Some of the ways that water aids the cooking process is via braising, boiling, steaming, poaching and simmering.
We use water all the time in cooking and this is due to its many properties that makes it very useful in the preparation of food. It helps to make many foods and flavors more acceptable to the palate, which in turn makes it reasily accepted by the body.
Before we get into the role of water in cooking, let's talk about our body's water intake. We consume water so that our bodies can use it toregulate its temperature and maintain other bodily functions. As we lose water throughbreathing, sweating, and digestion, it is important that werehydrate by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water.
In much the same way that it does to the human body, water helps regulate temperature during cooking. When you cook stew at a simmer, the heat stays constant. When we look at how the water behaves, whether its a slow boil or a rifling boil, we can immediately tell how hot the food is. This helps cooks control the cooking duration which indirectly affects the texture of the cooked product. For instance, by braising tough cuts of meat for several hours, the final result is meltingly tender with the broth flavoured with all the melted fat and collagen. Similarly, the addition of water during the frying of egg helps steam the egg and allows it to cook more evenly.
Water also helps speed up the cooking process using pressure. Inside a tighly sealed pressure cooker, water is heated and eventually boils into steam. Since the steam cannot escape the vessel, the trapped water molecules generates a high-pressure environment.
Cooking with wet heat, aka cooking by placing food in a hot liquid or exposed to steam is also healthier. Not to mention that it is also a low-fat cooking method, with litle to no added fat. When it comes to meats, fish, white-meat poultry and vegetables, wet heat is one of the best cooking methods to use.
In addition, water helps extract flavors. Whether you're making coffee, tea or soup, none of it would be possible without water. In beverages such as lemonade and cocoa, it is a medium for carrying flavors. While too much water will make food bland, water is so much more than that. Sometimes, when we don't want to add wine or broth in a soup or ragu for pasta, we use water which doesn't alter the taste in the way that the other two does.
When a sauce or soup gets too thick, water helps thin it out.If the food becomes too watery, the surplus may often be evaporated by cooking it rapidly without a lid. This evaporation is also what gives rise to what we call the reduction process in cooking.When you set a pot on the stove to reduce a liquid, water wafts away in the form of evaporation, leaving behind more concentrated flavor. Reductions are commonly used in preparations such as consommés, gravies, gastriques, pan sauces and syrups.
In baking, water also plays a vital role. When you're baking a cremebrûlée, cheesecake or making cocounut jam, water is used in the form of a water bath. It keeps the substance from overcooking or curdling into eggs. We add water to flour to produce dough which is then used in a wide range of bread and pasta.
Water is also very useful in reheating food from refrigerated or frozen to serving temperatures. In large scale food facilities, a food rethermalizer is used to reheatfrozen foods using hot water. It canalso defrost raw meat and hold food at serving temperatures. Instead of using hot air, the use of hot water is preferred as it gives a greater degree of temperature control and is more energy efficient.
Before pasteurization, water is also used to kill bacteria in milk via scalding. This method is also sometimes used to help solids, such as sugar, flour or chocolate dissolve more easily into the liquid.
Imagine living in a world where water is absent. No soft boiled eggs, no cake or anything. Limited water supply can also interfere with the proper cooking and service of food, not to mention health standards.
FAQs
Water is an essential ingredient in the kitchen. It is a universal solvent and is used to help dissolve and extract flavorful compounds in soups, stocks, and sauces. Water is also used to aid in the cooking process.
What is the use of water in a kitchen? ›
Some of the ways that water aids the cooking process is via braising, boiling, steaming, poaching and simmering. We use water all the time in cooking and this is due to its many properties that makes it very useful in the preparation of food.
What are the three functions of water in food preparation? ›
In a very broad sense, there are four major uses of water in food production: (1) primary production, (2) cleaning and sanitation, (3) processing operations, and (4) as food ingredient.
What is the purpose of liquid in cooking? ›
Using cooking liquid in your recipes can enhance the flavor and texture of your dishes. Here are some common ways to use cooking liquid in cooking: Braising: Cooking meat or vegetables in a small amount of liquid, such as broth or wine, over low heat to tenderize and infuse flavor.
What is the role of water in food storage? ›
Water activity is one of the main factors in limiting the growth of microbial cells and regulating the level of spoilage in foods.
What does cooking with water do? ›
Water can do it all. Well, almost—it's pretty useless when it comes to crisping or browning. But it can help you cook your vegetables, proteins, and leftovers to tender perfection with no risk of them drying out or burning.
What water to use for cooking? ›
Yes, cooking with distilled water allows the natural flavors and aromas of a dish to shine. Distilled water does not contain the minerals, chemicals, and other contaminants that tap water possesses, so it does not impart any unwanted tastes into foods as they are washed or cooked.
Why do we need water in food? ›
Water in our food
The process of digesting foods also produces a small amount of water as a by-product which can be used by the body. Water sourced this way can provide around 10% of the body's water requirements. The remaining 70% or so of water required by the body must come from fluids (liquids).
How do you store water in the kitchen? ›
Method A
- Thoroughly wash plastic soda bottles or milk jugs with warm, soapy water. ...
- Fill bottles or jugs directly from the faucet. ...
- Store sealed containers in a dark, dry, and cool place.
- If after six months you have not used the stored water, empty it from the containers and repeat steps 1 through 3 above.
Regulates body temperature. Moistens tissues in the eyes, nose and mouth. Protects body organs and tissues. Carries nutrients and oxygen to cells.
Water is more critical than food in the short term. You can live up to three or four weeks without any food at all if you are in good health, so long as you get enough water.
How is water used in the food system? ›
As a processing aid, water may be used for conveying, heating, cooling, rinsing, dissolving, dispersing, blanketing, diluting, separating, steam generation and other activities. In each case, purity of the water will affect its performance.
Why is water important in cooking? ›
Water, the seemingly simple ingredient, plays a crucial role in cooking by: Extracting and delivering flavors: Water acts as a medium for extracting and transporting flavors from ingredients like vegetables, herbs, and spices.
How fast does water boil away? ›
If we boil water it takes, for example, 5 minutes to reach the boiling point. If we continue heating, it will take another 20 minutes or so before the water has completely evaporated (which is good, because it gives us time to save our kettle).
What are the three types of water in food? ›
Most food scientists divide water into three forms: free, adsorbed, and bound. Free water is the water that can literally be squeezed out of a food, like the juice in an orange, or the water that sometimes separates in sour cream or yogurt.
Why is water important in our food? ›
Water is vital to our health. It plays a key role in many of our body's functions, including bringing nutrients to cells, getting rid of wastes, protecting joints and organs, and maintaining body temperature. Water should almost always be your go-to beverage.
How does water affect cooking? ›
Poor water quality can cause unpleasant flavors, discolored food, and even foodborne illness. To begin, the overall quality of water used to cook food will determine the flavor and texture of the finished dish.
Why is water good for cooking things? ›
Water has high specific heat. This means that water needs a large amount of heat to become hot, and it needs to lose a large amount of heat to become cold. In other words, water neither heats up nor cools down quickly. This property makes water as an excellent cooling agent.
Why is water an important ingredient of a food? ›
But water is an important component of food due to many reasons. Water carries all the helpful nutrients and oxygen to all the body parts. It helps in the transportation of the digested food to every cell of the body.
