Module 3Cooking and Processing

Methods

What affects the amount of vitamins in food?

Fresh, canned or frozen?

Frozen or canned within a few hours of harvesting

Freezing – stops any further loss of vitamins

Canning – overall cooking time is less (salt may be added)

Cooking vegetables: boiling vs. steaming

Fresh fruit Flesh exposed to the air over

a period of time Browning of flesh due to

oxidation More vitamin loss

Flesh received minimal exposure to air

Flesh is not brown More vitamins retained

Prepared prior to eating Cut just before eating

Preparation of fruit

Milk

Cooking methods

Simple ways to reduce vitamin loss

Scrubbing vegetables or peeling them?

Boiling vegetables or steaming them?

Cutting vegetables into smaller pieces or larger pieces to cook?

Cutting fruit as needed or preparing in advance?

Cooking vegetables for a long time or a short time?

Storing ripe fruit in the fridge crisper or storing ripe fruit in a bowl?

Circle the best choices to save vitamins

Scrubbing vegetables or peeling them?

Boiling vegetables or steaming them?

Cutting vegetables into smaller pieces or larger pieces to cook?

Cutting fruit as needed or preparing in advance?

Cooking vegetables for a long time or a short time?

Storing ripe fruit in the fridge crisper or storing ripe fruit in a bowl?

Circle the best choices to save vitamins

What did you think of today’s session?

• What do you remember most from today?

• Do you think you know more about preventing vitamin loss when cooking and preparing food?

• What are you going to do differently?