nosh magazine
FRUIT & VEGGIE
TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Have you ever struggled to peel the skin from a fruit only to wonder if there’s an easier
way? Or perhaps you’re unsure as to the best way to cook a certain vegetable? Gloria
Cabrera provides five tips to help you feel a little more savvy in the kitchen.
Tip 1. Peeling a peach (or a
tomato)
Peeling a peach can be a challenge but it’s
really quite simple, here’s how:
1. Using a sharp knife mark a small ‘x’ at
the bottom of the peach.
2. Dunk the peach into boiling water to loosen the skin (about 30
seconds if ripe, more if not)
3. Then cool the peach in an ice bath.
4. Peel the peach from where you marked the ‘x’.
This process also works for tomatoes!
Tip 2. Removing seeds
from a pomegranate
Pomegranates can be tricky to deseed,
but here’s an easy way:
1. Roll the fruit to loosen the seeds.
2. Cut it in half from the middle, and then gently pull the edges a
little to further loosen the seeds.
3. Hold each half over a bowl, with seeds facing down, and tap the
skin with a wooden spoon, squeezing a little to release the
seeds, which will fall into the bowl.
4. Remove any pith.
Tip 3. The best way to
cook root vegetables
If you’ve ever wondered whether
you should cook root vegetables in
hot or cold water, the answer is cold
water. Root vegetables are usually quite large so it takes a while for
heat to penetrate. And during this time the outside layers are
exposed to heat for longer. So by starting in cold water, the surface
layers are heated gradually and that helps the cell walls to resist
overcooking.
Tip 4. How to perfectly steam veggies
Steaming is a healthy cooking
method that retains more
water-soluble vitamins
than some other cooking
techniques such as
boiling. When steaming
vegetables it is best to:
• Cut the vegetables into
even sized pieces, to ensure
even cooking.
• Bring the cooking water to a simmer or boil, before adding in
the steaming basket containing vegetables.
• Steam the vegetables quickly over vigorous heat.
• Partially cook the vegetables, if using them in another dish
later.
Tip 5. How to make healthy summer
frozen fruits
Frozen fruit makes a great healthy
snack for kids (and adults), so
forget the icy poles and make
your own healthier versions.
To do so, simply place some
grapes, blueberries, raspberries
and chopped mango in the
freezer and take them out as a
tasty treat for hungry kids.
Of course, there are many different ways to peel, deseed and cook
fruit and vegetables. If you have your own favourite methods,
then share them with us by emailing analee@n4foodandhealth.
com and you just might see them appear in the pages of a future
nosh magazine. N
GLORIA CABRERA, APD
Learn more at: website | profile
Gloria is a Accredited Practising Dietitian who loves food, nutrition, cooking, fitness, and helping others enhance their health and learning. She is also a
qualified personal trainer. Gloria works in private practise seeing clients for weightloss, pre and post weight loss surgery, and chronic health conditions
such as diabetes, high cholesterol and irritable bowel syndrome.
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