Why do certain vegetables shrink so much when cooked

Question

I am (at least I would like to think) a better than average home cook but I still can’t wrap my head around why vegetables shrink when they are cooked. I know some like kale let out water but what about ones like onions and mushrooms that seemingly don’t let out water?

In: 5

Answer 1

That’s a tricky one. Of course it is because of water loss, but we should discuss that if it loses a lot of volume, it might be cooked too long. I struggle to get the veggies browned without over cooking them. It requires higher heat and careful timing. Sometimes I get it right on and sometimes I get microscopic pieces. Always tastes good though.