We live in the plastic eon. Every item we eat, cook and breathe is loaded with loads of chemicals. The chemical composition in our food is increasing day by day. Gone are the days of the fertile soil and fresh air. The soil has been over utilised to the point of exhaustion. Various reasons contribute to this fate, over population, lack of patience, commercialisation, environmental pollution, man-made disasters, etc. We try so hard to reap too much in too little time. We are greedy and exploit the natural resources. Our thoughts are too confined to the present that we fail to remember the future. The soil has a multitude of minerals and wealth in itself. It transfers the minerals in its produce. The only glitch is it takes time for the growth period. But time is what we don’t have or at least we think we don’t have. We load the soil with chemicals in the name of fertilisers and push it to increase the produce. The produce is now bigger and looks better. Little do we realise that we are tampering with the nutrient value of the produce. The fertilizers inhibit the natural minerals and healing process of the soil. The fertilizers do not have any nutrients in them. Ultimately we produce pretty unhealthy food. The solutions can be Even after they are produced, it does takes a couple of days (if we are lucky) to a couple of months to reach our table. Cooking absorbs a part of the minimal nutrients we have. We end up consuming more chemicals and fewer nutrients. Our lifestyle diseases serve as a testimony to this change
Simultaneously, we are also on the research of inventing cooking techniques to retain the nutrients in our food. Sous vide recipes are known to capture the maximum nutrients in the food.
What is Sous – Vide?
This is a slow cooking technique with minimal heat usage where the food is placed in a vacuum tight bag. The technique takes longer than the usual time, sometimes up to 48 hours. Zip lock plastic covers are used to seal the nutrients and flavour.
Why is Sous – Vide considered healthy?
The entire process is carried out in minimal heat. Heat is one of the major factors which break the chemical composition of the food items. Minimal heat will reduce the breakage of the chemical chain and retains the flavour. Since it is cooked in an Airtight cover, the entire nutrients are locked on the cover. We can get the maximum out of the food we cook. Moreover, the best part is food cooked by sous vide cooking method have a great flavour and taste.
Is it 100 % safe?
It is not 100% safe. However, if we use the right equipment, the food can be much healthier. The selection of plastic bags plays a vital role in food safety. The ideal choice would be High and Low density polyethylene.
Name a few recipes which can be cooked through Sous Vide Technique?
The Sous Vide Recipes include Brisket, Salmon, Steak, Chicken, Pork, Crème Brulee, Bread, etc. The cooking time for each recipe will differ according to type of ingredients we use.