Problembeginnerdraft
Vegetables turn mushy
Also searched as: overcooked, vegetables too soft, mushy, soggy vegetables
In short: The glue between the cells has dissolved too far. Usually they cooked too long, sometimes the water was alkaline.
Picture it
Like a wall whose mortar has been washed away.
What happened in your kitchen?
Question 1
Were the vegetables still firm right after cooking?
All causes, by frequency
- Cooked too long
Every minute dissolves more glue.
Next time: Check earlier · Smaller pieces of even size
- Carry-over cooking
Hot vegetables keep cooking after draining.
Next time: Refresh in iced water · Spread out on a tray instead of leaving them in the pot
- Alkaline water or baking soda
In alkaline conditions the glue breaks down especially fast.
Next time: No baking soda in the cooking water · A splash of acid keeps them firmer
Related entries
Sources
- Harold McGee: On Food and Cooking (2004), Kapitel Gemüse, Eier