Simmering
Simmering is cooking an item in liquid with a temperature from 180°F to 205°F. Simmering is used for making stocks, soups and stews.
Tips and tricks for simmering:
- Your liquid is at a simmer when small bubbles appear but not at a full, rolling boil.
- Simmering is a good application for making soups as it cooks items slowly allowing flavors to develop without over-reducing the liquid amount and does not toughen up the item which can happen with boiling, especially for proteins.
- Braising on the stovetop also involves simmering the liquid for a long period of time to break down tough fibrous textures such as large, tougher cuts of meat and vegetables like collards or mustard greens.
- Season your liquid with salt after the ingredients in the soup/stew/braise are already cooked through and the liquid has reduced to the desired thickness. Seasoning at the beginning is recommended only for dried herbs and spices or add a sachet. Salt and can become overwhelming when the liquid reduces and is difficult to correct after the fact.
What to simmer:
Apples
Asian Pears
Asparagus
Beans
Beef – tougher cuts
Beets
Broccoli Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Chicken
Collards
Corn Eggplant
Garlic
Kale
Mushrooms
Peaches
Peas – field Pork – tougher cuts
Potatoes
Soybeans
Squash – summer & winter
Tomatoes
Onions
