Cookery methods for vegetables: influence on sensory quality, nutrient retention, and energy consumption

Ten different fresh vegetables were prepared by four cooking methods: boiling, steaming, pressure cooking and microwaving. Vegetables prepared by the dif ferent techniques were evaluated by descriptive sensory analysis using a small, trained group of judges. Ascorbic acid retention and electrical energy consump tion were also measured for each cooking method. No single cooking method consistently produced the product that was judged to be most like the sensory ideal. Vegetables prepared by pressure cooking, steaming, and microwaving typ ically did not differ in ascorbic acid retention. Boiled vegetables generally re tained less ascorbic acid than vegetables prepared by the other methods. The microwave oven and the electric pressure cooker generally used the least amount of energy to cook the foods.