Benefits of cooking in earthen vessels

August 24, 2018 Grandma's Medicine Valli Sarvani No comments

In modern days, several traditional methods are being followed by people with the ‘old is gold’.

Cooking in earthen vessels is one such method which became very popular in these days.

Compared to cooking in other vessels, cooking in pots or earthen vessels has many health benefits.

Here are some of them:

You can cook in earthen vessels with lesser oil or water as they can circulate steam easily. Moreover, the food cooked in these vessels is more delicious.
Clay pots can retain nutrients in the food that is cooked using them. The clay or mud has some and vitamins and minerals; hence it remains as a source of vitamins and minerals like magnesium, phosphorous, iron and calcium.
Basically, clay has some alkaline properties. As a result, if it interacts with acids in the food, they can be neutralized and thus balances their pH.
Earthen vessels are good conductors of heat. Hence, they can keep the food hot for a longer time. As a result, food does not get destroyed easily and remains fresh for a longer time.

There are some important tips to cook using earthenware.

Always use unglazed clay pots. They are safer for cooking and are lead-free. So, food does not contaminate.
Before cooking in the clay pot, soak it in the water for 10 to minutes. This is because the pot absorbs the water during soaking and prevents the food from drying as the pot slowly releases steam from its pores.
Avoid preheated ovens as they may crack the clay pot.
Start cooking with low heat and slowly raise the temperature. Ideal heat is lower or medium to cook in these vessels.
Do not keep the hot clay pots on a cold surface as it may crack the vessel. Always use wood or potholder as a surface to keep your clay pot.
Do not use soap or detergent for cleaning. Soak in warm water with baking soda for 15 minutes to clean. For strong odors, soaking for extra time is essential.

Image from Pxhere (Free for commercial use / CC0 Public Domain)