The beneficial properties of cauliflower directly depend on the correct preparation of this product. How long and how to cook fresh or frozen cauliflower?
Cauliflower is a very healthy product. First of all, this is due to its low calorie content. 100 g of the product contains only 25 kcal. To consume this amount of calories, you need to walk for 5-6 minutes or do household chores for about 8 minutes.
Also, cauliflower contains a large amount of vitamins A, B, C, E, K and trace elements. It contains: fiber, proteins, organic acids, pectins and so on. Cauliflower improves digestion, reduces the risk of malignant tumors, cleanses the body of harmful and toxic substances, prevents the formation of kidney stones and improves the functioning of the heart muscle.
But all of these properties will be useless if the cauliflower is not properly prepared. And one of the most important points in this matter is the cooking time of this product.
How and how much to cook frozen cauliflower
Almost every store now sells frozen fruits and vegetables. Cauliflower is no exception. As a rule, it is placed in the package pre-washed and cleaned. Therefore, no special rinsing is required before cooking.
Frozen cauliflower should not be thawed. It is enough just to boil water and dip this product into it. Before this, the liquid in the pan must be salted. In this case, the cooking time will be 15-17 minutes. This should be enough to make frozen cauliflower. If in the future a soup is prepared from it, the cooking time should be reduced to 8-10 minutes.
How and how much to cook fresh cauliflower
Fresh cauliflower is the healthiest food. In the process of cooking it, it is necessary to thoroughly rinse the vegetable under running cold water. Then this product is cut with a knife into individual inflorescences, dipped for a while in water to get rid of debris - and placed in boiling salted water. The cooking time in this case will be about 12-15 minutes. If you use fresh cauliflower for soup or frying, then 7-8 minutes will be enough.
How much to cook cauliflower in some other ways
Cauliflower can be cooked in the microwave (about 10 minutes), pressure cooker (at least 15 minutes), double boiler (about half an hour), slow cooker (15 minutes).
Some features of cooking cauliflower
1. Do not overcook this product. The inflorescences may become too hard and difficult to chew.
2. Dense heads of cabbage are best used for salads and side dishes, and the most loose ones for soups.
3. For cooking cauliflower, you can use milk in addition to regular water. This will give it an extraordinary taste.
4. In the process of cooking, the inflorescences may darken. To avoid this, add one tablespoon of vinegar to the water.
5. Boil cauliflower only over medium heat. A strong fire increases the evaporation of the liquid, while a slow fire causes the inflorescences to begin to fall apart.
6. Do not pour a large amount of liquid into the pot. This negatively affects the taste of the product. And it also leads to the loss of some useful vitamins and minerals.
7. The addition of sugar improves the palatability of the cauliflower.
8. After cooking, be sure to place it in a colander in order to remove excess moisture.
9. For cooking cauliflower, it is better to use glass or enamel dishes. An aluminum or copper saucepan will negatively affect its taste.
