Steaming Vegetables Correctly: How to Prepare Them Gently

Steam the vegetables in a pot or pan

To prepare vegetables gently, you don’t need a steamer or a special sieve insert. You can steam the vegetables without these tools. Only a few vitamins are lost in the process.

• Place the vegetables in the pot or pan that you intend to use. Spread the vegetables evenly over the entire surface and cover the jar with a lid, tightly fitting it.
• If you are using vegetables that have a high water content – for example, tomatoes or zucchini – you can now start steaming them on low to medium heat.
• If the vegetables are low in the water, you should add a little oil or water. The vegetables should be no more than half submerged in the liquid.
• If the vegetables burn, you should either lower the temperature or add a little liquid.
• With the lid closed, steam the vegetables until they are done. Depending on the type of vegetables, you have to wait a different amount of time. Turn the vegetables regularly.
• The easiest way to decide whether each type of vegetable is done is to try it with a fork.

That’s how long the individual types of vegetables need

When it comes to steaming, less is more. The longer you cook the vegetables, the fewer vitamins are retained. However, steaming has advantages compared to boiling or frying, as few vitamins are lost due to the short-term and gently applied heat.

• Hard vegetables such as peppers, broccoli, carrots, kohlrabi, leeks, pumpkin, parsnips, or cauliflower take the longest. You should expect a cooking time of about ten minutes.
• Zucchini, tomatoes, spinach, and all other types of vegetables that contain a lot of water need very little time. Three to four minutes is enough here.
• Tip: If you want to steam several types of vegetables at the same time, you can do that without any problems. Either you add the individual types of vegetables little by little or you cut the different types into pieces of different sizes. Hard vegetables should be grated or cut as small as possible, while soft vegetables can end up in the pan in larger pieces.
• You should definitely recycle the juice. You can use it to make a sauce, for example. The juice excreted by the vegetables contains healthy plant compounds, trace minerals, and vitamins that the vegetables lose when steamed.