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Simmering or Stewing
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The cooking process known
as simmering, or stewing, is a modification of boiling. By this method,
food is cooked in water at a temperature below the boiling point, or
anywhere
from 185 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Water at the simmering point always
moves gently--never rapidly as it does in boiling. Less heat and
consequently
less fuel are required to cook foods in this way, unless, of course,
the
time consumed in cooking the food at a low temperature is much greater
than that consumed in cooking it more rapidly.
Aside from permitting economy
in the use of fuel, simmering, or stewing, cooks deliciously certain
foods
that could not be selected for the more rapid methods. For example,
tough
cuts of meat and old fowl can be made tender and tasty by long cooking
at a low temperature, for this method tends to soften the fiber and to
develop an excellent flavor. Tough vegetables, too, can be cooked
tender
by the simmering process without using so much fuel as would be used if
they were boiled, for whatever method is used they require long
cooking.
Beets, turnips, and other winter vegetables should be stewed rather
than
boiled, as it is somewhat difficult to cook them tender, especially in
the late winter and early spring. If dry beans and peas are brought to
the simmering point and then allowed to cook, they can be prepared for
the table in practically the same length of time and without so much
fuel
as if they boiled continuously.
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