The Pantry Staple That Can Keep Your Cooked Veggies Green

Tired of being disappointed by your bright green vegetables turning dull and dilapidated after cooking? With one versatile household staple that can work wonders — from turning spaghetti into ramen, yielding creamier beans, and even cleaning different kitchen appliances like your coffee maker, microwave, and oven — you can preserve the vibrant color of cooked green veggies. The star is baking soda.

There is a science behind the magic of baking soda keeping your veggies looking bright green and fresh. Green vegetables contain a pigment called chlorophyll, which gives them their color. When exposed to acidic environments, chlorophyll breaks down, leading to a lackluster hue. Adding a tiny pinch of baking soda — about 1/8 teaspoon for a full pot of cooking water — creates an alkaline environment, neutralizing the acidity, protecting the chlorophyll, and retaining the appealing green. However, moderation is key. Adding more baking soda won't yield greener results. Rather, it can leave your vegetables with a bitter, unpleasant taste and a mushy texture.

While we've heard the trending advice to wash your produce with baking soda to eliminate unwanted pesticides (studies show there isn't a significant difference with this added step, as the amount of pesticides on even the most highly treated produce is negligible), does cooking your vegetables in it offer any nutritional benefit apart from a vibrant plate of greens? There appears to be a selective nutritional trade-off. Owing to its alkaline nature, baking soda can deteriorate the nutrition level of key vitamins, including vitamin C, vitamin D, and certain types of vitamin B. However, other critical nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin B12, niacin, and folic acid remain unaffected.

Countering the previously outlined effects of adding a small pinch of baking soda to the cooking water to preserve the color of your greens, America's Test Kitchen's science editor, Guy Crosby, tells the Boston Globe that when cooking with baking soda, you can minimize nutrient loss by including acidic ingredients like tomatoes in your recipes — a process that can take some trial and error to perfect the best ratio to retain greenness without compromising on nutritional value. If you choose to bypass the baking soda step, you can still deliver a vibrant, appetizing plate of greens by simply avoiding overcooking them and waiting till you're ready to serve before adding any vinegary dressing to your dish.