FRUITS and

VEGETABLES,
SALADS and
SALAD
DRESSINGS
Learning Outcomes
Furthermore, upon completion of this lesson, you
are expected to have:

1. Classified different fruits and vegetables;

distinguished the characteristics of fruits and
vegetables;
2. Determined the nutritional values of fruits and
vegetables;
3. Prepared and applied proper cleaning and
storing of fruits, vegetables, and salads;
4. Prepared fruit/vegetable dishes and salad with
dressing.
 VEGETABLES
A vegetable is defined as an edible plant
excluding the seed. Because they are so
perishable, vegetables require extra care from
receiving to service.

Freshness is their most appealing and

attractive quality, and one must be especially
careful to preserve it. The goals of proper
vegetable cookery are to preserve and enhance
fresh flavor, texture, color, to prepare and serve
vegetables that are not just accepted but sought
after.
 Classifications
of Vegetables
Plant parts used as vegetables maybe classifies as
follows:
Leafy vegetables
Are often called green vegetables.
Seed vegetables
Are sometimes called leguminous vegetables
such as peas and beans.
Stem and Bulbs
A bulb consists of a relatively large, usually globe-
shaped, underground bud with membranous or
fleshy overlapping leaves arising from a short
stem.
Root vegetables
Are sometimes referred to as rootcrops. These
are underground plant parts eaten by humans
as food. It includes vegetables derived from
roots, bulbs, and tubers of plants.
Flower vegetables
Includes artichokes, broccoli, and cauliflower.
The fruits commonly considered vegetables by
virtue of their use include cucumbers, sweet
corn, squash, peppers, and tomatoes.
Nutritive Value of Vegetables
Vegetables are naturally rich sources of
vitamins and minerals. They also contain
cellulose-fibrous materials that aid in
digestion. Protein, sugar, and starch are
mostly abundantly found in vegetable seeds
and pod, root crops and fruits and flowers.
Some Guidelines in the Selection
and Purchase of Vegetables
Vegetables have high perishability and great
variation in quality. It is therefore important for one to
know how to select vegetables at their best quality.
The quality of vegetables depends on:

 favorable condition for their growth

 the season of their harvest
 the variety of the vegetable
 degree of maturity
 size and uniformity of shape
 presence of defects
The Essentials in Buying Vegetables
1. Buy vegetables that are in season; they are cheap and
plentiful.

2. Select the vegetables that are free from surface bruises

or blemishes due to decay.

3. Choose leafy vegetables that are fresh, young and free

from decay. Avoid the wilted one.

4. Pick out dry seeds or legumes that are not powdery and
are free from holes. Legumes are susceptible from weevil
attacks especially when they had been stored improperly.

5. Get root crops that are free from dark spots and dirt. They
must be firm, not soft.
The Essentials in Buying Vegetables
6. Buy quality vegetables that will best suit your
particular purpose.

7. Consider the cost in relation to the edible portion

and the amount of waste for each type.

[Link] by weight if possible or by count if necessary.

9. Consider the prices of similar vegetables from at

least two sources before buying.

