Adelle Davis popularized the practice of saving vegetable cooking water during the Leave it To Beaver era of the American 1950′s.
The reason for this recommendation was that any vitamins and minerals lost from cooking the vegetables would end up in the water. This cooking water could then be added to homemade soups or sauces with the nutrition benefiting those that consumed them.
This notion took hold and has not let go to this day. Unfortunately, reserving vegetable cooking water can do more harm than good. If the vegetables that are cooked are not organic, pesticides and nitrites from commercially produced fertilizers can end up in the cooking water. Even low to no spray veggies such as asparagus would not be safe bets as these crops are still typically fertilized with commercial preparations that are high in nitrites.
Cooking cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and kale would add goitrogenic (thyroid blocking) substances to the cooking water which should be discarded. Water used to boil potatoes would contain chemicals called hemagglutinins that disrupt red blood cell formation.
Dark green, leafy vegetables such as beet greens, spinach and chard contain oxalic acid that blocks calcium and iron absorption. This irritating substance also can cause distress to the sensitive mucous membranes in the mouth and intestinal tract and contributes to the formation of kidney stones.
Consuming cruciferous or dark, leafy greens raw is not an alternative either as the substances that cause problems when in the cooking water also cause problems if consumed directly with the vegetable in an uncooked state.
As a result, only the cooking water from organic root vegetables (carrots, turnips, parsnips, and beets), organic squash (including zucchini), and organic vegetables from the lily (onions, leeks, and garlic) and nightshade (tomatoes, eggplant and peppers) families can safely be used.
If you find it confusing as I do to remember the distinctions of which organic veggies are safe to use the cooking water for and which are not or if you mix you veggies together when you steam them, it is best to just adopt the practice of not using the cooking water at all.
It is of particular importance not to use the vegetable cooking water for use in pureeing homemade baby food.
One final word of caution: All vegetables tend to form nitrates after cooking and during storage. These nitrates can transform into strong carcinogens in the intestines, so it is best to avoid refrigerating and reheating vegetables, particularly leafy, green vegetable which concentrate nitrates when grown commercially.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist.com
Source: Nourishing Traditions Cookbook
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{ 86 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Sarah,
What happens when we cook broccoli, spinach, potatoes, etc in butter or some other fat instead of water? Will their anti-nutrients end up in the fat that we cooked the veggies in?
What I do is steam crucifers in a bit of filtered water, discard the water after cooking and then add sea salt and butter to the still hot veggies. This is the way I’ve done it for years.
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for such great information about what vegetable cooking water is safe to use (I’ve only ever seen before the recommendation to just throw it all away). I am wondering about soups, though: is it harmful to cook foods like spinach and broccoli directly in a pot of soup? Do you cook them separately and then add it? (I honestly can’t see myself making that much extra work in dirty dishes, but am wondering nonetheless.)
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I am also wondering about this. We make soups and broths all the time around here.
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I often cook potatoes directly in soups. Should I be cooking them separately and adding them later?
Great information, thanks for the post! I will use this as a reference when explaining it to family and friends.
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I had read in Nourishing Traditions not to use the cooking water, but I often have leftover veggies. If they should not be reheated what do you do with them? I don’t want to throw them out.
Only cook the veggies that you will use for that meal and don’t refrigerate/reheat.
you can also compost if you do end up with leftovers
don’t compost your veggies with butter or fat on them. Protien in your compost tends to smell and will attract rodents
If you can’t drink the water that carrots have been cooked in.
And you can’t reheat cooked vegetables, what can you do with them,
apart from throwing them out? Thanking you. Dorothy Mangan.
I eat a raw cruciferous salad everyday. And this is supposed to be bad for me? Wow, I’ve never heard this about vegetables before and don’t really want to believe it. What is there healthy to eat besides raw vegetables and fruits? And I definitely do not have the time to cook. And I’ve never cared for meat (nor do I believe meat is good for you due to factory farm conditions).
Amy, eating a raw salad of crucifers everyday is asking for thyroid problems.
