Cooking Temperatures

April 28, 2004

I would like advice about cooking temperatures. People are making postings

to this group that appear to be contradictory and I would like to clarify

what I should be following. My main heated meal of the day is a lentil soup

with loads of extras veg thrown in depending upon what I have.

The article just posted from Nancy Appleton, Ph.D. on the Risks of

Overcooking Food stated:

> There is also research that shows that the immune system can become

> activated when fried, pressure cooked or barbecued food is eaten.

>

> We want our immune system working on bacteria, viruses and other

> foreign material. We do not want our immune system working on food. We

> want it strong for foreign invaders.

>

> From this research and the principle of the heat labile point, it

> seems that the best way to cook food is the least way. The more food

> that you can eat raw, the better. If you do cook your food, the best

> way to cook is to lightly steam, bake, stew or stir fry, or use a slow

> crock cooker.

>

> There is evidence that shows that if you cook food past 112º

> Fahrenheit, you will make the enzymes in the food unavailable;

> therefore, you will need to use your own enzymes to digest the food.

I have been using a pressure cooker. It seems from the above that it

produces too high a temp to retain the benefit of the food. So I thought I

would go to the other extreme and consider a crockpot. This is what the Uni

of Minnesota has to say about crockpot cooking temperatures:

> Are slow cookers safe? Suzanne Driessen, University of Minnesota

> Extension Service Regional Extension Educator says, _Yes, if you use

> them correctly._ Driessen reports that most slow cookers have two

> settings low and high. The low setting cooks at around 200° and the

> high setting at about 300°. Most slow cookers have a crockery insert.

> The heating elements are along the side directly heating the food. The

> lengthy cooking time and the steam created within the tightly-covered

> _pot_ increases the temperature quickly enough to kill bacteria,

> making slow-cooking a safe cooking process.

>

> _Temperatures below 185° suggest that your slow cooker does not heat

> food high or fast enough to avoid possible food safety problems. If

> your slow cooker doesn_t pass this test, don_t use it. It_s unsafe to

> use and should be replaced_, cautions Driessen.

As an alternative I could simmer the soup for hours, but at what

temperature would that be? I can hear some of you say we have always made

soup this way and it hasn't done us any harm, but should I just ignore the

latest research. Any guidance or pointers would be much appreciated.

Best wishes,

Robin

April 28, 2004

Hi,

Yes, valid concerns.

IMHO, with any beans, using the Chinese method of soups, you should soak it

first

for approximatley 4 hours before cooking. This removes the need for a pressure

cooker.

To retain as much nutrients as possible do the following:

1. soak lentils for about for hours - this will soften it

2. simmer lentils first on low heat

3. add any hard vegetables which are thinly sliced for greater surface area

contact to

heat an hour later (e.g. carrots) and simmer for another hour.

4. finally just before serving do you add the " fragile " veggies such as bok choy

or

cabbages etc. Make sure the pot is covered so that the steam can do its job.

The last step is less than 5 minutes and you retain most of the nutrients.

If you need to use a crock pot because you are busy and want to come back for a

hearty meal, soak the lentils overnight. Make sure the hard veggies are cut

thicker.

use lowest heat in the crock pot

Again only add the leafy fragile veggies just before serving.

If you are really concerned about the loss of nutrients from the veggies, try

steam-stir

frying which is very quick. Excluding preparation less than five minutes.

Details here:

http://www.prostatecancerdeception.com/gentle-cooking-for-prostate-cancer.html

Hope this helps.

victor

, " Robin Stewart "

<benfordlaw@b...> wrote:

> I would like advice about cooking temperatures. People are making postings

> to this group that appear to be contradictory and I would like to clarify

> what I should be following. My main heated meal of the day is a lentil soup

> with loads of extras veg thrown in depending upon what I have.

>

> As an alternative I could simmer the soup for hours, but at what

> temperature would that be? I can hear some of you say we have always made

> soup this way and it hasn't done us any harm, but should I just ignore the

> latest research. Any guidance or pointers would be much appreciated.

>

> Best wishes,

>

> Robin

April 29, 2004

Robin

You have another option. Take care to consume all those raw foods necessary

for a health-promoting diet, in the early hours of the day. Eat foods that

you cook, however much heat you use, late in the day. Consume these foods

to which high heat has been applied, in moderate amounts; try to have a

fresh salad before you eat cooked foods; and try to eat all of this at least

4 hours before retiring. Whatever else you eat, combine a diet, for

breakfast and lunch, which emphasizes moderate fruit, lots of fresh and

leafy green vegetables (preferably in the form of a couple of large salads)

and raw nuts and seeds.

JP

-

" Robin Stewart " <benfordlaw

Wednesday, April 28, 2004 2:40 AM