Vegetable

Vegetables ( MHG gemüese, original meaning: Mus from food crops ) is now a generic term for edible parts of plants growing wild or been commissioned crop. Most are leaves, fruits, tubers, stems or roots of one - or two-year herbaceous plants that are eaten raw, cooked or preserved. In contrast to plants or plant parts that are used primarily because of their reserve substances (carbohydrates, protein and fats) and therefore constitute the basic food in the human diet, vegetables are consumed as foods intended primarily because of its content of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Vegetables are low in calories and taste factor. In addition, vegetables have an important function for digestion due to its high content of fiber.

Dry seeds such as peas or lentils and grains are not vegetables. Parts of plants, which are used as vegetables and spices such as peppers or onions will only be classified as a vegetable when they form a recognizable main component of the meal.

The vegetables are divided according to different criteria.

  • Field vegetables is a collective term for vegetables that are grown in the open air.
  • For the vegetables are the list of vegetables an overview on the used plant parts and use.
  • In the article, the crop plant species are summarized from a botanical point of view, based on W. Franke Crop Science.
  • The category of vegetables provides an alphabetical sorting within the vegetable group.
  • Type of vegetable is one of several cultivated varieties of the same biological species.
  • 4.1 Frozen Vegetables

Distinction of fruits and vegetables

The distinction of fruits and vegetables is not unique, it is cultural.

In Germany there are various definitions which contradict each other in part:

  • In contrast to fruit vegetables are usually annual or once -supporting ( definition of food ).
  • Fruit vegetables are according to the botanical definition of fruit and vegetables according to the definition of food. Example: Pumpkins arise from pollinated flowers (botanical definition: fruit) annual plants ( definition of food: vegetables).
  • While fruit is usually eaten raw vegetables before eating mostly cooked or otherwise prepared. This meaning was also the Middle High German term gemüese basis: Mus is " cooked porridge " from all sorts of crops.
  • Fruit is distinguished by the raw state in the pleasant, mostly sweet or sour taste while vegetables are cooked taste etc. generally with spices.

Classification

Field vegetables is a collective term for vegetables that are grown in the open air. This type of crop is in contrast to vegetable gardening, working in the glasshouses, foil tunnels or similar protected areas. For field vegetables to count: brassicas, salads, onions, cucumbers, vegetables asparagus, carrots, parsley, beets and a v.

After the harvest season, a distinction early vegetables, summer vegetables, autumn vegetables, winter vegetables and duration vegetables. Earlier this division was very important for crop planning and nutrition. Through the cultivation of vegetables in greenhouses and international full-year trade their importance has decreased.

After fruit ripening and eating a distinction fresh vegetables and vegetable stock. Also, this distinction has lost through processing and food preservation important. For example, perishable vegetables are kept fresh by refrigerating or in cans.

In the European Union it also divides the vegetables into two groups, to make it as comparable as possible in terms of price and production:

  • Coarse vegetable has a rigid cell wall structure. These include vegetables such as white cabbage, red cabbage, savoy cabbage, kale, late carrots, celery, broad beans and also most of winter vegetables.
  • Fine vegetables, in contrast to the coarse vegetables, a fine cell wall structure. For this one counts as vegetables early carrots, tomatoes, spinach, salsify and asparagus.

Marketing and quality standards

To ensure consistent quality in vegetables commercially, it is subject to certain marketing standards and must be labeled accordingly.

Minimum requirements

In addition to special standards for sweet peppers, lettuces, curled leaved, escarole and tomatoes all vegetables must meet the following minimum requirements of the general marketing standard:

  • Integrity ( rough damages )
  • Health ( no rotting or disease)
  • Cleanliness (free from dirt or residues for treatment)
  • Fresh ( no wilting )
  • No pest infestations (eg, maggots, mites or aphids )
  • No damage caused by pests ( feeding or injection sites )
  • No abnormal external moisture (condensation precipitation is allowed)
  • Smell and taste of authenticity ( no strange smell or taste)
  • Maturity ( the vegetables must be sufficiently developed )

Quality classes

About the minimum requirements there are four quality classes:

  • Extra Class: No errors in form and color, quality excellent, virtually error-free
  • Class I: partial small errors, good quality, typical of the variety in shape; Development and coloring; permitted are slight errors in shape, development and color, and slight skin defects
  • Class II: small errors in design and color, marketable quality, a varietal expression of the characteristics is not required, the minimum requirements must be met.
  • Class III: is no longer offered on the market.

Marketing

Vegetables are as fresh vegetables ( non-treated, non- processed vegetables ), frozen vegetables, canned vegetables, glassware vegetables, oil marketed in sheet or vinegar or fermented pickles and dried vegetables. It is sometimes made ​​between fresh vegetables and " harvest fresh vegetables ", where the "freshness" in Germany and in the EU is not defined.

Frozen vegetables

Since 1957 there is in Germany to buy frozen vegetables. This was made possible by the development of cooling technology. Without the addition of preservatives can be preserved since a long time fresh vegetables. The first frozen vegetables on Germany's retail market was the spinach. Today, the range is far more versatile and ranges from simple peas to Asian vegetable mixes. The advantage is that the nutrients and vitamins are preserved over a long period of time due to the cold and only slightly decrease. Mounted far less than, say, three days in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator vegetable. This assertion checked nutritionists at the University of Hamburg in a study. Fresh vegetables and frozen vegetables were studied to in different processing, storage and preparation stages on their nutritional value and sensory way. The nutritionists found that many important nutrients such as vitamin C were obtained largely by deep freezing even after four months, while they decreased rapidly in certain types of vegetables during storage at both 4 ° C. and at 20 ° C. The study was, inter alia, financed by the Research Association of the Food Industry.

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