So what am I suppose to do? Eat potato chips and cookies everyday? Surely, a salad has to be better than that. I think I’ll keep my salad.
Local meat is so expensive, I could never get the head of my house (who pays the bills) to buy it. I guess I’m just stuck with my thyroid-causing vegetables.
Besides, are you trying to say juicing detox (which is vital to good health) isn’t actually good for you? Because thats how most detoxes are done and meat makes it impossible to detox. Vegetable is used to treat many different health ailments, so how could they be bad for you?
Amy she is talking about eating too many raw cruciferous veggies. There are many any others veggies we just need to keep changing them up. Of course if you eat a salad with those veggies nothing but good things will happen to your body, but if you eat it every day. You know what they say about too much of a good thing right? Sarah so true about non organic. They literally pour chemicals on the food…can you imagine what is in the water….eeewwww. Nice blog. First time here.
@KO- Thank you for the clarification. Well maybe I should consider skipping a day or two or adding some other veggie. I’ve always believed dark green veggies to be the best “superfood” ever and that you should have them everyday to maintain health. Aren’t they a good source of vitamin K and magnesium?
Hi Amy, leafy greens are indeed a superfood. Fantastic stuff .. just lightly steam them to deactivate the baddies (no need to cook them to death) and add butter to improve absorption.
I agree, Amy. I eat a raw spinach salad almost every day and I’m not giving it up. I really don’t think food is this complicated. I do eat meat , though. I buy no hormones, no antibiotic meat(that’s the best I can do).
I jsut love my raw dark green veggies! I do like to eat fish and cheese sometimes thoguh I’ve never thought to put butter on cookied vegetables.
Steaming veggies makes it easy to ignore the water, which is what we usually do.
Amy — I’m not Sarah, but meat IS healthy for you, from pastured animals! You don’t have to avoid meat entirely; just avoid the factory farmed stuff. We buy all our meat, eggs, and milk from a local farmer. Lightly cooked veggies with raw EVOO or butter are good for you. Raw milk, eggs. Just find a good farmer in your area. http://www.eatwild.com will help you do that.
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Hi Sarah – I am also curious about making soup. With vegetables like kale, do we need to cook them first before adding them to the soup? And do vegetables that are made into a soup also develop nitrates when stored? Leftover soup is something we really appreciate in our house.
Hi Lori, I do think it is best to steam veggies like kale in water first, discard the water and then add to whatever soup you like. Veggies in soups will form nitrates but much less as they are not exposed to the air (they are in the broth/soup base).
Hi Sarah,
I’m wondering about the vegetables that i put in my bone broths, when making them.
i usually freeze, immediately, would-have-been-discarded carrots, celery & onion peels from other cooking and save them to throw in the broths while they are cooking. Should i discontinue this practice? Does it make the nitrate count higher in my broth?
And, i too am interested in the soup questions: cooking cruciferous vegetables seperately & storing leftovers.
Leafy greens would be the worst for nitrates, so avoid putting those in soups or anything that would be reheated.
You said at the end of your article to ” avoid refrigerating and reheating vegetables, particularly leafy, green vegetable which concentrate nitrates when grown commercially.” Do you mean it’s bad to refrigerate lettuce, kale, spinach, and such after we either pick it from our garden or buy it from the store, or do you mean saving in the fridge to reheat later veggies you already served once?
If we’re not to keep fresh greens and such in the fridge, where is a safe place to keep them fresh until we can use them, especially in the summertime if we don’t have a cool, shady spot to keep them?
Really? All those beet greens I just cooked this am I can’t put in the fridge got later? And left overs? Really?
Not a good idea to reheat them. Try to only cook what you will use for that particular meal. Of course, do what you like, but realize there is a price to pay over the long term for consuming reheated veggies. It is not a safe practice.
does this include all veggies (like roots: carrots, beets, parsnip, etc..) or only the green leafy ones?
Your new blog looks great!
