The Amount of Ascorbic Acid Lost in Raw Vegetables Through the Preparations Steaming and Boiling

Nutritionists have proved that a notable amount of ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, is lost through cooking.  The object of this research was to investigate which method of cooking reduced the most amount of vitamin C.  To do this, the researchers obtained the juices of three different fresh vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, and red pepper – by using a juicer, then titrated the juices with a potassium iodide, KI, solution and a starch indicator.  The vegetable juices obtained were treated by being kept raw, being steamed, and being boiled.  This research is beneficial to the public because it provides valuable evidence that steaming the vegetables retains more ascorbic acid than boiling.  The hypothesis that any boiled vegetables had the least amount of ascorbic acid was rejected, for it was proven that steamed red peppers also lost a significant amount of ascorbic acid.

Research Done By:

Alyssa Brown
Cousino High School

Tammy Hsia
Sterling Heights High School

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