[Link] the quality above all other

considerations.
Market Forms of Vegetables
 Fresh

 Canned

 Frozen

 Dried

 Bottle
For frozen
Checking vegetables
quality
Examine all frozen products when received to
make sure they have experienced no loss of quality.
Check-in particular for the following:
1. Temperature – Check the temperature inside the
case with a thermometer. Is it still 0° or below, or
have the vegetables begun to thaw during shipment?
2. Large ice crystals – A little frost is normal, but lots
of ice means poor handling.
3. Signs of leaking on the carton – This is another
obvious sign of thawing.
4. Freezer burn – Open a package and check the
vegetables themselves. Is the color bright and natural
or is there yellowing or dying on the
surface?
Cooking
Frozen vegetables have been partially
cooked, so final cooking time is shorter than for
fresh products. Cook from the frozen state. Most
vegetables need no thawing. They can go directly
into steamer pans or boiling salted water.
Exceptions: Corn on the cob and vegetables that
freeze into a solid block, such as spinach and
squash, should be thawed in the cooler first for
more even cooking.
Seasoning: Most often vegetables are slightly
salted during processing, so add less salt than
you would to fresh products.
For Canned and Bottled
vegetables
Checking quality
1. Reject damaged cans and bottles on receipt.
2. Know the drained weight.
3.
1. Checkthe
Wipe thetop
grade.
of the can and bottle clean before opening.
Use a clean can opener if can, manual opening if bottle
Cooking
or you can use the bottle opener depending on the cap
used.
2. Drain the vegetable and place half the liquid in a
cooking pot. Bring it to a boil. This shortens the heating
time of the vegetable.
3. Add the vegetable and heat to serving temperature. Do
not boil for a long time. Canned vegetables are fully
cooked---in fact, usually overcooked. They need
reheating only.
4. Heat as close as to serving time as possible. Do not hold
Cooking
in steam table for long periods.
5. Season and flavor with imagination. Canned and bottled
vegetables require more creativity in preparation than
fresh because they can be pretty dreary when served
plain.
6. Season liquid while it is coming to a boil before you add
the vegetable. This will give the flavors of the herbs and
spices time to blend.
7. Butter enhances the flavor of most vegetables, it carries
the flavors of the other seasonings you choose to add.
8. Dress up the vegetables with added flavors and
garnishes, such as beets or sauerkraut with caraway,
limas or green beans with crisp crumbled bacon, corn
with sautéed minced onion and gren or red pepper,
carrots with butter and tarragon.
Doneness of iscooking
A vegetable said to be done when it has
vegetables
reached the desired degree of tenderness.
This stage varies from vegetable to
vegetable. Some, such as winter squash,
eggplant, and braised celery, are considered
properly cooked when they are quite soft. Most
vegetables, however, are best cooked very
briefly, until they are crisp-tender or al-dente
(firm to the bite). At this stage of tenderness, they
not only have the most pleasing texture but also
retain maximum flavor, color, and nutrients.
Sauces appropriate for
vegetable menu dishes
1. Hot vegetables
 Starch thickened béchamel or veloute
 Cream reduction
 Butter glaze

2. Cold vegetables
 Vinaigrette
 Mayonnaise
•Starch
Béchamel Thickened
– can be enriched with cream
and cheese as well as flavored to suit the
vegetable that is being served, for example
– Cauliflower and cheese sauce.

• Veloute – can also be used but these are

made from animal-based stocks so
discretion needs to be applied when
deciding to use the stock as a base for
sauce due to cultural and lifestyle choices
to which a customer may be adhering.
• Cream reduction – just a flavor base
placed into cream then bought to the boil
and simmer until it will bond to the outside
of the vegetable.

• Butter Glaze - the classical method used

for many years. As the vegetable comes
out of the boiling water, it is drained and
tossed into butter that is in a hot frying
pan. This water is driven off due to high
heat and a thin film of butterfat is left
which will add flavor and impart a pleasing
shine to the vegetable
• Vinaigrette – can be placed onto hot
Cold Vegetables
potatoes and then dressing will be
absorbed into the potato rather than sitting
outside. Vinaigrettes can be flavored to
complement the vegetable with which it is
served.

• Mayonnaise – Mayonnaise is the versatile

dressing that can add so much more to
cold cooked vegetables. It carries other
flavors well and is an excellent binding
agent to hold salad components together
where vinaigrette will not.
Store Vegetable Dishes
Containers that are used to store fresh
foods when they enter the control of the
enterprise are most important.

Modern standards are that fresh

vegetables are removed from the cardboard
boxes in which vegetables are delivered and
are repacked into clean washable containers
before being placed into storage.
Precautions
Labelling of all foods, prepared and
cooked is mandatory. Labels should have the
following information on them:

 Name of the product

 Date of manufacture
 Name of the person last worked
on food (cooked the food)
 Recommended use by date
 FRUITS
Fruits are part of a flowering plant that
derives a specific tissue of pollinated flower, one
or more ovaries, and in some cases accessory
tissues.

