What exactly happens when a Vegetable is Boiled? Why does it become soft?
There are two components to vegetables that make them crisp, pectin and starch. Pectin, which is basically a type of glue and is also used in jams and jellies for structure, breaks down at 183ºF / 83ºC at a slower rate than the starch cells do. In many cases this allows for more tender vegetables that have a unique texture to them.
There's other things that go on, such as vitamins being leeched into the water, but the temperature affecting the pectin is the reason for the softness.
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