Fruits and vegetables are complex carbohydrates that provide important vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. Additionally, they provide pleasant contrasts in flavor, texture, and color to meals.

Fruits

Fruit is procured by the Navy in the fresh, frozen, canned, dehydrated, and dried states. Fresh and processed fruits may be combined to vary the flavor and texture.

Every daily menu should include some fruit. It adds color, variety, food value, and a refreshing flavor to any meal. Fruit is among the least expensive and the most nutritious of all foods and has the distinction of being the most versatile. At breakfast fruit can be served alone or in combination with cereal. It can be prepared as appetizers, salads, main dishes, relishes, desserts, or snacks It is excellent as a garnish and sometimes acts as seasoning. Fruit is an active partner in many meat dishes. Baked ham and pineapple are often teamed together, as are pork and applesauce, or turkey and cranberry sauce.

FRESH FRUITS.- Fresh fruits are highly perishable and must be handled carefully to maintain quality. Some fruits are available year-round. Others are available seasonally, such as melons and berries.

Before fresh fruits are used, wash them thoroughly to remove any insect spray that may be present. If possible, pare fresh fruits immediately before they are used. When pared and left exposed to the air, some fresh fruits become discolored. Discoloration may be prevented by covering the fruit with lemon juice, or by dipping the fruit in a antibrowning agent. Follow the directions on the guideline cards for antibrowning agents or those on the actual container.

FROZEN FRUITS.- Frozen fruits are convenient and available year-round. Little preparation is needed, there is no waste, and less storage space is required than for fresh fruit. Most frozen fruits are packed with sugar or syrup. Thaw them in the unopened container and use immediately to maintain quality.

The Navy procures frozen fruits such as berries (strawberries, boysenberries), cherries, and peaches. Frozen fruits are closest to the fresh counterpart in flavor and appearance. They may be thawed by placing the unopened container in the chill space 24 hours before they are to be used. This allows the frozen fruit to thaw completely and more evenly throughout.

CANNED FRUITS.- Canned fruits require no refrigeration and are available all year. They may be packed in water, syrup, or natural juices. All canned fruits should be served chilled.

DRIED FRUITS.- Dried fruits, such as raisins, apricots, prunes, and dates, can be used for pastry and pie fillings and as ingredients in cakes, cookies, breads, sweet doughs, and salads.

Wash dried fruits thoroughly before they are used. They may be soaked to reduce cooking time, but avoid a long soaking period because it produces a watery, tasteless fruit. Cook raisins and dates without soaking. If sugar is to be added, it should be at the end of the cooking period. If it is added at the beginning, it interferes with the absorption of water.

DEHYDRATED FRUITS.- Dehydrated fruit, such as applesauce, maybe used in some recipes when fresh or canned fruit is not available. Check the AFRS for directions.

Dehydrated fruits, such as instant applesauce, apple slices, and diced apricots, are readily reconstituted by adding a proportionate volume of water to a specified weight of the particular dehydrated fruit. Like the dehydrated vegetables discussed earlier, dehydrated fruits because of their small weight and volume are convenient to store. Dehydrated fruits maybe used for desserts such as puddings, pies, and cakes, or they may be reconstituted and served at any meal.

Vegetables

Vegetables of all types are nutritional necessities in a well-balanced diet. In addition to the contribution of important minerals and vitamins, vegetables add color, flavor, and interest to meals. All too frequently vegetables are rejected or left uneaten when they are poorly cooked; consequently, they are not pleasing in appearance or flavor. A vegetable can become unpopular simply from being overcooked, watery, or poorly seasoned. Furthermore, the food value may be lost or diminished by improper handling and cooking. Vegetables are bought by the Navy in the following forms: fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and dehydrated.

FRESH VEGETABLES.- Most raw fresh vegetables have waste or portions that are not edible. When you peel, scrape, brush, trim, or cut these vegetables, it is important not to destroy or damage edible portions and especially not to lose the valuable nutritional elements that are usually contained close to the outer skin or peel. Select vegetables about equal in size, or cut them into pieces of equal size. Then all the pieces will be cooked uniformly in the same length of time. Plan for cooking vegetables with the peel on whenever possible, especially potatoes. If potatoes must be peeled, do it very carefully so as to make thin peelings. Much of the food value in a potato lies close to the skin.

Washing.- Wash all fresh vegetables thoroughly. Use a brush to clean celery, carrots, beets, potatoes, turnips, parsnips, or any vegetable that is pulled or dug from the soil.  Tightly grown blossoms, heads, or stem-type vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts will harbor worms and insects that may not be dislodged by casual washing. Soak vegetables of this type in cold saltwater (1 tablespoon salt to 1 quart of water) for 1/2 to 1 hour and then rinse thoroughly. Turn cauliflower blossoms end down in the soaking water; cut cabbages in halves or quarters and remove the cores.