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Hi Sarah,
I am loving your website, and combing through every video and recipe as time permits! I just want to clarify something about the raw veggies…. green or red lettuces are okay along with carrots, onions, green or red peppers in a raw salad? Is that right? Also, I would like to know about cooking veggies in soup, such as potatoes, carrots, onions, etc….or should they be cooked first as well before adding them to the soup? Also, can veggies like green and red peppers, onions, potatoes, and green beans be reheated or is it alllll veggies?
Hi Beth, those veggies are great for a raw salad. I typically cook potatoes first in water, discard the water and then add to the soups. Veggies that are safe to use the cooking water for, carrots, onions etc, I cook right in the broth or water that is the soup base. Leafy greens are the worst for forming nitrates when refrigerated, reheated. Others are much safer to use, but try to limit it as much as is reasonable. I reheated some leftover green beans today for lunch, but there were only a few and I don’t do this often.
Sarah, I am in a state of angst this morning, as I just read an article in Countryside magazine that has me convicted that I need to share this info with everyone who is concerned about real food and good nutrition. This article is entitled, “Whatever happened to the Food Safety Modernization Act?” It states that the Health and Human Services dept. is currently trying to pass legislation that will make the buying or selling of raw food ILLEGAL, even to the point of placing an individual under “surveillance” without their knowledge or consent. UNBELIEVABLE! You may already know about this, but they want to be able to say that no one has a fundamental right to obtain any food they wish! Please encourage your readers to find out about this and FIGHT for our freedom! Thank you for being a voice for reason!
Its absolute bullcrap that the government can get away with outlawing real, nutritious raw food. Go figure that it appeared in a “Countryside” magazine, too.
If their do concerned about “food safety” why don’t they outlaw factory farms and all the psuedo-garbage chemical-laden junk that the USDA tries to dupe everyone into believing its food? I never understand this.
I’ve never thought of it this way. What are your thoughts on using this water to water your plants?
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I am wondering about this as well. One of my friends suggested using it to water plants but would it be unhealthy for them also???
did you ever get an answer? ive been wondering the same but i would be using it on veggies that we eat so i’m assuming it isnt safe?
Fascinating, Sarah. Thanks for another great article.
Do you have a citation for not saving and reheating vegetables? I have never heard this before, even from NT. Just curious where it came from.
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Yes, the source listed at the end of the post is Nourishing Traditions Cookbook.
The page numbers in my edition are p. 366-367.
Thank you for this info, Sarah. We grew lots of beets, chard and bok choi last year, and then blanched and froze them for later use. Is this ok, or are we just eating piles of nitrates? I love having the greens through the winter. Do you have other suggestions for preserving?
I am also wondering about the safety of freezing cooked vegetables. I was planning to blanch and freeze spinach for use this winter, and sometimes I like to make a big meal and freeze leftovers. If I freeze immediately, does this inhibit the formation of nitrates, or is it still problematic?
I’m confused. Should I toss the water I cooked my veggies in? Or save it? http://t.co/pPszG2Ph vs http://t.co/ohrCPpe2 #question #food
Another one wondering about freezing extra veggies. I’ve spent the last two weeks fine-tuning how many veggies we cook and have always come up short (that is, we were still hungry so had to add something to the meal). I’m wondering if I can freeze extra veggies instead of putting them in the fridge… defrosting by reheating in soup, for example, which was eaten immediately and not saved again.
Hi Sarah. I really enjoy reading your blog and I came across this post today. I have been making fish broth with bonito flakes (can’t get fish heads in utah) and I make a big batch every week or so. For lunch, I reheat a cup of broth on the stove and add a splash of coconut aminos (like soy sauce but from coconut sap), some pieces of thinly slices seaweed, pink himalayan sea salt and I was adding several pieces of kale as I reheat the broth. then it dawned on me that maybe I should pre-cook the kale and discard the water. My plan was to boil the whole batch of kale and then use the pre-cooked pieces to add to my broth as I reheat it for lunch. You say that it’s not a good idea to re-heat vegetables but I’m wondering if it makes a difference if I add the pre-cooked kale after the broth has been reheated (so it’s not reheating along with the broth). I know ideally I should be cooking the kale in a separate pot as I reheat my broth but that is a lot to do every day for lunch. what are your thoughts?
