Implied cooking temperatures on food packaging
Every time I follow directions I see instructions like this:
- Bring water to boil
- Stir in pasta
- Return to rapid boil
- Cook for 6 minutes for al-dente
I set the stove burner to high for Step 1. Do I leave the stove burner on high for the remaining steps, or do I lower the burner temperature?
Best Answer
It sounds like by "temperature" you're referring to the setting of your stove. If your stove is powerful enough that you don't need it at its maximum power to keep water at a rapid boil, then you can of course reduce the setting once you've returned it to a rapid boil (between your steps 3 and 4). On the other hand, if you have a smaller, older stove, you might need to keep it at high to keep the water boiling rapidly. So the answer is "maybe" - you do whatever you need to do with your stove to keep it doing what the directions say (boiling).
That said, this isn't necessarily the best way to cook pasta. You should test it, rather than counting on the time on the package to be accurate. And you don't actually have to cook it at a full boil, or boil the water before adding the pasta; see this great column by Harold McGee on cooking pasta in a way contrary to popular wisdom, and a Food Lab article based on it. You can in fact start with pasta in just enough cold water, bring it to a good simmer, and keep it there until it's done.
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Why is temperature an important factor in food preservation?
By controlling the temperature, you can control the levels of bacteria which spoil foods and cause illness. Heat kills bacteria, while cold temperatures slow down the growth of bacteria to prevent it from reaching harmful levels.How does temperature affect food storage?
Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 \xb0 and 140 \xb0F, doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. This range of temperatures is often called the "Danger Zone." That's why the Meat and Poultry Hotline advises consumers to never leave food out of refrigeration over 2 hours.How does change in temperature affect the quality of meat?
As the temperature increases so does the speed of tenderization. Below about 140\xb0F (60\xb0C) the meat is tenderizing much more quickly than it is contracting, resulting in minimal moisture loss. Holding meat at a lower temperature means that you can tenderize the meat without losing much moisture.How does heat affect food during cooking?
Since water is present in many foods, evaporation that occurs as food is cooked or heated causes the food to dry out. Evaporation begins at 212\xb0 F. When heat is applied to fats, they melt, rather than evaporate or solidify. Fats can take the form of a solid, liquid, or a variation of both.Basic Food Safety: Chapter 3 \
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