Vegetable water.

If doing a roast, I make the gravy in the roasting tin after removing the meat to rest for at least 20 minutes.

So I don’t use the vegetable water, because the veg will be cooked only during the last few minutes before dishing up.

Gravy then goes into a small saucepan, roasting tin goes into the dishwasher.

My mum gave us cabbage water after it was cooked and said it was nutritious I still drink it. I never throw any water or stock out I use it it for soups or gravies.

I used to use veg water for gravy. In those days everyone did. However, since steaming vegetables such as greens and sprouts etc usually over the boiled potatoes I am no longer able to do that. I don’t use the potato water.

Ah, good thinking.
I love veg stalks.
Raw cauliflower stalks are sorry... lovely.
That word again.

MissAdventure

Even if I steam veg, a tiny amount of water comes out of them.

Im pretty sure some veg must need a teaspoon of water to steam them.
Do they?
I'm no Gordon Ramsey.

I always put enough water in the steamer to make gravy, I throw in stalks, leaves etc.

Even if I steam veg, a tiny amount of water comes out of them.

Im pretty sure some veg must need a teaspoon of water to steam them.
Do they?
I'm no Gordon Ramsey.

My mum greased the baking tins with butter wrappers.

My mother used to do this and the gravy was always lovely but I always steam or roast vegetables so no vegetable water.

I used the butter wrapper for greasing the tin for the Christmas cake not long ago. 🙂

vinegar to make salad cream go a bit further etc
My Dad used to do that and DH does too. I don't much like salad cream and it's even worse with vinegar.
Strange, as I like vinegar on chips, sardines etc.

Oh, goodness. The butter wrappers. Mum used to save them up for lining cake tins. She baked quite a lot, but when she went back to work full time she gave up baking. Still saved the butter wrappers, though. We had to periodically chuck out the accumulation 😂

My Mum used veg water for stock. Having lived through the war she never wasted a thing. Butter wrappers for greasing tins, stale bread for breadcrumbs or bread and butter pudding, vinegar to make salad cream go a bit further etc.

cc

The fact that potato water is starchy is why I like it for gravy! I often pressure cook potatoes and use the water from that too, particularly that from new potatoes.
That’s why I like to add potatoes to stew. They help thicken the gravy whilst they’re cooking.

carrots will enable you to see in the dark
No, they won't but carrots do contain high levels of Vitamin A which help with eye health.
Carrots would have been unrationed and available during WW2.
Vitamin A in carrots in the form of beta-carotene, is better released if the cells wall are made softer by cooking.

Other Vitamins eg C, B, can be destroyed by cooking for too long.

I think the idea of believing that veg water is nutritious started in the war with other little homilies for people to subscribe to not wasting ANYTHING - carrots will enable you to see in the dark (in the absence of street lights,) eat your crusts to make your hair curly - what a load of rubbish. Most vitamins are affected by heat, along with some minerals

MaizieD

The only vegetable that I ever boil is potatoes. We have steamer pans that fit the 'potato saucepan' and all the other veg go in them to be steamed. Or they're roast or done in the microwave.

I've haven't salted veg water since I had my children. Veg are fine without salt.

I don't like using the potato water because I think it's a bit starchy and strong tasting. I make gravy with the meat juices,, pan scrapings and water (sometimes a drop or two of wine). A little cornflour to thicken.

The fact that potato water is starchy is why I like it for gravy! I often pressure cook potatoes and use the water from that too, particularly that from new potatoes.

I also use veg water for gravy, but not that from brassicas as the taste makes my poor husband sick.

I always save it and was very upset the other day when my husband threw some out by accident!

I steam veg mainly and use the cooled water for house plants, they seem to like it or add it to a veg smoothie

I'd like to see the evidence that veg water is nutritious. Vitamin C is destroyed by heat anyway. Which is the one I'd be concerned about conserving.

The only vegetable that I ever boil is potatoes. We have steamer pans that fit the 'potato saucepan' and all the other veg go in them to be steamed. Or they're roast or done in the microwave.

I've haven't salted veg water since I had my children. Veg are fine without salt.

I don't like using the potato water because I think it's a bit starchy and strong tasting. I make gravy with the meat juices,, pan scrapings and water (sometimes a drop or two of wine). A little cornflour to thicken.

use it for gravy made with granules, saves water and electric from not boiling water especially to make the gravy

Grannynannywanny

My Mum used to fill a mug after draining the veg and drink the cabbage water while she was mashing the potatoes etc. Her ungrateful offspring were happy to decline a share. She often reminded us if you were huddled round the farmhouse kitchen with 8 siblings, parents and 2 resident grandparents you were happy to eat/drink whatever came your way as there might be nothing else on offer for the remainder of the day.

My mum always used to drink the cabbage water as she said they used to during the war.

I have always used it to make gravy with meat juices , none of that packet or tin gravy stuff.

I don’t eat mashed potatoes. I put the veg in with the stew, mince or spaghetti Bol or roast veg in oven. I used to use a pressure cooker with a little water under and not touching the veg. Nowadays I steam all veg in the microwave, again with very little water.

I don’t salt my vegetables, so the veg water is not at all salty.