Sarah…. You stated, “If the vegetables that are cooked are not organic, pesticides and nitrites from commercially produced fertilizers can end up in the cooking water”. Does this mean that NO non-organic vegetables should be cooked in soup or cooking water saved and only the vegetables that you stated and if are organic can be cooked in the soup you are making? So even if the cruciferous vegetables or dark green, leafy vegetables are organic, you still should not use the water or cook them in soup? I just need to clear this up in my mind.
Thanks so much!
Okay read this comment knowing I’m just kidding. THANK you Sarah for yet ANOTHER tip to ruin (revolutionize) the way my family eats. Here I was (a real food newbie) feeling good about myself for my INGENIOUS idea of reusing my cooking water from our DAILY diet of leafy green veggies.
No seriously, thanks Sarah and keep the good advice coming!
I am just reading Tamar Adler’s Everlasting Meal. She highly recommends cooking your vege’s in advance, and then using them as you go during the week. She loves reusing water from vege’s or pasta, and I was actually beginning to be converted to this idea! Now I am not so sure. In fact, I am quite confused!
From her website: http://www.tamareadler.com/book/about/
Another one: http://www.thekitchn.com/video-cook-a-we-163999
I used to use it to water plants. Also the water that I hard boil eggs in.
I depends on the vegetables. Some vegetables contain high amounts of oxalic acid and the soluble portion leaches into the cooking water. Its better to throw the water out.
Sarah I’ve not really understood this concept. Is this not technically what soup is? And if so, does it not make soup any good then?
Soup base comes from homemade bone broth not vegetable cooking water. If you want a vegetable stock base, use miso paste.
What about freezing lightly-blanched kale and swiss chard? I always discard the blanching water. I occasionally add some frozen greens to soups. Does freezing inhibit nitrate production?
What about soup that is made from vegetables cooked in the liquid that eventually IS the soup? I am really confused and concerned about this as I have multiple auto-immune diseases and never seem to get well… no matter how ‘healthy’ I eat. Could my soup be making me sick???
I’ve heard of this before, but then I’ve also heard of people boiling certain vegetables to make a potassium-rich soup which is supposed to be health-promoting.
And what about slow-cooked, hearty vegetable soups or veggies as part of a stew? Is that unhealthy? Thanks.
Yes, I use bone broth as base. I also add carrots, celery and onion while making the bone broth. Then, I’ll add more veggies to cook in the broth for whatever soup I’m making. Is there a danger in this?
I think this is one of the most irresponsible articles I have ever read. In a day and age when 95 percent of Americans are eating nothing but processed crap, here we have someone scaring the crap out of us about … vegetable stock? This is even worse than Joseph Mercola writing incessant idiocy warning us against eating fruit. Luckily you don’t have nearly the audience that Mercola has, warning us against LEAFY GREENS?? Seriously? Do just a LITTLE bit of research instead of parroting the articles warning us about oxalates. Are there ANY studies showing a correlation between kale eating and kidney stones? Are there ANY studies correlating the consumption of kale and thyroid issues? No, and no. Kale and spinach are GOOD FOR YOU, hello? Just as with any food on the planet, if you eat pounds of leafy greens every day, you might find yourself with some nutritional issues– a balanced diet is important– but kale and spinach have endless positive health benefits. I’m not going to disagree that we should be buying organic vegetables , but I’d way rather see someone making vegetable stock with non-organic veggies than eating, say, 90 percent of the other stuff you can buy at a basic grocery store. This article is irresponsible and it’s quite disturbing to me that I saw it posted three times on Facebook. Use your noggins, folks, and please ignore this stupidity.
Almost makes you afraid to eat anymore.. I was wondering about dehydrating left over veggies for later use. I heard a lady say that she does this so as to not be wasteful. What are your thought on dehydrating left overs?
Thanks Sarah for informing us once again:)
Great info – thanks for sharing! I use my veggie water for my plants, so there is no question.
