How to Cook With Unprocessed Food
Buy organically., Research organic recipes., Most organic foods can still be used in standard recipes (after all, they had to cook this way in the past), but you need to know how they are made., A lot processed foods (eg crushed tomatoes) are time...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Buy organically.
This means means buying foods that don't have any pesticides in them.
Look for the organic seal of approval or even just the word "Organic".
Fruits and veggies should definitely be bought organically.
Yet, some fruits and vegetables are higher in pesticides than others.
Peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, pears, spinach, and potatoes should all be purchased organically because of their high pesticide amounts.
Onions, avocados, frozen sweet corn, pineapples, mangoes, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli, and eggplant don't have to be purchased organically due to their low pesticide amounts. -
Step 2: Research organic recipes.
Try getting books on recipes using organic food.
Some good books might include Moosewood Cookbook and Broccoli Forest Cookbook. , If (for example) you need curry paste but can't find any organic grade, make your own from individual organic spices.
It is usually a lot more fun, tastes far better and is great experience in learning how to cook and balance flavours. , You can get around this using the raw ingredient and other tools such as food processors, blenders, down to the basic such as potato mashers, graters, knives, forks (etc.) to achieve the same product. ,, When making from scratch taste the food you cook and season to taste.
If you find you need a higher amount of salt than you would prefer, start to wean yourself off it by reducing the salt content and removing the salt shaker from the table. , Organic preserves are pretty hard to find, but often you can get them from community fundraisers or town fairs where members have home-made their own jams etc to sell.
It doesn't always contain organic ingredients, but is a good cheap alternative as a home cook rarely has access to chemical preservatives. ,,, Almost any fruits or vegges can be eaten raw and are delightful in salads or on their own.
You don't have to cook them.
As organic foods often have a better flavour than their mass produced counterparts, enjoy their natural taste! -
Step 3: Most organic foods can still be used in standard recipes (after all
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Step 4: they had to cook this way in the past)
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Step 5: but you need to know how they are made.
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Step 6: A lot processed foods (eg crushed tomatoes) are time saving conveniences.
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Step 7: Invest in a cook book that talks about food preparation (cheapest from charity stores or swap-meets / flea markets) or read how-to guides from the Food Preparation section in LifeGuide Hub.
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Step 8: Many processed foods contain large amounts of salt
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Step 9: sugar or fats which improve the flavour.
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Step 10: Making your own preserves and pickles is satisfying
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Step 11: and makes a good reliable backup as many off-the-shelf products are full of additives and chemical preservatives.
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Step 12: Marinating food in herbs
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Step 13: spices
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Step 14: vinegars and flavoured oils are a great flavour enhancer if you find the ingredients become a little too similar in flavour.
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Step 15: Vary your cooking methods from steaming to include grilling
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Step 16: baking
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Step 17: smoking
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Step 18: braising (etc) to keep your meals varied and interesting.
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Step 19: Eat raw.
Detailed Guide
This means means buying foods that don't have any pesticides in them.
Look for the organic seal of approval or even just the word "Organic".
Fruits and veggies should definitely be bought organically.
Yet, some fruits and vegetables are higher in pesticides than others.
Peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, pears, spinach, and potatoes should all be purchased organically because of their high pesticide amounts.
Onions, avocados, frozen sweet corn, pineapples, mangoes, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli, and eggplant don't have to be purchased organically due to their low pesticide amounts.
Try getting books on recipes using organic food.
Some good books might include Moosewood Cookbook and Broccoli Forest Cookbook. , If (for example) you need curry paste but can't find any organic grade, make your own from individual organic spices.
It is usually a lot more fun, tastes far better and is great experience in learning how to cook and balance flavours. , You can get around this using the raw ingredient and other tools such as food processors, blenders, down to the basic such as potato mashers, graters, knives, forks (etc.) to achieve the same product. ,, When making from scratch taste the food you cook and season to taste.
If you find you need a higher amount of salt than you would prefer, start to wean yourself off it by reducing the salt content and removing the salt shaker from the table. , Organic preserves are pretty hard to find, but often you can get them from community fundraisers or town fairs where members have home-made their own jams etc to sell.
It doesn't always contain organic ingredients, but is a good cheap alternative as a home cook rarely has access to chemical preservatives. ,,, Almost any fruits or vegges can be eaten raw and are delightful in salads or on their own.
You don't have to cook them.
As organic foods often have a better flavour than their mass produced counterparts, enjoy their natural taste!
About the Author
Robert Vasquez
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow pet care tutorials.
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