Fruits are the means by which these plants

disseminate seeds. Fruits are served as
accompaniment or ingredient in savory dishes.
Fresh fruits are served alone or in fresh salads, or
as finale to a meal. Dried fruits find their way into
compotes, stuffing, sauces.
Structure of Fruit
The fruit primarily contains two parts:
1. Seed
2. Pericarp – Pericarp layer is the outer wall of the
ovary from which the fruit developed.
The pericarp has three layers:
 Exocarp or Epicarp – The outermost layer of the
pericarp that forms the skin.
 Mesocarp – It is thick, fleshy and juicy middle
layer of the pericarp.
 Endocarp – It is the innermost layer of the fruit
which often develops into the pith.
Structure of Fruit
 Classification of Fruits
Fruits may be classified on the basis of consistency and structure:
1. Fleshy fruits – these are fruits from a single ovary,
which remain succulent instead of turning dry at
maturity. Examples are: citrus fruits such as orange,
calamansi, grapes, bananas, mangos, and others.
 Classification of Fruits
2. Dry fruits – fruits that developed when the ovary opens
at maturity and discharges seeds allow them to fall, or
fall to do so. Examples are: nuts, legumes, and cereal
grains.
 Classification of Fruits
3. Aggregate fruit – these are fruit that develop from a
flower with carpels distributed loosely or closely over a
common receptacle. In short, they are formed from
multiple ovaries but of the same flower consists of a
collection of simple fruits called as fruitless. Example is
one flower many fruits like blackberry, raspberry,
strawberries, and atis.
 Classification of Fruits
4. Multiple or collective fruits – these are fruits that are
formed by many flowers of an inflorescence which
together result in a single big fruit. Multiple fruits are
also called false or composite fruits. Examples are:
many flowers single fruit like pineapple, coconut, and
jackfruit.
 Nutritive Value of Fruits
Fruits do not contain large amounts of protein and fats
but are high in carbohydrates and water content. They are the
best sources of minerals and vitamins. Sugars in fruit are in a
form ready to use by the body.

The minerals, phosphorus, and iron are found in

abundant quantity in fresh fruits. Citrus fruits, berries, and
melons are among the best sources of ascorbic acid. Carotene
is present in good amount of yellow fruits such as papayas,
mangoes, and bananas. Fruits are also valuable for their bulk or
indigestible fiber.
 Composition of fruit flavors
The flavor of fruits are due to these
combinations of sugar, acids, phenolic, aromatic
compound and essential oils.

1. Organic acids - Organic acids that are located

in the sap of fruits can contribute to its tart
flavor. Natural sugar, such as fructose, glucose
and sucrose, contributes to the sweetness of
fruits. Acidity usually decreases as fruit ripen.
 Composition of fruit flavors
2. Pectic substances – Pectin is a general
term used for carbohydrates-like substances
found in fruits. It acts as a cementing
substance and is partially responsible for
the fruit firmness and structure. It is used
commercially to contribute to the gelling of
fruit preserves. Pectin is very important in
the ripening of fruits and the gelling of fruit
preserves.
 Composition of fruit flavors
3. Phenolic compounds and Tannins –
Phenolic compounds are responsible for the
browning and bruising that often occur in
ripening fruits. Tannins are commonly found
in unique fruits, which give a bitter taste
and astringent.
 Salads
The word “salad” comes from the Latin word
salata, meaning “salted.” During the time of the
Roman Empire, a common meal consisted of
vegetables that had been seasoned with brine; it was
called herba salata, or “salted vegetables.”

By definition, salad consist of herbs and edible

plants, often combined with dressing, served cold and
eaten raw but today the term “salad” is used much
more broadly. Salads include a vast array of cooked
and uncooked foods, mostly served cold, but
sometimes warm, usually with dressings and
garnishes.
The Four Elements of a Salad
Usually leafy salad greens, but the serving dish,
Base bowl, or platter could also be part of the base.

Body The main ingredients of the salad itself.

Usually a liquid mixture to enhance the flavor of

Dressing the main ingredients, to improve the mouthfeel of
the salad. Generally, the dressing contains oil.

Ingredients that enhance and compliment the

Garnish main ingredients in color, texture, and flavor.
 All ingredients must be fresh and of good
Basic
[Link] of a Good
Salad
 The salad must look appetizing.
 A salad should be simple. Do not make it too
elaborate or over garnished.
 The ingredients should be chosen to
compliment the rest of the meal.
 Named salads should have the correct
ingredients, garnishes and dressing.
 As there is no end to the varieties of salads that
can be produced, new salads can be created
with the suitable good quality ingredients you
have available.
 Salads are classified into two main
Classifications of Salad
categories: Simple and Mixed.

