapefruits
  • Grapes
  • Kiwi
  • Lemons and limes
  • Mangoes
  • Oranges
  • Peaches
  • Pears
  • Pineapples
  • Plums
  • Pomegranates
  • Strawberries
  • Watermelons

  
• Methods to prevent enzymatic browning in fruit preparation

  • Denaturing enzymes by blanching
  • Adding acid
  • Lowering storage temperature
  • Blocking exposure to oxygen through coatings or antioxidants
• Dry-heat preparation methods for fruits

  • Baking
  • Broiling
  • Frying/sautéing
• Moist-heat preparation methods for fruits

  • Stewing
  • Poaching
• Fruit spreads


  • Preserves
  • Jams
  • Conserves
  • Jellies
  • Marmalades
  • Butters
• Storage requirements for specific fruits

  • Cherries
  • Dates
  • Citrus fruit
  • Pineapples
  • Pomegranates
  • Guavas
• Most ripe fruit should be stored in the refrigerator in plastic bags punctured with air holes, except for bananas which will turn brown if refrigerated. Unripe fruit is usually left at room temperature in a paper bag until ripe.