what are the nutrients lost during simmering.?

Question

what are the effects of simmering. will the food taste bland and look unattractive? what food are more suitable for simmering?

Answer 1

One effect of simmering: I found a little tidbit on the first site that enzymes are denatured by boiling (which will include simmering) as well as any kind of cooking. This isn't anything to get too concerned about, since food digestion in the stomach will denature those enzymes anyway, leaving behind constituent amino acids- they are the important things. Nutrients that are lost: fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and vit B1 tend to be lost in cooking in general, but this loss can be minimized by exposing the food to as little oxygen as possible during cooking (keep it covered) and in the case of cooking with water, use as little water as possible and don't pour it off if you don't have to. (2nd ref)

From personal experience, simmering (a gentle boil on a low heat that causes the food to 'bubble gently') is an excellent way to get rid of excess water (it cooks off) and intensify the flavor (not make it bland- too much water will make it bland). As to whether it will make it look unattractive: what are you simmering? I simmer soups, white sauces, stove-top meats in their juices, some veggies (but watch them closely, use the bare minimum amount of water and shut off heat and drain as soon as they're 'crisp tender'), puddings and whatever the recipe says to simmer! If a recipe calls for simmering, you can believe that it is needed and will enhance the food. If it isn't overdone, it should not detract from its appearance.

The 2nd reference is an excellent general food prep page (and includes some helpful info on cooking with water). One thing it mentions and that I do is to use flavorings (I like herbs, salt and pepper) when cooking with water. Also, it's important to keep meat moist when cooking it in water but don't flood it! And, something I learned from a good friend: beef, pork, poultry, rabbit are excellent simmered for several hours (low heat!) in cream and milk with nothing more than salt and pepper!

Answer 2

Water soluable vitamins are lost during simmering of vegetables.

These include Vitamin B and Vitamin C.