Wash leaf-type vegetables such as spinach, collards, kale, and turnip greens in several changes of cold water to remove dirt and sand particles. Lift these vegetables from the water instead of draining the water off. The dirt and grit will remain in the washing pan or sink. If this water is drained or poured off, the dirt will remain on the vegetables.

Retaining or Restoring Freshness.- After vegetables have been washed clean, keep them in a cool storage place until they are to be prepared.

Wilted vegetables can be refreshened by placing them in ice-cold water to which one-half cup of vinegar per gallon of water has been added.  When they are freshened, the vegetables should be covered with a clean, damp cloth and placed in a cool storage room until you are ready to use them.

Keep the time between preparation and cooking as short as possible. Valuable vitamins are lost when vegetables are soaked too long or are allowed to remain at warm temperatures for several hours.

FROZEN VEGETABLES.- Frozen vegetables have the appearance and very nearly the flavor of fresh vegetables. Like the dehydrated vegetables discussed previously, they are easy to prepare; the precooking tasks have been done. Frozen vegetables have been cleaned and trimmed and are ready to use.

CANNED VEGETABLES.- Vegetables that are canned have been cooked in the container and need only to be brought to the boiling temperature just before they are served. Never boil a canned vegetable; always avoid overheating or overcooking. The liquid from tamed vegetables should be saved and used in soups, sauces, or gravies. Follow the AFRS guidelines for heating canned vegetables.

DRIED VEGETABLES.- A variety of dried vegetables are used in Navy messes. Dried beans and peas are used in soups and entrees (supplemented with meats such as ham, bacon, or ground beef as in chili con came). Dried garlic is used as seasoning. Dried onions are used extensively in salads and cooking.

DEHYDRATED VEGETABLES.- Dehydrated vegetables are now widely used and popular in Navy messes. Their small weight and volume make them convenient to store. They are easy to prepare. All the precooking tasks associated with raw vegetables have been done for you. They are peeled, diced, sliced, or chopped, and ready to use. They eliminate waste and ensure portion control.

Precooked potato granules, sliced raw potatoes, raw cabbage, chopped onions, and green peppers are some of the dehydrated vegetables used by the Navy. They are reconstituted by adding a measured quantity of the vegetable to a measured volume of water. The temperature of the water will vary (lukewarm or cool) with the specific dehydrated vegetable being reconstituted as will the length of time required for the reconstituting process (15 to 30 minutes). Recipes in the Q (vegetable) section of the AFRS give more detailed instructions for reconstituting dehydrated vegetables.

Cooking Methods

Vegetables may be baked or sauteed they may be simmered or steamed; they may be served with butter or covered with an appropriate sauce; or, after they are simmered or steamed, they may be creamed, mashed, or sauteed.

The basic methods of cooking vegetables are baking, steaming, and simmering.

SIMMERING.- Vegetables are simmered in water with seasonings in steam-jacketed kettles or covered stockpots.  Vegetables will lose their fresh appearance, flavor, and nutritive value if they are overcooked.

STEAMING.- Steaming is an excellent method of cooking most fresh vegetables. It is faster than other methods and helps to preserve the fresh appearance and nutritive value of the vegetables. Follow the manufacturer's directions for cooking time and methods for each kind of vegetable. Guidelines for steam cooking are given in the AFRS.

BAKING.- Cook the vegetables in dry heat in an oven with the addition of little or no water. Dry baking is usually limited to potatoes and squash.

OVEN FRYING.- Some vegetables may be parboiled and then placed in a well-greased roasting pan in the oven to complete cooking. Hash browned and home fried potatoes may be oven fried.

DEEP FAT FRYING AND PANFRYING.Potatoes, onions, and other vegetables such as eggplant, cauliflower, and okra may be french fried. Vegetables that are deep fried and panfried should be tender and cut into uniform size pieces. Panfried vegetables are cooked in a small amount of fat on top of the range. Sauteing is another term for panfrying.

STIR-FRYING.- Carrots, celery, cabbage, sweet peppers, mushrooms, dried and green onions, broccoli, and cauliflower may be stir-fried. Stir-frying is sauteing in hot salad oil or shortening in progressive steps. The cooked vegetables are crisp and crunchy in texture.

PROGRESSIVE VEGETABLE COOKERY.To make sure a continuous supply of freshly cooked vegetables is available on the serving line, cooking periods must be staggered so that several small batches of vegetables will be cooked one after another. This also helps control waste because a new batch will be started only if it is needed.

Short cooking time is best. Cook only a small quantity of vegetables at a time. Vegetables must be cooked in the shortest time possible and in a small amount of water. Never use baking soda to preserve color. Overcooking, cooking in too much water, or using soda in the water destroys the nutrients you are trying to conserve.

In fact, undercook rather than overcook vegetables. This is especially applicable when you know the cooked vegetable is to be placed on the steam table or is to have a second heating or cooking period, such as creaming, scalloping, or baking.

To determine if the vegetable is done, press pieces of the vegetable between the thumb and forefinger and taste the sample. If it is done, the vegetable should be tender but have a definite bite quality.