VEGETABLE AND FRUIT COOKERY – CLASSIFICATION, PIGMENTS AND CUTS

Introduction
Vegetables are common in every meal, they have their own classification as per the part of the
tree/plant/shrub they originate from. Vegetables are rich in colour (pigments) and nutrients,
cooking should be done carefully to retain them.
A variety of cuts are employed for vegetables as per their usage in a dish, ginger can be cut into
juliennes for garnish, grated or finely chopped for other cooking purposes. Similarly other
vegetables can also be cut in different shapes for ease of cooking and also for ensuring maximum
utilization of the vegetable, avoiding wastage

CLASSIFICATION OF VEGETABLES
Roots
Usually a long or round-shaped taproot. e.g. carrot, turnip, beetroot, swede, radish, parsnip,
celeriac
Seeds
Also know as legumes, seeds are usually obtained from pods. The pod is sometimes eaten along
with the seed. e.g. broad been, French bean, pea, snow pea, snake beans, butter beans
Stems
The edible stalks of plants when the stalk is the main part of the vegetable. e.g. asparagus, celery,
kohlrabi
Tubers
Vegetables which grow underground on the root of a plant.
Bulbs
Usually grow just below the surface of the ground and produce a fleshy, leafy shoot above
ground. Bulbs usually consist of layers or clustered segments. e.g. onion, shallot, garlic, spring
onion, leek, fennel
Flowers
The edible flowers of certain vegetables. e.g. cauliflower, broccoli, gaai laan (Chinese sprouting
broccoli, globe artichoke
Fruits
Vegetable fruit are fleshy and contain seeds. e.g. egg plant, capsicum, courgette, okra, pumpkin,
tomato, scaloppini
Fungi
When referring to vegetables, fungi are commonly known as mushrooms. e.g. button, flats,
shitake, oyster, gourmet brown, wood ear, truffle etc
Leaves
The edible leaves of plants. e.g. Bok choy, cabbage, lettuce, silver beet, spinach etc
PIGMENTS PRESENT IN VEGETABLES

Pigments are the elements present in vegetables and they give the colour to the vegetables.

Chlorophyll: it is present in all green coloured vegetables such as cabbage, spinach, green beans,
broccoli, peas etc.

Carotenoids: it is present in orange coloured vegetables such as carrots, pumpkins, sweet

potatoes, corns, tomatoes etc

Flavons: it is present in white coloured vegetables such as cauliflower, turnips, potatoes, onion
etc.

Anthocyanins: it is present in red & purple coloured vegetables. Beet roots, red cabbage (not
tomatoes).
 EFFECTS OF HEAT ON VEGETABLES

Introduction
Cooking is the application of heat to food in order to make it safer to eat, digestible, and more
palatable. Heat breaks down the cellulose and the starches present, changes and blends
flavours within the food, and also destroys bacteria in order to make food more digestible for
humans. Vegetables and other foods are composed of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, water,
and also small amounts of minerals, vitamins, pigments (colouring agents), and flavour
elements.
EFFECT OF HEAT ON VEGETABLES
Carbohydrates
Both sugar and starch are carbohydrates and are present in many forms in vegetables, fruits,
grains, beans, and nuts. Heating food rich in carbohydrates leads to caramelization and
gelatinization. Where caramelization refers to browning of sautéed vegetables, gelatinization
refers to when starch absorbs water and swells.
Vegetable Fibres
Fibres are a group of complex substances that give structure and firmness to plants. They
cannot be digested. The softening of vegetables on application of heat is a result of breaking
down of fibres. Vegetables should never be cooked with alkalis, as this would make them
mushy and lose the essential vitamins.
Minerals, Vitamins, Pigments, and Flavour Components
Minerals and vitamins are most important for the nutritional quality of the food, whereas
pigments and flavour components are important to food as far as the appearance and taste
are concerned. Pigments and flavours may also determine whether the food is appetizing
enough to eat or not. So it becomes very important to preserve all these elements. On
application of heat, all these components may be leached out and dissolved away from food
during cooking. Vitamins and pigments may also be destroyed by prolonged cooking.
Proteins
Proteins are present in smaller extent in vegetables as compared to meat, fish, and poultry.
When heat is applied to proteins they become firm or they start to coagulate. With an
increase in temperature, proteins become even firmer and start shrinking. On being exposed
to very high heat, proteins become tough and dry. In short, it can be said that heat affects the
texture, flavour, colour, and nutrients of the vegetables
CUTS OF VEGETABLES
A group of internationally accepted cuts of vegetables are termed as ‘classical cuts’. Th e most
common among them are julienne, chiff onade, baton, brunoise, dice ( small, medium, and
large), slice, chop and mince, emincer, and shred.
1. Brunoise: vegetables are cut into fine dices.
2. Macedoine: vegetables are cut into ½ cm dices.
3. Julienne: vegetables are cut into very thin strips (1 ½ ˝ long).
4. Jardinière: vegetables are cut into baton shape (1˝ x ¼ ˝ x ¼ ˝).
5. Paysanne: vegetables are cut into small triangles, circles and squares- uniform shape.
6. Wedges: tomato or lemon cut into four or six pieces.
7. Mirepoix: vegetables mixed (onions, carrots, celery, leeks) cut into rough dices.
8. Chiffonade: Shredded leafy vegetables.
9. Matignon: Evenly cut root vegetables.
10. Chateau: Turning of vegetables into barrel shape
 CLASSIFICATION OF FRUITS
A fruit can be defined as the nurtured ovary of a flower. The fleshy portion is the edible part,
though at times, the stone can also be eaten. Some people tend to confuse fruit with vegetable.
Tomatoes and eggplant are fruits though they are referred to and are cooked like vegetables
because of their low sugar content. On the other hand, Rhubarb is a vegetable but is cooked like
fruit, in sugar syrup.