Simple salads – Simple salads consist of one

type of ingredient served with a dressing. For
example:
• Fresh asparagus served with acidulated
cream
• Mignonette lettuce served with walnut oil
and sherry vinegar
• Tomato salad with vinaigrette dressing
Classifications of Salad
Mixed salads – Mixed salads consist of more
than one main ingredient combined with a
suitable dressing. For example:
• Wardorf salad
• Caesar salad
• Greek salad
Categories with mixed
Compound salad – are mixed salad dressed
salads
with mayonnaise or a similar dressing.

Composed salads – are salads in which the

ingredients are arranged rather than mixed. The
dressing is often added over the salad or served
as an accompaniment.

Warm salads – are salads where the body and

the dressing are served warm. Warm could mean
anything from lukewarm to piping-hot.
Categories with mixed
Classical salads – refers to all traditional salads
salads
which are based on French-influenced cuisine and
tradition. Examples include:
• Salade Niçoise – (French beans, potatoes,
tomatoes, anchovy, olives capers and French
dressing)
• Salade Waldorf – (celery, apple, chopped
walnuts, mayonnaise, and cream)
Categories with mixed
Modern salads – a term used to classify any
contemporary developments in salads, which may
salads
use previously unavailable ingredients or adopted
international cuisines, particularly Asian and Italian
or Mediterranean. Examples of “modern” styles of
salads include:
• Thai Beef Salad – (thinly sliced strips of cooked
beef, crushed peanuts, mint, coriander, bamboo
shoots, vegetable strips such as palm sugar, soy,
ginger, garlic, chili, and lemon juice.
• Mesclun – (array of leafy greens, i.e. radicchio,
rocket, mâche, mignonette, butter, endive, cos,
and oak leaf)
Salad Ingredients
Salad Greens
There are many varieties of salad
greens. While the majority of them are
available year-round the quality will vary with
the season and area in which they are grown.
Quality and price are generally most favorable
when green vegetables are in season.
Salad Ingredients
Salad Herbs
A herb is a flowering plant with a stem that does
not become wooden, but decays and regenerates annually.
Herbs have a variety of uses, including medicinal, taste,
and smell. Herbs used in salads to provide flavor, aroma,
and texture, but care must be taken not to use too much or
too many herbs. Some herbs that are popular in salads
includes the following:
Types of Salad
Green salads
A garden salad ( also green salad or tossed
salad) is a salad consisting mostly of fresh vegetables.
The base of the salad is greens such as lettuce or mesclun.
Salad greens must be fresh, clean, crisp, cold and well
drained. Moisture and air are necessary to keep greens
crisp.

There are two types of green salads: tossed and

composed. The more informal tossed salad is prepared by
placing the greens, garnishes and dressing in a large bowl
tossing to combine. A composed salad usually has a more
elegant look. It is prepared by arranging each of the
ingredients on plates in an artistic fashion.
Types of Salad

Bound salads
Bound salads are mixtures of foods held together,
or bound with a dressing, usually a thick dressing such as
mayonnaise. The term bound is used for mixtures of tuna
salad, egg salad, potato and pasta salad etc.
Types of Salad
Vegetable salads
Vegetable salads are made from cooked or raw
vegetables or a combination of both. They can buffets, as
an appetizer, or as a salad course. Some are cooked and
chilled before including in the salads e.g. green beans,
beets, artichokes, and asparagus.

Fruit salads
Fruit salads have fruits as their main ingredients.
They are popular as appetizer salads, as dessert salads,
and as part of combination luncheon plates often with a
scoop of cottage cheese or other mild-tasting protein food.
There are various fruits with bright colors and sweet
delicious flavors that preparing fruit salads are easy to
work.
Functions of
Appetizer salads
salads on the
menuMany establishments serve salads as a first course,
often as a substitute for a more elaborate first course. Not
only does this ease pressure on the kitchen during service
but it also gives the customers a satisfying food to eat
while their dinners are being prepared.

