The high heat of boiling water can cause nutrients contained in vegetables. Vitamin C is one of those nutrients that tend to be lost this way. While some recipes do require you to really boil vegetables, here are some techniques you can use to minimize Vitamin C loss from those veggies.

Allow water to boil for a couple of minutes before putting in the veggies. Letting the water boil will make the water lose a good amount of oxygen. It is usually this high oxygen content of water that causes Vitamin C to lose its potency.

Cellular walls of vegetables are the natural structures that keep nutrients inside veggies. Heat eventually breaks down these structures. By not cutting up vegetables avoids the further exposure of cell walls. So cook vegetables as large pieces then cut them afterwards. However, only do this with vegetables that cook easily and evenly even when put in whole.

Add veggies only when the liquid’s up to a boil. Placing veggies with the cold liquid that will then be brought up to a boil can make the veggies lose up to 12 times their Vitamin C content.