Water for cooking. What water is best for cooking? Do I need to add oil to water when making pasta?

When preparing pasta, always use plenty of water - at least 1 liter per 100 grams of product. It is better to cook the pasta in a large saucepan, because in order to cook it properly and not stick together, it needs free space. Typically, to prepare pasta, boil 5.5-7.5 liters of water, add salt and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.

Should I add salt to the cooking water?

In Italy, salt is always added to pasta. A pinch of salt added to the water helps the flavor of the pasta to develop. We recommend sea ​​salt, since this natural product enhances rather than overpowers the taste of the paste. However, if you are following a salt-free diet, you do not need to add salt to your Barilla pasta.

Do I need to add oil to water when making pasta?

There is no need for oil to keep the paste from sticking. Just follow the instructions on the Barilla toothpaste package - just use plenty of water and you won't have any problems like this.

Why is it important to cook pasta until al dente?

Pasta is a source of slow carbohydrates. Al dente (meaning the degree of doneness of the pasta when, although completely cooked on the outside, it has a firm core inside) allows it to fully open beneficial features pasta. Al dente pasta is more filling and provides the body with energy longer. Due to the special protein structure of traditional pasta, it has low glycemic index. This paste takes longer to digest than most other foods containing carbohydrates. Cook pasta al dente to maintain a low glycemic index.

Do I need to rinse the paste?

Barilla pasta should not be rinsed after cooking. Washing is necessary in order to wash away excess starch. Usually the paste releases a lot of starch and sticks together if poor quality wheat was used to make it. And Barilla pasta is made from high-quality durum wheat.

Making wine from grapes with your own hands is not at all difficult. It is important to take into account some nuances. There are wine grape varieties that have too rich aroma and taste. The alcoholic drink prepared from them is distinguished by serious astringency and thickness. In such cases, natural homemade grape wine is mixed with water.

Secrets of the winemaker

The most commonly diluted red wine is made from Isabella grapes. Beverages sourced from Lydia and Moldova may also be diluted.

In addition, winemakers may choose a different strategy when working with these varieties. When starting to make wine from Lydia or Moldova, they add several other grape varieties that have a milder taste to the raw material. In such situations, 2-3 types of different grapes are used.

You can do the same with Isabella. However, unlike the above-mentioned varieties, its berries rarely make up even half of the raw material. However, in regions with a temperate climate there may not be such a problem. The grapes do not have time to fully ripen in them. In this case, Isabella does not have such astringency.

White grapes of this variety are much more delicate in taste. Therefore, often a third or a quarter of the main raw material can be white Isabella. At the same time, you don’t have to worry about the color of the drink. The skin of dark grapes will give the wine a rich hue.

In addition, there is a recipe according to which wine can be made again from grape pomace by diluting the raw material with water. You just need to be patient and have sterile containers (enamel or glass). The organoleptic qualities of this alcoholic drink will also be at their best. The main thing to remember is that wine is a drink that only gets better over time.

At home, wine from grapes, with the addition of water, can be prepared according to several recipes. However, before we talk about recipes, it is necessary to understand the basic rules of winemaking.

• Remember that the grapes must be ripe.
• Pick berries in sunny weather during the day or in the late afternoon.
• Sort through and remove rotten, spoiled, green and dry grapes. They should not get into the wort.
• The berries do not have to be picked from the bunches. True, if you do not do this, then special notes will appear in the aroma and taste of the drink. Some winemakers like them, but others don't.
• Never wash grapes you are harvesting for wine. The silvery-grayish coating is the wild yeast that causes fermentation to occur.

Recipe with water from Isabella

Composition, ingredients and correct proportions:

• 10 kg of finished grapes;
• 6 liters of water;
• 2 kg sugar;
• 10 grams of wine yeast (optional).

1. After you have picked and crushed the grapes, place them in an enamel pan for a few days to begin fermentation. Cover with gauze. Starting from the second day, do not forget to stir with a clean hand or a wooden spatula.
2. Once fermentation begins, boil water and cool it to body temperature. Most often this happens on days 3–4. Add sugar and wine yeast to the water, stir.
3. Squeeze out the pulp and transfer it to another pan. We will need it for the second recipe.
4. Pour warm water with sugar and yeast dissolved in it into the fermented juice. Place a water seal on the container or a glove with a couple in your finger. At a temperature of 20–25 °C, fermentation will occur faster than at a temperature of 18–20 °C, but the strength of the drink will be lower.
5. Fermentation will last from 10 to 21 days. It is recommended to drain the wine through a hose at the end of each week without touching the sediment. At this point, granulated sugar can be added to the wort if it is not sweet enough. It is sugar that is converted into alcohol by yeast microorganisms.
6. After 21 days or less of fermentation, drain the wine from the sediment. Pour it into sterilized glass jars or bottles and seal tightly with sterilized stoppers. From this day on, young wine should be stored in a cool room at a temperature of 8–12 °C.

