I think the point is that the cooking process starts well before boiling temp. Potatoes take a lot longer to cook than corn so you would want to take advantage of that fact. Where corn cooks a lot quicker you would want to have a shorter cooking time to preserve the fresh flavor and texture so already boiling water helps that.
This worked really well, seemed like less faff than a full pot of water, & did peel really easily. Made for a good easy lunch. Thanks again for the tips!
It's mostly to ensure that the potatoes are slowly heated amd therefore evenly cooked.
If we look here, which cites a likely source as being The Farmer's Almanac, they mention even heating, as well as the cell walls hardening by starting the vegetable in cold water. (I assume the FA is just some Facebook account, but I don't have an account and have blocked all FB related domains, so I can't chase the actual source that led to the propagation of this knowledge / image down any further).
However, I found the same information about cell walls in a book about cooking knowledge by Arthur Le Caisne, with the added bit that the hardening of the cell walls happens due to proteins. However, the conclusion there is to not start out carrots in cold water, since they'll get hard and stay hard after cooking then.
Of course it is. I am aware of the publication The Old Farmer's Almanac. However, since I can't check (and really have no interest to) I have to assume whatever page this links to is just some random Facebook account.
21 replies
You can put potatoes in water that’s already boiling. It’s fine.
I think the point is that the cooking process starts well before boiling temp. Potatoes take a lot longer to cook than corn so you would want to take advantage of that fact. Where corn cooks a lot quicker you would want to have a shorter cooking time to preserve the fresh flavor and texture so already boiling water helps that.
Same for carrots
iirc there's some (mainly textural) differences that make having potatoes stay somewhat below boiling for a bit better.
Wel this is a bunch of nonsense.
Steam is also your friend!
The superior way to ‘boil’ eggs, btw.
I’ve never thought to try steaming eggs! Are the timings the same as boiling?
I’d say this article is accurate.
They really are much easier to peel!
I like them fully hard boiled. Let the water come to steam first (quick because you only need a little water), then do 13 minutes then ice bath.
This worked really well, seemed like less faff than a full pot of water, & did peel really easily. Made for a good easy lunch. Thanks again for the tips!
😎
That’s my lunch sorted, cheers for the details!
Can someone explain why this is?
If you put some faster to cook stuff in cold water it might cook at a different rate or get soggy
No idea why you'd have to start potatoes in cold water though, maybe putting them in boiling water makes your nipples fall off?
Ah so that’s why my nipples fell off
You can always tattoo them back on
It's mostly to ensure that the potatoes are slowly heated amd therefore evenly cooked.
If we look here, which cites a likely source as being The Farmer's Almanac, they mention even heating, as well as the cell walls hardening by starting the vegetable in cold water. (I assume the FA is just some Facebook account, but I don't have an account and have blocked all FB related domains, so I can't chase the actual source that led to the propagation of this knowledge / image down any further).
However, I found the same information about cell walls in a book about cooking knowledge by Arthur Le Caisne, with the added bit that the hardening of the cell walls happens due to proteins. However, the conclusion there is to not start out carrots in cold water, since they'll get hard and stay hard after cooking then.
Both agree on the potatoes, though.
Farmers almanac is much older than Facebook
Of course it is. I am aware of the publication The Old Farmer's Almanac. However, since I can't check (and really have no interest to) I have to assume whatever page this links to is just some random Facebook account.
It makes so little difference that it's not worth worrying about.
Why?