Re: Re: Jeff's Nutritional Challenge

[Guest guest]

A little corn starch will thicken it up. It doesn't take much but will add some empty carbs.JROn Dec 13, 2006, at 7:03 AM, bill4cr wrote:I love stews but how do you get the thick base without prolongedcooking? I wonder if the long cooking temperature destroys nutrientsin the ingredients? Does anyone know what vitamins are susceptible todestruction by heat, and how high and long? Are mineral immune to heat? Anthocyanins, phenolics, lutein, indoles, allicin, carotenoids,bioflavonoids, lycopene etc...Are these above goodies destroyed by heat? Jeff do you know?bill>> . 

[Guest guest]

The easiest thing is okra. Doesn't take much.

Regards.

[ ] Re: Jeff's Nutritional Challenge

I love stews but how do you get the thick base without prolongedcooking?

I wonder if the long cooking temperature destroys nutrientsin the ingredients?

I has to change the chemicals but I don't recall a lot of science if it's good or bad.

..

[Guest guest]

On Wed, December 13, 2006 8:25 am, wrote:

> A little corn starch will thicken it up. It doesn't take much but

> will add some empty carbs.

I've successfully thickened sauces with both agar or guar, either of which adds

some

fiber, but no carbs. It takes very little to do the job; too much, and you have

a

gelatinous consistency. Not sure how it would work with stew, but don't see why

it

wouldn't work.

Also, corn starch-thickened sauces will break down and de-thicken if cooked too

long

after thickening, or when chilled and re-heated. For this reason, things like

stews

and bechamel-based sauces are typically thickened with a flour based roux, which

provides a more durable thickening--as do agar and guar in my experience, so I'd

think agar or guar would be preferable to corn starch.