Accompaniment salads
Salads can also be served with the main course.
They serve the same function as other side dishes.
Accompaniment salads must balance and harmonize with
the rest of the meal, like any other side dish. For example,
don’t serve potato salad at the same meal at which you
are serving French fries or another starch.
Functions of salads on the
menu
Main course salads
Cold salad plates have become popular on
luncheon menus, especially among nutrition and diet-
conscious diners. The appeal of these salads is in the
variety and freshness of ingredients.

Separate-course salads
Many fine restaurants serve a refreshing, light
salad after the main course. Salads served after the main
course was the rule rather than the exception many years
ago, and the practice deserves to be more widespread. A
diner who may be satiated after a heavy meal is often
refreshed and ready for dessert after a light, piquant salad.
Functions of salads on the
menu
Dessert salads
Dessert salads are usually sweet and many
contain items such as fruits, sweetened gelatin, nuts,
and cream. They are often too sweet to be served as
appetizers or accompaniments and are best served
as a dessert or as part of a buffet or party menu.
 Salad Dressings
Sauces for salads are called “dressings”.
Dressings are prepared liquids that make a salad more
appetizing in appearance and flavor. The concept of
salad dressing varies across cultures. It also defined as
seasoned liquid or semi-liquid added to the body of the
salad for flavor, tartness, spiciness, and moistness.

A salad dressing should enhance the flavor of

the salad. Many different ingredients can be used to
make dressings. However, dressings fit into one of
three basic types – simple vinaigrette, mayonnaise,
or emulsified dressing.
Simple vinaigrettes
The simple vinaigrette, also known as basic French
dressing, is a temporary emulsion of oil and vinegar
seasoned with salt and pepper.

The French term vinaigrette tends to make

something that is beautifully simple sound unnecessarily
complex. In its most basic form, vinaigrette is nothing
more than a mixture of oil and vinegar. Oil is liquid at room
temperature and provides the palate with a supple
mouthfeel.

Vinaigrette also accentuates flavor and gives

moisture to a salad. The recommended portions of a basic
vinaigrette are three parts oil to one part vinegar.
Proportion
In most cases, the ratio of three parts oil to one
part vinegar by volume achieves the desired balance for
a vinaigrette. Sometimes, due to the characteristics of the
vinegar, most chefs choose to adjust the ratio of oil to
vinegar, using four or five parts oil to one part vinegar,
rather than dilute the vinegar.

Simple vinaigrette doesn’t stay blended very long.

The nature of vinegar and oil is to repel each other and
separate. Therefore, it is important to stir simple
vinaigrette immediately before serving.
Mayonnaise
Although most foodservice operations buy
commercially made mayonnaise, every chef should know
how it is made to more fully understand how to use it and
why it reacts the way it does when used. Knowing how to
make mayonnaise also allows the chef to create a
mayonnaise with the exact flavorings desired.

Mayonnaise is an emulsion. An emulsion is a

mixture of two liquids that don’t naturally mix such as oil
and vinegar. In an emulsion, tiny droplets of one ingredient
are suspended in the other. Mayonnaise is considered a
cold sauce and its main ingredients include oil, vinegar,
mustard, egg yolks, and seasoning.
 Flavors, herbs, and garnishes can be added to
form the basis of a derivative sauce (a sauce that
has been made using the mayonnaise as the main
part).

Some examples of derivative sauces using

mayonnaise as a base include:

• Tartar sauce – mayonnaise, capers, gherkins, dill,

parsley, and lemon juice

• Cocktail sauce – mayonnaise flavored with

tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon
 In Western culture, there are three basic types
of salad dressing:

• Vinaigrette – a mixture of salad oil and vinegar, often

flavored with herbs, spices salt, pepper, sugar, and
other ingredients. It is used most commonly as a salad
dressing, but also as a sauce or marinade.

• Creamy dressings – usually mayonnaise-based, but

which may also contain yoghurt, sour, buttermilk, or
crème fraiche.

• Cooked dressings – which resemble creamy dressings,

but are usually thickened by adding egg yolks and
gently heating.
 In North America, mayonnaise-based Ranch
dressing is most popular, with vinaigrettes and
Caesar-style dressing following close behind.
Traditional dressings in France are vinaigrettes,
typically mustard based, while mayonnaise is
predominant in Eastern-European countries and
Russia.

