El microwave es un gran ally in the kitchen, as thanks to it, we can both cook and simply heat some foods in our day-to-day life in a very quick and affordable way.
Precisely, in relation to broccoli, a recent study has tried to better understand how broccoli behaves when heated in the microwave, specifically inside bags suitable for this appliance.
As we mentioned, cooking vegetables in microwave bags is becoming a popular domestic cooking method. While in previous research by the CEBAS-CSIC team, it was demonstrated that steaming is healthier and the microwave is the worst in terms of the degradation of bioactive phytochemicals. Nowadays, microwave cooking has evolved, with a range of products being marketed in special bags, ready for cooking and consumption. This topic has aroused the curiosity of these researchers, as a continuation of their research.
Research is underway on the topic
The objective of the research published in the scientific journal Food Research International conducted by Erika Paulsen, Diego A. Moreno, Paula M. Periago, and Patricia Lema, from the Institute of Chemical Engineering at the University of the Republic in Montevideo, Uruguay, CEBAS-CSIC, and the Institute of Plant Biotechnology at the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT), was to study the effect of cooking in microwave bags compared to traditional microwave cooking (where the vegetable is in direct contact with water), assessing the content of bioactive compounds such as glucosinolates and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, as well as other quality parameters such as antioxidant capacity, mineral content, and microbial load of broccoli florets.
The influence of cooking time on the content of bioactive compounds was also evaluated. The study was carried out in two experiments using intact broccoli and broccoli preprocessed in the industry.
Results of the research
Broccoli cooked in a microwave bag for 5 minutes, following the label recommendation, showed higher levels of retained glucosinolates compared to conventional microwave cooking. The results suggest that volatilization could be an important phenomenon in reducing glucosinolates during microwave cooking of broccoli florets, making microwave-safe bags better retain these bioactive compounds.
In addition, broccoli cooked in a microwave bag has higher antioxidant capacity and content than broccoli cooked in a conventional microwave.
In this way, we can conclude that the use of microwave-safe bags is an overall acceptable system to retain the main bioactive compounds of broccoli. Undoubtedly, it is a quick, easy, and considerably clean option to satisfy the modern consumer.