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I think that the best practice for using water leftover from cooking or steaming vegetables is to pour into the soil of your garden or yard. That way any nutrients in the water can go into the yard instead of down the drain.
For a more rational look at goitrogens, try here. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=250
Some people who get too far into certain “diets” get to the point where they cannot see the forest for the trees. This article from Sarah is one of those.
I think this is one of the most irresponsible articles I have ever read. In a day and age when 95 percent of Americans are eating nothing but processed crap, here we have someone scaring the crap out of us about … vegetable stock? This is even worse than Joseph Mercola writing incessant idiocy warning us against eating fruit. Luckily you don’t have nearly the audience that Mercola has, warning us against LEAFY GREENS?? Seriously? Do just a LITTLE bit of research instead of parroting the articles warning us about oxalates and “goitrogens”. Are there ANY studies showing a correlation between eating kale or spinach and kidney stones? Are there ANY studies correlating the consumption of kale and thyroid issues? No, and no. Kale and spinach are GOOD FOR YOU, hello? Just as with any food on the planet, if you eat pounds of leafy greens every day, and nothing else, you might find yourself with some nutritional issues– a balanced diet is important– but kale and spinach have endless positive health benefits. I’m not going to disagree that we should be buying organic vegetables , but I’d way rather see someone making vegetable stock with non-organic veggies than eating, say, 90 percent of the other stuff you can buy at a basic grocery store. This article is irresponsible and it’s quite disturbing to me that I saw it posted three times on Facebook. Use your noggins, folks, and please ignore this stupidity .http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=250
Sarah,
Thank you for continuing to answer questions on this post after all this time. My question is about frozen kale, chard, and spinach. The recommendation I have always seen for freezing these veggies is to blanch them and then freeze. Once that is done, will the nitrates increase in cold storage? So my question is threefold: 1) My family typically puts the frozen kale in smoothies. Would that cause us to consume bad nitrates? 2) Would we be better off re-heating and water and then discard that water? Or 3) Is there no way to safely preserve kale by freezing it?
Thanks again!
Thanks,
Albert
The tradition in my family is to make a broth from discarded vegetable pieces. Do you have an opinion on boiling onion and garlic papers for broth? Thanks!
My grandmother lived to 94. When asked to what she attributed it, she told me that she always saved the vegetable water from everything she cooked and used it in soup, or drank it.
I have my Mom’s 1950 copy of Adele Davis’ book, “Let’s Eat Right” — ny Mom…..ahead of her time!! And 84!
Kristen Davenport Katz The readers of my blog are not the average processed food eating people. They are interested in maximizing their health and want to know and understand the nuances of traditional cooking. Using vegetable cooking water has some cautions that go along with it that the majority of my readers will appreciate understanding.
Leslie Delamater Anderson Aitken My Mom is 84 and never saved the vegetable cooking water for anything! LOL
reposting: What about soup that is made from vegetables cooked in the liquid that eventually IS the soup? I am really confused and concerned about this as I have multiple auto-immune diseases and never seem to get well… no matter how ‘healthy’ I eat. Could my soup be making me sick???
Several of us have asked directly on your blog about frozen greens such as kale. Does freezing after a light blanching protect from nitrate formation? I always discard the blanching water.
Esther Ramer Kingfisher I don’t know for sure and havent’ seen any testing on this either .. I would just cook them fresh each time if you are concerned.
Debbie Kurtz Schnell I don’t personally choose to cook cruciferous veggies in the soup I will be consuming. I cook them separately, discard the water and then add them already cooked. Other veggies like carrots etc would be fiine.
Here is a different take on nitrates in vegetables, with some recent studies cited: http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2010/06/nitrate-protective-factor-in-leafy.html
I generally reserve cooking water (and we eat almost exclusively organic) to water the indoor plants after it has cooled.
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I steam, roast, or sautee pretty much all my vegetables.
Thanks, I usually stick to carrots, celery, onion, garlic, herbs, leeks and depending on the soup; lentils, peas, beans, poblanos, tomatoes, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, squash, artichokes, asparagus and greens. I very infrequently do veggie soup with cabbage.
