I just thought of something.

[conuly]

Typically, when I want to make a vegetable a little softer, I steam it. I steam green beans, and broccoli, and the occasional carrots.

But when I want to make, say, mashed sweet potato... I boil it.

Should I be steaming my sweet potato as well to retain nutrients? How about my potatoes? (I mean, I recognize that's a bit silly with typical potatoes, but what if I have fancy purple ones?)

Obviously "steam your potatoes!" would be limited by the quantity of potatoes I intend to cook... but why do I boil them?

(Why do I ostensibly boil them, that is. Mostly I only ever do that for mashed potatoes, which invariably have a sweet potato or some carrots blended in.)

Comments

[janewilliams20.livejournal.com]

I microwave mine - half-way house between boiling and steaming, since there's so little water involved. Could be worth a try?

[conuly]

Microwave is in the basement. I generally cook way up on the third floor. I *can* do it and *have* done it, but I'd rather not.

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

Microwaving destroys a lot of the nutrients in food. Sweet potatoes steam very nicely if you cut them in slices, and that does preserve the nutrients the best.

The reason for boiling regular potatoes is that boiling washes some of the starch out of them, so they're fluffier. There's no real need to boil anything else - except nettle tops maybe, but I don't guess you go gathering nettles much in Brooklyn. :)

[conuly]

Staten Island, and no. When I see nettle, I avoid it!

You have to boil pokeweed a dozen times (or so) before you eat it, and I could gather that if I liked, but I've never felt so hunger that it's worth it, y'know?

[brownkitty.livejournal.com]

How much does the density of the vegetables in question have to do with it? Would a steamed sweet potato cook evenly enough for steaming to work? Or had you planned to grate them and then steam them?

[conuly]

Grate, no. Chop into chunks - absolutely! I do that when boiling as it is, just to get them boiled faster.

[noodles-morgyn.livejournal.com]

Steaming works well for potatoes (and sweet potatoes). You can chop each one into a couple of pieces, leaving the skin on, then after they're steamed you can just take the skin off with your fingers. It saves a lot of time on peeling...

[conuly]

Peeling? I never bother as it is!

[ser-kai.livejournal.com]

I boil my potatoes whole in their skins. They mash better, they retain nutrients and flavour, and the skins aren't all that noticeable.