Unit 226 – Prepare vegetables for basic dishes
Vegetable quality points

Colour and ripeness

Smell

Firmness

Shape and size

Signs of decay - yellowing or browning

Mould and softness

Price

Packaging

General look of produce
Vegetables as with any other ingredient must be checked for quantity, quality and type to
make sure they meet the dish and recipe requirement.
Quality points to look for in fresh vegetables
 Colour
 Firm and crisp
 Smell
 Shape and size
Avoid
 Signs of decay
 Mould
 Sprouting
 Wilting
It is always best to use vegetables in season, however most are available all year round now
as they are imported from all over the world.
Fruit and vegetables which are grown during their traditional growing season have a better
taste and don't need as much fertilising.
There is also a ready supply of certain fruits and vegetables when they are in season, which
means they are better value.
Locally grown, in-season food also uses less food miles.
Vegetable classifications
Bulbs
Flowers
Usually grow just below the surface of the
ground and produce a fleshy, leafy shoot
above ground. Bulbs usually consist of
layers, or clustered segments.
The edible flowers of certain vegetables.
Fruits
Vegetable fruit are fleshy and contain
seeds.
Fungi
When referring to vegetables, fungi are
commonly known as mushrooms.
Leaves
The edible leaves of plants.
Roots
Usually a long or round-shaped taproot.
Seeds
(Legumes) apart from sweetcorn, seeds
grow in pods which are sometimes eaten
along with the seed.
The edible stalks of plants when the stalk
is the main part of the vegetable.
Vegetables which grow underground on
the root of a plant.
Stems
Tubers
e.g. fennel, garlic, leek, onion,
shallot, spring onion
e.g. artichoke (globe),
broccoflower, cauliflower, broccoli,
choi sum, courgette or other
squash flowers, gai lan (Chinese
sprouting broccoli)
e.g. bitter melon, capsicum, chilli,
choko, courgette, cucumber,
eggplant, fuzzy melon, Indian
marrow, marrow, plantain,
pumpkin and squash, scallopini,
tindora, tomatillo, tomato, turia
(ribbed gourd)
button white, Swiss brown, cup
(opened not flat), enoki, oyster,
Portabello (brown flat or cup),
shiitake, truffle - black and white
bok choy, Brussels sprout,
cabbage, lettuce, ong choi, puha,
radicchio, silverbeet, sorrel,
spinach, tat soi, tung ho,
watercress, witloof, wong nga
baak (Peking cabbage)
beetroot, carrot, celeriac, daikon,
parsnip, radish, swede, turnip
bean (green, French, butter,
snake), broad bean, pea, snow
pea, sweetcorn
asparagus, celery, kohlrabi
earth gem, Jerusalem artichoke,
kumara, potato, yam
Vegetables should be prepared immediately before cooking; if they are soaked in water
valuable nutrients are lost. Because the most nutritious part of root vegetables and onions
lies just under the skin, only a thin outer layer should be peeled away with a knife. If the
vegetables are young, just scrape the surface lightly.
The preparation methods will depend upon the dish requirement and the service style.
Various tools and equipment are required for vegetable preparation
Brown/green board, knives, slicing equipment, grater, preparation sink, and drainer. The
correct tools and equipment must be selected to ensure the desired result is achieved and to
avoid waste, accident and injury.
Traditional French Vegetable cuts
Julienne
Thinly sliced vegetable sticks, 1mm-cm.
The julienne cut can be done with a
sharp chef's knife or with a French
mandoline outfitted with the 2mm or
4mm julienne attachment.
Brunoise
An exact and fine dice, 2-3mm square or
smaller. Begin with a julienne cut and
create a fine cube dice by slicing the
lengths with a chef's knife.
Macedoine
This is a diced cube 0.5cm (5mm)
Larger than a brunoise cut.
Typical vegetables that are used are
carrot, onion, turnip, celery.
Jardiniere
Matchstick lengths and thicker version of
the julienne cut to about 15mmx4mm
The batons can be cut with a chef's
knife or with a French mandoline
equipped with the 7mm cutting blade.
Paysanne
Vegetables cut into thin slices at the
cross section. Root vegetables such as
carrots lend themselves well to this cut.
A medium-sized carrot is cut in half
lengthwise then halved again into
quarter lengths. Thin slicing across
these lengths gives a suitable pieshaped piece. Other paysanne shapes
include squares, rough or perfect circles,
and diamonds.
UK Vegetable seasons
Spring
(March,
April &
May)
Summer
(June, July
& August)
Autumn
(September,
October &
November)
Winter
(December,
January &
February)
Vegetables:
Asparagus
Cauliflower
Cucumber
Jersey
Royal New
Potatoes
Purple
Sprouting
Broccoli
Radishes
Savoy
Cabbage
Sorrel
Spinach
Spring
Greens
Spring
Onion
Watercress
Aubergine
Beetroot
Broad Beans
Broccoli
Carrots
Courgettes
Cucumber
Fennel
Fresh Peas
Garlic
Green Beans
Lettuce and
Salad Leaves
New potatoes
Radishes
Rocket
Runner Beans
Salad Onions
Sorrel
Tomatoes
Watercress
Beetroot
Carrot
Celeriac
Fennel
Field Mushrooms
Kale
Leeks
Lettuce
Marrow
Potatoes
Pumpkin
Rocket
Sorrel
Squashes
Sweetcorn
Tomatoes
Watercress
Beetroot
Brussels
Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Celeriac
Chicory
Fennel
Jerusalem Artichoke
Kale
Leeks
Parsnips
Potatoes
Red
Cabbage
Swede
Turnips
Fruit:
Rhubarb
Blueberries
Currants black, white
and red
Elderflowers
Greengages
Loganberries
Plums
Raspberries
Strawberries
Tayberries
Apples
Blackberries
Damsons
Elderberries
Pears
Plums
Quince
Sloes
Apples
Pears
Healthy eating options when preparing vegetables
 Do not peel
 Prepare immediately before use
 Do not soak
 Minimum seasoning
How you store fruit and vegetables will have a major impact on their taste and texture
when you serve them. Almost everything can be stored in the refrigerator except for
bananas, tomatoes, potatoes, lemons, and limes. These items should be kept in a cool,
dry area, but will experience strange changes if kept at too cold a temperature.