question for the cooks/chefs amongst us

[steeljack]

Maybe this is going to sound weird to some folks , so bear with me , my Mother and her Mother both had a system when cooking vegetables , and I have to admit I've carried it on not without more than one or two questionable comments ....
Does anyone else follow my Grandmas rule that root vegetables, anything that grows below ground (potatoes/carrots/turnips etc.) should go into a cold pot of water and then be brought to the boil and vegetables that grow above ground (peas/cabbage/broccoli/brussel sprouts etc) should go into water that has been brought to the boil .
I know it's a daft question , and I have never heard of it mentioned on any cooking program or in any cookbook , but it seems to work for me, even with rice I bring the pot to a boil before tipping it in , and in my opinion the results are better .
just curious , thanks

[grego]

I put everything into boiling water veg, rice or pasta, I always boil the kettle for the water too its quicker than waiting for water in the pan to reach boiling point. I've heard of keeping peeled spuds in cold water but not ccoking them from cold maybe someone on here will know?

[katex]

That's an interesting question Steeljack, maybe there is a 'scientific' answer to what your Gran believed. My mum always cooked everything from cold. Apart from potatoes, I put all the rest into boiling water 'cause I like them lovely and crispy .. not soggy, and can control it more.

Hope someone knows the answer to this one.

[SPUGGIE J]

I steam my veg unless its a need a quick meal and the frozen stuff comes out. Put spuds in cold water and then boil them. Suppose at the end of the day it comes down to personal taste and whether you have the time. As for which is best aint a clue but sometimes the "old wives" tales have some merit.

[West Ender]

I do exactly what your mother did, Steeljack, though I've never given much thought to why. I suppose it's because that's what my mother did before me. I wouldn't ever think of putting peas or beans into cold water but I never put potatoes or carrots into boiling water. I nearly always steam green vegetables like cabbage, broccoli and spinach as I can't stand them soggy and overcooked.

[Tin Monkey]

It's probably something to do with cooking times.

Peas, beans, etc, have a very short cooking time and so are dropped into boiling water. Potatoes, carrots, root vegetables, etc, are cooked much longer and so can be brought to the boil in the pan.

[kathleen_firth]

i start them in cold wae and then bring to the boil

[shillelagh]

Originally Posted by steeljack

Maybe this is going to sound weird to some folks , so bear with me , my Mother and her Mother both had a system when cooking vegetables , and I have to admit I've carried it on not without more than one or two questionable comments ....
Does anyone else follow my Grandmas rule that root vegetables, anything that grows below ground (potatoes/carrots/turnips etc.) should go into a cold pot of water and then be brought to the boil and vegetables that grow above ground (peas/cabbage/broccoli/brussel sprouts etc) should go into water that has been brought to the boil .
I know it's a daft question , and I have never heard of it mentioned on any cooking program or in any cookbook , but it seems to work for me, even with rice I bring the pot to a boil before tipping it in , and in my opinion the results are better .
just curious , thanks

Thats what i do. Thats what my mum always taught me and my sis told me the same owt from under boil, owt from above boiling.

[panther]

what if its frozen?, what then!...

[entwisi]

Rule I was taught in catering college(god what was teh blokes name, lanky stroppy guy who had a really dry sense of humour????)

If it grows in the dark(i.e underground) cook in the dark, if it grows in daylight, cook in daylight.

Things that have fast cooking times where 1 minute can make all the difference between properly cooked (a la dente) or mush then cook from already boiling water. if they are long 'stew' type veg then cook from cold.

Frozen veg are best done in boiling water as you want to cook as quick as possible to preserve vitamins etc.

You should also try to use any cooking liqued to make gravy etc as you get all teh goodness back in teh meal rather than down teh sink.