FOOD CHAIN (Published 1999) (2024)

Saving Vitamins in Cooking Peppers

Q. Does roasting red bell peppers destroy the vitamin C they contain?

A. While heat destroys some of the vitamin C in fruits and vegetables, some cooking methods are more destructive than others. Vitamin C is not only heat sensitive but also water soluble, so to minimize its loss, avoid cooking vegetables that contain a lot of it (red peppers among them) in water. Cooking the peppers whole will preserve more vitamins than cooking them sliced. Roasting whole peppers preserves as much vitamin C as possible in a cooking method.

Keep in mind, too, that vegetables can lose as much as 50 percent of their vitamin C before cooking if they are not kept properly refrigerated.

Ingredients for Kosher Mozzarella

Q. I'd like to make kosher mozzarella cheese, and I need rennet and citric acid. Where can I buy them?

A. Kosher dietary laws, which forbid the mixing of meat and milk, do not allow the use of animal rennet in making cheese, because it is derived from the lining of calves' stomachs. But vegetable rennet, a highly concentrated derivative of plant material, is used by many cheese makers.

You can order kosher vegetable rennet (10 tablets or 2 liquid ounces for $6.50) and citric acid (8 ounces for $5.95) from the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company at (413) 628-3808.

'Bad' Fruit: When Is It Harmful?

Q. Is a fruit that looks or tastes bad -- like a mealy, mushy apple or peach -- bad for you? Does it have the same vitamin content as a fruit that looks good? And are sweeter fruits actually healthier for you, or just more appealing?

A. A mealy or slightly mushy fruit is not bad for you, just unpleasant to eat. A bruised fruit is fine to eat, as long as you cut away any soft or brown parts. But a fruit that has a foul or ''off'' taste should be thrown out, as it is rotting and may harbor harmful molds or bacteria. And all fruit starts to lose some of its vitamin C as it overripens.

Fruit is at its sweetest when picked ripe, and ripe fruit has had time on the plant to develop its nutrient content. So sweet fruit generally contains more nutrients than less sweet fruit. Exceptions are fruits like apples and bananas, which continue to ripen after being picked, with no loss of sweetness or nutrients. MELISSA CLARK