That’s interesting. Without any scientific knowledge at all, my mother learned from her own mother to boil dark leafy greens and cruciferous and then discard the water. By doing so, the vegetables were ‘lighter’ -as better digested- for the stomach (that was their explanation).This comes from my Mediterranean heritage.
I first saw people eating raw cruciferous in Northern Europe and after that, when I recently came to live in North America… I was almost convinced that it was healthier but I just couldn’t imagine eating them raw..!
From the comments on your website, it’s pretty clear that not all your readers are in the category you think they’re in, though. I say: This is a mild form of orthorexia.
Sarah, I know something does not agree with this modern time research. I would like your opinion on this. Just an opinion since I know no one knows everything. In Russia and Ukraine traditionally Shi and Borsh (traditional soups) was always consumed on almost everyday bases and the majority of it in Borsh is cabbage especially in Shi. They are made with beef broth and eaten with little bit of sauerkraut and cream. Cabbage always cooked right in the broth. Back then when we did not have stores and industries, Russia had the strongest people in the world. I know for sure those soups were consumed in great quantities by huge strong looking like bulls men. It was a staple food along with beets. Soups were consumed in a day or two since there were no refrigerators. But in the winter, outside was used as refrigerator and soups were cooked in large quantities. In Russia there is a saying that soup the best the next day. This does not agree with all this new research about anti-nutrients in cabbage. What do you think? Thanks.
My toddler loves soups and this is a concern. She would not eat any vegetables outside the soup. How is with nitrites in cooked vegetables if there are in a soup and it stored in a refrigerator for a few days?
Marina, that’s because there is no real research about anti-nutrients in cabbage. It’s total bunk. You can safely drink cabbage water and it’s good for you. Cabbage juice has been shown in several studies to cure and/or relieve ulcers. Cabbage is well-known protector against cancer. Unless you have a thyroid disorder, there is absolutely no need to avoid drinking the juice of cabbage, and anyone who tells you otherwise is spouting nonsense.
Kristen Davenport Katz fermented cabbage juice rocks! Totally with you on that one!
Marina Martin I would not worry about your refrigerated soups. The veggies are in the liquid and not exposed to air and although I am no chemist, I suspect this would keep nitrates from forming like if the cooked veggies were simply in a container in the fridge.
So you’re saying that broccoli is bad for you. Cauliflower is bad for you. Cabbage is bad for you. Brussels Sprouts are bad for you. (Turnips are a cruciferous vegetable so those are bad for you too.) Kale is double bad for you because it’s green and it’s cruciferous. Beet greens are bad for you. Spinach is bad for you. Chard is bad for you. (Beets are also bad for you because they contain oxalates as well.) Raw vegetables are bad for you. (Zucchini, carrots, and nightshades are also bad for you because they contain some oxalates too.) Boiled vegetable water is bad for you. (Vegetables that are steamed have got to be bad for you too because that stuff that leaches out is still stuck in the vegetable.) Potatoes are bad because that bad stuff that leaches out in the water is still inside the vegetable. Vegetables that aren’t organic are bad for you. All vegetables are bad for you. All I can say is WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I WAS 8 YEARS OLD AND MY MOM MADE ME EAT MY VEGETABLES? I’m not sure if this is meant to be a serious piece, but this is absolutely hilarious. Do you mind if I copy and it and use it as a basis for a funny article?
I totally understand the logic of some vegetables being high in oxalates and such, but I often wonder- did the ancient tribes and traditional cultures cook their salad greens like spinach and kale? I would think that the healthy traditional cultures ate the majority of their foods raw, especially the plant based foods, as they did not have all the modern cooking conveniences we have today like stoves etc…I do love your blog by the way- it always keeps my brain and health information challenged
I’m confused with this information about it be harmful to use cooking water. How is this different than making homemade vegable stock? Your site gives instructions on another page about making broth from boiling vegetables. Seems contradictory to this page? http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/stock-vs-broth-are-you-confused/
Please advice or explain the difference.
Thanks!
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