There are different types of fruit:

- Simple fruit: one fruit from one flower e.g. orange

- Aggregate fruits : many fruits from one flower e.g. berries
- Pomes : fruits having a central core e.g. apple
- Drupes: fruits having a center stone e.g. apricot
- Hard fruits : These have got hard layer of fibers & generally firm when touched. Apple, pears
etc.
- Soft fruits These have got soft layer of fibers and should be handled very carefully. Black &
red currants, berries etc
- Tropical fruits: These generally grow in the hot region where the temperatures might sore
up to 50ºc Guavas, bananas, dates, figs, mango, papaya, pineapple, litchis etc.
- Other fruits : These are the fruits which do not fall into any category given above.
Cranberries, melons, grapes etc.

CLASSIFICATION OF FRUITS
Very broadly, fruit can be classified as:
1. Fleshy fruit: This group would include apple, banana, pineapple
2. Stone fruit: This group includes mangoes, apricots, peaches and the flesh surrounds the stone.
3. Citrus fruits: These are usually segmented and have a predominant sweet sour taste and will
include orange, grapefruit, tangerines. They contain an outer rind and seeds referred to as pips.
4. Berry fruits: include strawberries, raspberries, mulberries and gooseberries.
5. Nuts: walnuts, hazelnuts consist of an outer shell and inner seed.
EFFECTS OF HEAT ON FRUITS
Texture – cooking will soften the tissues/fibres of fruit hence a softening of texture. If an alkali
such as baking soda is present, the fruit will very quickly become mushy. This is suitable for
making jams and jellies and coulis. However, acids, calcium salts and sugar strengthen the
fibre. For stewed and poached fruits, use sugar syrup flavoured with lemon to retain shapes.
If a sauce is required, add the sugar only after the fruit is cooked.
Colour - Due to certain chemical changes, the colour of some fruits will change. Grapes and
cherries tend to go dull when cooked and strawberries will lose their lustre. All berries must
be cooked slowly to control loss of colour.
Flavour – Overcooking, soaking and steeping of fruits lead to loss of flavour. Fruits should be
cooked for as short a time as possible to retain maximum flavour.
Nutritive Value – The greatest loss in food value in cooked fruits is the loss of ascorbic acid
(vitamin C) and iron through oxidation. A lot of the nutritive value is present just under the
skin and this is lost when the fruit is peeled.

USES OF FRUITS IN COOKING

The use of fruits in cooking dates back hundreds of years. Although fruits are most commonly
used in desserts, they can also form part of savoury dishes. Fruits are also found in foods such
as cookies, muffins, yoghurt, ice cream, and cakes. Fruits are not only used in preparing a
variety of dishes, but they also help keep certain foods fresh and help preserve their colour.
There are various ways to cook fruit, and certain considerations should be made beforehand
as fruit tends to be delicate and can disintegrate easily
1. Boiling is too harsh a method for most fruits; gentle simmering preserves the texture and
shape of fruits. When cooking soft and stone fruits, simply warm them by placing them in a
pan of boiled water.
2. Poaching is a similar method, and is a common way to cook fruits such as pears. Bring the
water to a simmer and then gently lower the fruit into the pan with a spoon. Immediately
reduce the heat so the liquid is barely bubbling, and cook until the fruit is tender.
3. Stew fruit, where the saucepan is covered and the fruit is cooked in just enough liquid to
cover it. This not only helps keeping the moisture, but helps to avoid expelling of nutrients
and be left with only the fibrous part. Use just enough moisture to cook the fruit. As with
cooking vegetables, it is important to retain the crunch while cooking fruits.
4. Barbecuing and grilling fruit leads to very sweet, strong flavours; this is due to the intense
heat that caramelizes the sugars. Grilled or barbecued fruits make fantastic desserts, side
dishes, or appetizers.
5. Once cut, the fruit should be soaked in water to maximize the amount of liquid inside. This
prevents the fruit from drying out on the grill. Adding 1tsp of lemon juice to the water will
help the fruit preserve its colour. It is also a good idea to try grilling bananas, tangerines, and
pineapples in their skin. In general, leaving the skin or peel on the fruit helps to maintain its
structural integrity as it cooks.
6. Sauces of fruits are used to marinate the fruits before grilling them and they can also be
served with the fruits after grilling.
7. Drying is also a good way of preserving fruits and it intensifies their flavours. Most fruits
can be dried effectively.
Fruit can be made into jams, jellies, pickles, and chutneys, or can be bottled whole. The most
suitable method of preserving depends on the type of fruit and its quality and ripeness.
Under ripe fruit is fine for chutneys, jams, and jellies but overripe fruit is only good for making
chutney and should not be used for making jam.