In Denmark, dressings are often based on

crème fraiche. In Southern Europe, salad is
generally dressed by the diner with oil and vinegar.
In Asia, it is common to add sesame oil, fish sauce
citrus juice, or soy sauce to salad dressings.
Purpose of Salad Dressings
Dressings are used to:
1. Lubricate/Moisten the salad
2. Add flavor
3. Enrich/Add to food value
4. To bind together
5. Adds shine and gives a pleasing
appearance
Common Ingredients of Salad
The foundation of a good salad dressing is a
Dressing
well-flavored oil and vinegar. They make the salad
tasty and attractive in their own right, and they
also serve the base for additional flavors such as
herbs or spices. The variety of oils and vinegar
available makes it possible to select the one that
will be most suitable for different salads.

Oils
They are used in salads for flavor, overall
texture, and balance.
Types of Oil
The number of oils that can be used to make
salads is only limited by imagination, practicality,
and availability. The following list highlights some of
the more commonly used oils:
Vinegar
Vinegar is an acidic liquid made by
fermenting wine, sider, sherry, etc. Due to its
acidity, it is used for preserving food, as an
accompaniment, or as part of dressing in salad.

The actual sourness of the vinegar

accentuates the flavor of the ingredients used in
salads and today there is a wide range of flavored
vinegar available, such as herbed and spiced
vinegar.
Types of Vinegar
Whilst there may be a wide range of flavored
vinegar available, i.e. herbed, and spiced, etc., most
vinegar has been made from a wine, sherry, or cider
base. Some of the more common vinegars available
for salad making include:
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is used as a substitute to vinegar
and adds tartness to a salad. It also keeps fresh-cut
fruits from browning from the air they are exposed to,
also known as oxidizing. This can be used on apples,
avocadoes, potato salads, and any other salad that
brown due to contact with air.

Egg Yolks
Egg yolks work as emulsifiers because they have
an abundance of proteins in them that absorb both
water and oil, bringing together the mixture as one. Egg
yolks also contain lecithin which further aid in
thickening and binding the salad dressing.
Mustard
Mustard adds a sharp flavor that helps
counter the richness of the oil in vinaigrette. More
importantly, mustard helps to emulsify
mayonnaise emulsified dressings.

Dry mustard powder, Dijon-style mustard, or

other prepared mustards can all be used in
vinaigrettes. Since the flavor of these mustards is
strong, they are usd in small amounts.
Emulsions in Salad Dressing
An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids
that would not normally blend together. There are two
kinds of emulsions:

• Temporary Emulsions – Hold together for a short

time before emulsion separates. The emulsion can
be reformed through agitation. For example, simple
vinaigrette (oil and vinegar).
• Permanent Emulsions – what happens is that
droplets of one of the liquids become evenly
dispersed within the other liquid. The two liquids
form a stable emulsion that won’t separate. For
example, mayonnaise and hollandaise sauce.
Preparing Salad Dressings and
Sauces
Preparing Salad Dressings and
Sauces
Preparing Salad Dressings and
Sauces
Matching Dressings and Salad
Greens
Matching Dressings and Salad
Greens
Matching Dressings and Salad
Greens
Prepare Garnishes and
Garnishes are prepared as part of your normal
Accompaniments
mise en place. It is impossible to make a complete
list of garnishes that can be combined with salad
greens for a tossed salad. The following is a partial
list:
• Vegetables – nearly, any vegetable cut into
appropriate sizes and uniform shapes; deep-fried
shaving of vegetables.
• Herbs – can be chopped to sprinkle over top of
the finished salad for flavor and eye appeal. Herb
sprigs can be used to decorate the top of salads.
• Fruits – Citrus segments, apples or pears; dried
fruits such as raisins, currants or apricots.
Prepare Garnishes and
Accompaniments
• Eggs, meats, poultry, fish and shellfish –
poached or hard boiled eggs; cooked meats and
poultry sliced or diced neatly and uniformly;
poached, grilled or cured fish, diced or flaked;
small, whole cooked shellfish such as shrimp and
scallops; lobster or crab sliced, diced, or chopped
• Cheeses – grated hard cheeses such as Parmesan,
Romano or Asiago; semihard cheeses such as
cheddar or swiss, cut julienne or shredded
• Nuts – nearly any appropriate, roasted, candied, or
smoked
• Croutons – assorted breads, seasoned in various
ways and toasted