All fruits and vegetables need to be washed before being used. This will remove dirt, insects and any other matter.
Root vegetables, such as potatoes and carrots, can be washed using large machines that also rub the outer skins off.
For leafy vegetables such as spinach and lettuce, washing involves parting the individual leaves and checking the stems for any foreign matter such as dirt or insects.
A common term used in the hospitality industry is ‘wash, peel, re-wash’. This is good practice, because it means you are:
washing the fruits and vegetables to remove any dirt or insects
peeling the fruit or vegetable to remove the skin (when required by the recipe)
washing again to make sure anything that was not fully removed before, or that may have been added during peeling, is now removed and the fruit or vegetable is clean.
Washing also gives you the opportunity to look for blemishes (markings) on each fruit or vegetable.
Most fruits are sprayed while they are growing, so it is important to wash them to remove any spray residue before cooking and/or serving.
For best results, wash fruit under cool running water and then wipe with a soft cloth. If the fruits are very delicate, such as raspberries or boysenberries, wash them very gently in cool water, sort them and follow your establishment’s requirements for draining and drying.
The outer skin of many vegetables and some fruits needs to be removed, either because of the nature of the item, or the recipe, or the requirements of the establishment.
Peelers are used to remove the skin from vegetables. These can be hand-held utensils, like those used in home kitchens or large machines. Whichever method is used, make sure all blemishes are removed and the vegetable is not damaged.
Green vegetables such as lettuce, cauliflower and cabbage, should have the outer leaves peeled off. These leaves are often worn or damaged and usually tough and are left on only to protect the vegetable while being transported.
For vegetables such as beans and celery, the outer ribbing should be peeled away, that is taking off the stringy plant tissue and making the vegetable easier to eat.
Some fruits, such as bananas and mandarins, need to be peeled before eating as the skin is inedible. Other fruit may have edible skin but a particular recipe may require it to be peeled. Either way, peeling is a common preparation technique for fruit.
Slicing fruit and vegetables cuts them into more manageable pieces, which can be cooked and presented more easily. Slicing may be done with a knife, a cleaver or by using a slicing machine or mandolin.
Vegetables and fruit can be chopped into manageable sizes. The pieces can vary in size and shape and will largely depend on the shape and size of the vegetable or fruit. Chopping can be done with a knife or a cleaver.
A dice is a more precise cut than chopping and results in smaller fruit or vegetable pieces. A chef’s knife is best for dicing.
Shredding is a fine slice through many layers of a leafy vegetable, such as spinach or cabbage. A chef’s knife is best for shredding.
Some hard fruits may require the core (centre) to be removed. There are two common ways to do this:
use a specially designed tool (commonly known as an apple corer)
cut the fruit into quarters then cut out the core with a small knife, such as a paring knife.
The process of blanching involves plunging food into boiling water for a very short time and then removing it.
The blanched item can then be dropped into ice-cold water to prevent further cooking. This is called refreshing.
Blanching can also mean covering food in cold water and bringing it to the boil just for a few minutes.
Blanching can be used for:
removing skins from: vegetables, such as tomatoes; fruits, such as peaches; nuts, such as almonds
preparing fruits or vegetables for freezing; blanching destroys enzymes, retains colour
par-cooking (partly cooking) fruit or vegetables to preserve their colour and for speed of service; blanching and then refreshing lightly cooks and helps retain the colour of vegetables, such as broccoli, asparagus and spinach.
Boiling is the process of cooking foods in boiling or simmering liquid. The boiling temperature of water is 100°C. Gentle boiling (simmering) helps break down the tough structure of a food item, making it easier to work with and digest.
Use shorter boiling times for vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, and swede. Potatoes and kumara require long boiling times.
Baking is a method of cooking food by dry heat in an oven. During the baking process the heat travels through the food from the surface to the centre.
Food that can be baked includes vegetables such as potatoes, kumara and parsnip and fruit based desserts such as apple pie.