What You Need to Know
By maintaining steam pressure at about 0.5 bar above ambient, the internal food temperature reaches ~45 °C after 30 min, preserving heat‑sensitive vitamins such as vitamin C by >80 % compared with boiling. Low‑heat steaming at 70–80 °C (≈0.2–0.3 bar gauge) induces minimal myosin denaturation and partial pectin solubilization, retaining juiciness, delicate flavor compounds, and β‑carotene while reducing leaching of water‑soluble minerals by up to 40 %.
The Science
Primary Reaction
Steam heating at sub‑boiling temperatures induces gentle protein denaturation and partial pectin solubilization without extensive water leaching.