With applying a technique used in chemistry and adopting this in cooking, I have discovered an easy means of retaining more essential components that are mostly lost through conventional cooking. This system is very simple, and anyone can apply it at home. All you need is a suitable bowl and cold water.

In the Lab

In a laboratory, a technique referred to as heating under reflux or refluxing [flux meaning fluid] is often used so that the cooking process can be performed over many hours and in some cased for day, and without the loss of essential components. Here a condenser is used to condense and contain the volatile components. During refluxing, vaporization of the boiling mixture is followed by condensation of the vapours on the inner wall of a condenser. The condenser is kept cool by passing water through a jacket built around the wall of the condenser. The condensed goodies fall back into the boiling solution and are not lost into the surrounding atmosphere.

Applying Simple Science in Cooking

In the kitchen, this very technique can be adopted, customized by simply placing a pot filled with cold water/ice on the open mouth of the cooking pot. This bowl replaces the very inefficient conventional lid.

Similar in the lab during refluxing, essential components mixed with steam in the from of vapour are condensed when the vapour comes in contact with the cooler pot filled with cold water [which is the condenser]. Condensed vapours are returned back into the cooking pot, instead of disappearing into the surrounding air. Odours that are given off during cooking, are also essential components, especially when preparing herbal teas, with aromatic herbs, or herbs and spices used for flavouring soups etc.

Note. This technique does not help with denatured heat sensitive compounds, which are destroyed through cooking.

In the Lab, the principle of heating under reflux or refluxing is performed during extraction of essential compounds or components from organic raw material. This extraction takes many hours to achieve. To cease any loss of solvent and the essences themselves, heating under reflux is performed. This is by fixing a reflux condenser on the top section of the extraction flask. Solvents and any essential component that are vaporized, condense in the condenser chamber, and then fall back into the solution as liquid, so there is no loss of solvent and other volatile compounds to the atmosphere.

Benefits achieved with this simple technique with cooking in the kitchen--

• Food tastes better [due to the retention of volatile aromatic compounds].
• Minimizing cooking odours because these elements are condensed and returned back into the original ingredients [not vaporized into the atmosphere].
• Recycling energy by heating the water in the condenser, which can then be used for washing utensils etc.
• Foods can be kept warm by placing them on the top chamber in a steamer-rack thingie-ma-jig... hehehe!
• Food contain nutrients which would normally evaporate into the air [essential oils are nutrients at a pharmacological level].
• Minimizes steam that builds up and condenses on kitchen walls... where no exhaust fan is installed.
• Fats that usually turn to vapour and condense on utensils, walls and ceilings are reduced, or completely halted.
• If something that's cooking is forgotten and left cooking on the stove, it won't dry out and burn easily, taking hours longer to do so.

 

COOKING IN THE KITCHEN

In our kitchen a bowl-shaped stainless steel pot filled with cold water is placed on the mouth of the cooking vessel. I may also add a few cubes of ice in the water. This simple technique helps to retain volatile components in the finished food or tea.

This technique is especially useful when preparing herbal teas. The volatile nature of essential oils that are lost as vapours once the herb-material is heated is not lost. The essential oils are usually the main active ingredient in medicinal herbs. In my way of seeing... most essential oils are also essential nutrients! As Hippocrates said, "Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food"

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Updated June 15, 2008

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