Abstract
Samples of beef, chicken, and potato were boiled in water of differing hardness, and the resulting broths were analyzed for their mineral composition. The boiled samples were assessed for their rupture strength and microstructure, and a sensory evaluation was conducted to examine the effects of water hardness on the quality of the stewed samples. These three samples boiled in hard water absorbed Ca and Mg, while the amounts of K and Na dissolved in the broths were higher with hard than with soft water. The rupture strength of the beef sample boiled in Evian water for 120 min was significantly low, while the potato sample boiled in hard water exhibited a high value. The microstructure of beef boiled in Evian water showed marked detachment of the endomysium and perimysium from the muscle fiber bundles, and controlled gelatinization of starch, in which the cells cohered, was noted in the potatoes boiled in hard water. Boiling in Evian water imparted a tender texture to meat and a harder texture to potatoes than when cooked in soft water; this prevented such vegetables from losing firmness during cooking, suggesting that water with a relatively high level of hardness (approximately 300) would be suitable for stewing a variety of ingredients including meat and vegetables.
