What does simmering food do differently than boiling?
In: 8
Not a chef, but when the liquid starts boiling, the temperature remains fairly constant ~ 212 F. This is because if you add more heat, then more liquid will turn to steam and evaporate out, thus removing heat from the liquid. If you’re on a hard boil, you’re creating a lot of steam/bubbles in order to keep the temperature around 212. But as you do this, you are also removing a lot of the water from the liquid and it will thicken up very quickly, and once the water is gone the temperature will increase and it will burn.
With many foods/sauces, you want it too cook for a long time so that the flavors meld together. If you get the food to boiling and then turn it down to simmer, you still have the heat to meld the flavors, but you’re not boiling off all the water, so you can remain at this temperature for a much longer time.
Latest Answers