Understand boiling

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Understand boiling. The term boiling means to heat water until it reaches a temperature where it bubbles and turns to vapor. The temperature at which boiling occurs varies according to atmospheric pressure, but it is usually around 100°C (212°F). Boiling food involves immersing the food in boiling water until cooked.

• Boiling is quite a violent cooking method, as the bubbles of vapor moving through the water can damage delicate food. As a result, it is a cooking method best reserved for only a few specific foods, such as dried pasta and boiled eggs.
• Boiling vegetables in water used to be quite common, but nowadays people tend to avoid doing so as many water soluble vitamins can leak out of food during boiling, lessening their nutritional value. If you do cook vegetables by boiling, try to serve some of the cooking liquid as part of the dish in order to maintain nutritional value.
• Poaching is the gentlest form of cooking in water, and is appropriate for cooking items like fish and eggs. It occurs at temperatures between 60°C and 90°C (140°F & 190°F).
• Simmering is probably the most common method of cooking in liquid, and is used for most stews and sauces. It occurs between 87°C and 94°C (190°F & 200°F).
• Slow boiling is the term used before water reaches a full rolling boil at 100°c. It is slightly more vigorous than a simmer, and occurs at 95°C.^[1]

Resource: wikihow.com