Boiling

Boiling means heating a liquid until it bubbles and turns to vapour; the term also covers cooking food in a boiling liquid, a vigorous moist-heat method that gelatinizes starches, denatures proteins, softens plant cell walls, and destroys vegetative microorganisms. From blanching vegetables to sterilizing preserves and cooking pasta, boiling is among the oldest and most universal cooking techniques. Its intensity demands attention: prolonged boiling leaches water-soluble vitamins and minerals into the cooking water and can toughen proteins or disintegrate delicate vegetables, so skilled cooks match boiling time to the food and often reuse the nutrient-rich cooking liquid.