Destroying Vitamin Content

[Aussiepom]

I've just been watching some DVDs entitled simply 'Bushcraft & Survival', created by a company called Birchtree Productions. I don't know if anyone else on this forum is familiar with them, but they have triggered a query:

In different episodes they mention making pine needle tea & rose hip tea, and say that the water that you add to each of them should not actually be boiling, but should be left to stand for a while so that it does not destroy the vitamin C content of the ingredients. In another episode, they show the use of stinging nettles being added to scrambled eggs, and say that it contains vitamins A, C and iron.

However, they also say that in order to neutralize the stinging properties of the nettles, you need to add just enough water to cover them, and then boil them, before discarding the water and adding the nettles to the eggs. Does this boiling also destroy the vitamins in the nettles, or do they have different properties to the rose hips and pine needles (ie can the nettles withstand the boiling without the vitamins being destroyed?)

If the vitamins are destroyed in the nettles, why add them to the eggs – just for flavour?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[scanker]

You can eat nettle leaves raw if you roll them up first. The tender young new leaves are nicer. There's even an annual nettle eating competition.

Can't really help with the vitamin C question. You could just shred the nettle leaves and stir them into scrambled egg to wilt them. I think the vitamin content of bushcraft food will only become important if you're living on it for long periods of time.

 

[robin wood]

Working from memory vit c is destroyed by heat and it is water soluable. It used to be thought that the more heat the more it was destroyed but during WW2 they got schoolkids making rose hip syrup and tested the results for vit c content and it generally came out better than expected even when cooked long and hard. What they found was that it degrades in a certain temperature zone in hot but not boiling water. Once it gets up to boiling you can hold it there as long as you like without degradation. So to preserve max Vit C use as little water as possible and if you can drink the water (I always drink the water cabbage is cooked in with a little marmite added) Most important get the water boiling first then add water to ffod or food to water, don't put food in cold water and bring to the boil...that is a good way to get rid of vit C.

 

[Tadpole]

always drink the water cabbage is cooked in with a little marmite added) Most important get the water boiling first then add water to ffod or food to water, don't put food in cold water and bring to the boil...that is a good way to get rid of vit C.

I use the water from the seamed vegetable and boiled potato to make the gravy, Why use a stock cube to make it when you have all that veg water.

Oh vitamin C content is not destroyed at temps under about 180°C to 190°C, so boiling water at 100°C will make little or no difference, it will leech out in to the water, so using the water will give you back what little is leeched out (15%)
Better still steam the vegetables, in a bamboo steamer.

 

[Aussiepom]

Thanks for the help guys.

Slightly conflicting responses from Robin & Tadpole, but it would seem that either way, it would be OK to boil nettles, rose hips, etc as long as I dump them straight into the pre-heated water?

Seems odd actually, because as a kid I was always told not to boil the veggies for too long as it would destroy the 'goodness,' etc, etc.

 

[Tadpole]

Thanks for the help guys.

Slightly conflicting responses from Robin & Tadpole, but it would seem that either way, it would be OK to boil nettles, rose hips, etc as long as I dump them straight into the pre-heated water?

Seems odd actually, because as a kid I was always told not to boil the veggies for too long as it would destroy the 'goodness,' etc, etc.

From wikipedia
Vitamin C chemically decomposes under certain conditions, many of which may occur during the cooking of food. Normally, boiling water at 100°C is not hot enough to cause any significant destruction of the nutrient, which only decomposes at 190°C, despite popular opinion. However, pressure cooking, roasting, frying and grilling food is more likely to reach the decomposition temperature of vitamin C. Longer cooking times also add to this effect, as will copper food vessels, which catalyse the decomposition

Another cause of vitamin C being lost from food is leaching, where the water-soluble vitamin dissolves into the cooking water, which is later poured away and not consumed.


The "goodness" was not destroyed, just leeched out in the the cooking water, so if you didn't drink it, then you were not getting the goodness, that much is true. Vegetables should be cooked for as short a time as possible. My mother in law puts the veg on when she puts the meat joint on (to cook)