Why does spinach lose its texture when cooked?

I know that cooking spinach until it loses its texture is called wilting, but what is the chemical process that is going on. It it losing moisture? If so why does it look so moist?

Thanks!

Best Answer

Before being cooked, vegetables are like a wall built from tightly filled water balloons. Each cell has is filled with water (well, technically cytoplasm, but...) which is essentially incompressible.

One of the components in the cell walls is hemi-cellulose, which dissolves into the water when the vegetable is cooked. This allows the individual cells to partially deflate, expressing water and making the overall vegetable wilt.

Think a blown up beach ball. Although the wall is soft and flexible, the air holds it rigid. Of course, air can be compressed, so a beach ball can be squeezed; but water for all practical purposes is not compressible, so there is no almost no give in the individual plant cells.

Once the cell walls loose their integrity, however, it is like the beach balls that comprise the plant have sprung a leak. They loose their shape or rigor, and at the large scale you see wilting or softening.

Note that the presence of acid in the cooking medium can inhibit the dissolving of the hemi-cellulose, and permitting vegetables to better maintain their shape. This is one reason why, for example, canned vegetables have acid added to the canning liquid (another being that acidity above a certain threshold inhibits the growth of certain dangerous food born pathogens.)

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Quick Answer about "Why does spinach lose its texture when cooked?"

According to FoodPrint, spinach is made up of more than 90% water. Given that fact, home cooks who have cooked a lot of fruits and vegetables that contain a high percentage of water likely know that the water evaporates out when the produce is cooked, causing its volume to shrink.

What happens if you cook spinach too long?

Leaving the spinach to cook for any longer causes the leaves to become slimy and makes the bitter flavor more prominent. Don't reheat cooked spinach after refrigerating it, either. This overcooks the leaves and creates a stronger bitter flavor than when they were freshly cooked.

How do you keep spinach from getting soggy when cooking?

Once hot, add the butter and/or oil. It should melt and/or heat immediately. Quickly add the spinach and cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted. The high heat and stirring will help any liquid the spinach releases evaporate quickly, which is what you want to avoid wet or slimy spinach when all is said and done.

How does spinach change when cooked?

The good news is that cooking spinach drastically reduces the amount of oxalic acid found in one serving. According to Food Revolution Network, \u201cSteaming spinach has been shown to cut the oxalic acid by 5-53%. Steaming also allows the spinach to retain its folate content, a B-vitamin that helps your body produce DNA.\u201d

Why is my cooked spinach watery?

When you boil spinach, even after you drain it, it contains an overwhelming amount of water. You can squeeze most of it out by smashing it with the back of a spoon after you have drained it, but it's still pretty wet. After draining it, add it to a preheated skillet and allow the water to evaporate.

Spinach Benefits and Caution Explained By Dr. Berg

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

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