Cooking With Mineral Water

[shel]

I really dislike food or beverages packed in plastic, and I go to great lengths to avoid such items. However, all the bottled water that I can find around here (with one small exception) is sold in plastic bottles. I've been thinking of using certain mineral waters for cooking. A few do not have much if any mineral taste, but the are carbonated. I imagine the carbonation can be made to disappear easily enough. So, what thoughts might you have of cooking with such water?

shel

[Luc_H]

Hi Shel,
I cover this aspect in a course I give.

Carbonated water is slightly acidic (even after the bubbles are out). The acid is due to the dissolved carbon dioxide which turn into carboxylic acid.

Acidity will affect legumes. When cooking legumes acidity can/may prevent them from softening during cooking. This explains why adding baking soda to legume water will help guaranty that the beans cook up soft.

Also the dissolved minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium could also affect the cooking/softening of legumes as well leaving them hard.

To a certain extent any starchy, cellulosic, oligosaccharide containing plant food will either require longer cooking times or leave them firm if cooked IN the water. This could be a good thing sometimes.

Steam from mineral water is the same as plain water. No affect on vegetable steaming.


This is all theory... I haven't actually tried it......................... yet.
Luc H.

[DC Sunshine]

Could try using distilled water - like what we are meant to put in our steam irons (but tap water usually goes in!). Then its just water - nothing else.

Lots cheaper than mineral water too.

Just a thought.

DC

[shel]

All the distilled water here comes in plastic containers ... unacceptable.

acb

Originally Posted by DC Sunshine

Could try using distilled water
DC

[shel]

Thanks, Luc ... your comments help quite a bit, and I will definitely cook up something using mineral water. Should be a fun and interesting experiment.

scb

[Mapiva]

Originally Posted by Luc_H

Hi Shel,
I cover this aspect in a course I give.

Carbonated water is slightly acidic (even after the bubbles are out). The acid is due to the dissolved carbon dioxide which turn into carboxylic acid.

Acidity will affect legumes. When cooking legumes acidity can/may prevent them from softening during cooking. This explains why adding baking soda to legume water will help guaranty that the beans cook up soft.

Also the dissolved minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium could also affect the cooking/softening of legumes as well leaving them hard.

To a certain extent any starchy, cellulosic, oligosaccharide containing plant food will either require longer cooking times or leave them firm if cooked IN the water. This could be a good thing sometimes.

Steam from mineral water is the same as plain water. No affect on vegetable steaming.


This is all theory... I haven't actually tried it......................... yet.
Luc H.

Are you saying that if I put some Arm n Hammer in my bean soup that it will save me the time of soaking the beans over night?

[phatch]

I spent a week in a San Diego suburb many years ago. The water was horrible. Mineralized and undrinkable. Everything cooked in it tasted bad.

Bottled mineral water tastes better than that tap water but I wouldn't hold out much hope for food cooked in it.

Phil

[Luc_H]

Originally Posted by Mapiva

Are you saying that if I put some Arm n Hammer in my bean soup that it will save me the time of soaking the beans over night?

No...
For beans soaking is a must (but I know some do not soak with good results apparently). Adding baking soda (1 tsp) in the water (no salt, nor acid) will help cook the beans faster and tender.

Luc H.

[OahuAmateurChef]

Have you considered purchasing a reverse osmosis water filter for the home?

The one I installed in the kitchen has a reservoir large enough to handle cooking soup/stock in my 20 quart pot.

Or am I missing the point completely, and you are looking for the flavor of naturally occurring trace minerals and salts, and the particular PH that happens in some tap? (Thinking NY pizza dough/ English beer)

I am definitely an amateur when it comes to water and food, however, I know a thing or two about water purification. IMHO it is not worth it in exploring tap water, since nearly all are tainted with chlorine. Better off filtering your own, and on top of that--no need to worry about plastic leaching off from your overpriced plastic water bottles.




Good luck if you live where they Fluoridate water! That stuff may be the most toxic poison to man in existence! Seriously, the safety precautions for fluoride piping remind me of dealing with nuclear work--getting off topic now...

[phatch]

Originally Posted by Luc_H

No...
For beans soaking is a must (but I know some do not soak with good results apparently). Adding baking soda (1 tsp) in the water (no salt, nor acid) will help cook the beans faster and tender.

Luc H.

I don't ever soak the beans. I usually pressure cook them and it's very quick.