We love green vegetables not only for their fantastic nutritional properties and earthy flavour but also for their striking green colour that adds life to our meals. It's saddening to see that colour fade away while cooking some recipes. You would have noticed the once bright green veggies quickly turning pale and yellowish and sometimes, even black. Why does it happen? Green vegetables get their colour from chlorophyll, a complex molecule present in some plant cells. While cooking, chlorophyll is exposed to acidic compounds of other ingredients, and hydrogen replaces the magnesium of the chlorophyll, altering the colour of the vegetables.
Also Read: How To Store Your Green Vegetables For Longer
How Do You Make Vegetables Look Green?
We dug some genius hacks to retain the attractive colour of your greens. The best part? They are also easy to follow. Let's go through them one by one.
1. Blanch the vegetables
Blanched vegetables tend to retain their original colour; in fact, better than raw vegetables. This happens because the air pockets in the tissue of raw vegetables mask the colour after being kept idle for some days. When blanched, the air pockets vanish and the vegetables become brighter in colour.
2. Add Baking Soda Powder
Another trick is to boil the greens with baking soda before consuming them or using them for further cooking processes. Baking soda reduces the acidity of the boiling water and slows down the discolouration process of the vegetables. Just make sure to add only a pinch of baking soda to avoid its bitterness seeping into the greens.
Also read: 8 Lesser Known Greens We Should All Be Eating
Green leafy vegetables are full of nutrients.
3. Use Vinegar or Lime Juice
Boiling the vegetables in vinegar or lemon juice is another great trick to keep them green. You just have to add a few drops of the liquid to the boiling water before adding the veggies. When the vegetables start to wilt, take them out and put them in icy cold water to stop the heating process.
4. Cut Down The Cooking Time
Whether you are cooking, boiling or steaming the green vegetables, make sure to not let them be on heat for a long time. 5-6 minutes is a good enough time to turn the veggies edible. Cooking for a long time can dull the colour of the vegetables.
5. Make Fresh Dishes
If you make ahead any recipe with green vegetables, they might lose their colour and crunch when it's time to eat. Dishes like salads should always be made fresh to enjoy the vibrancy of your crunchy greens.
Also Read: How To Wash Your Greens: 5 Expert Tips To Clean Your Leafy Vegetables
Follow these tips to consume your favourite greens or else they won't be green on the other side.