The wine will ripen for 2–3 months. The strength will be 10–12 degrees. If desired, for 21 days you can dilute the grape wine with cognac, vodka or alcohol. This will increase the strength of the drink. A truly ripe wine is obtained after 5 months. By this time it will have a richer color, aroma and taste.

Recipe with grape pomace water

For this wine, presses from the Isabella variety are suitable. The cake left over from grape juice is also suitable. At home, such wine can be prepared even in an apartment. Children will be happy with the grape juice, and the pomace will produce delicious wine for the festive table.

• 5 kg of cake;
• 10 liters of clean water;
• 1.5–2 kg of sugar;
• 10 grams of wine yeast;
• Alcohol, vodka.

Step-by-step sequence of actions.

1. Pour the cake with a fairly warm solution of water, sugar and yeast. Mix well with your hands, lightly squeezing the mixture.
2. Place in a warm place under cheesecloth for 4 days, stirring daily.
3. Once fermentation begins, strain the wort into a clean, sterile bottle.
4. Place a glove with a hole in the finger under the water seal.
5. When the fermentation process begins to subside (the glove will fall to one side or the water in the water seal will gurgle very rarely), drain the wort from the sediment again and taste for sugar. If it’s not enough, add more and stir.
6. During the 3 weeks of fermentation, drain the wine from the sediment two or three times into a clean glass container.
7. Secure with alcohol. Check the strength with an alcohol meter.
8. Pour into sterile bottles. Seal tightly with sterile stoppers.
9. Store horizontally in a cool place, rotating bottles periodically.

If you do not fix such wine with water, it will not be stored for long.

Recipe with water without adding yeast

You can make wine at home with water and without yeast. This is possible if the grapes are ripe and have a good layer of wild yeast on their surface.

• 10 kg of grapes;
• 3–4 kg of sugar;
• 5 liters of clean water.

Step-by-step sequence of actions.

1. Thoroughly crushed grapes should be placed in an enamel pan and left warm under gauze for several days.
2. Starting from the morning of the third day, the raw materials need to be mixed 2-3 times a day.
3. You need to add sugar for the first time on the third day. To do this, dissolve granulated sugar in a liter of warm water and pour it into the pan. Leave to ferment for another 2-3 days.
4. Strain the wort through several layers of gauze into a sterile bottle, squeeze out the pulp there and place under a water seal.
5. After 5-7, taste the wort. If it is sour, add another kilogram of sugar and stir. Leave the wort to ferment for another 2 weeks.
6. At the end of this period, drain the young wine from the sediment.
7. Pour the wine into bottles, strained through several layers of gauze. Seal with corks.
8. Transfer the bottles to a cool room where the temperature is not higher than 12 °C, but not lower than 7–8 °C. Once a week, carefully turn the bottles so that the corks do not dry out and sediment does not form on the walls.
9. After two months, the wine will become lighter and sediment will appear. Drain the drink into clean bottles using a thin hose and reseal.

This wine is stored for many years, becoming stronger and richer. The optimal shelf life is from 5 to 7 years.

Sometimes water is added to wine when the grapes have not yet ripened. This will remove excess acidity. In this case, you need to correctly calculate the required amount of water, yeast, sugar based on the acidity table of a particular grape variety.

The coming winter with its frosts and snow is not a reason to neglect your drinking regime. The body needs water every day, regardless of the weather outside. And one of the most the best ways quench your thirst with benefit - delicious water at home.

Forever with water

In autumn and especially in winter, you should never reduce your water consumption. Just because we don't feel thirsty doesn't mean we don't need water. A deficiency causes skin to peel, nails to break, and hair to fall out. Add to this the harmful effects of heating, low humidity in the house, sudden changes in temperature, and it becomes obvious that drinking a lot of water every day is necessary for health. Of course, this amount depends on individual characteristics, but on average daily norm makes 6-8 glasses. And we are talking specifically about drinking water, and not about tea, coffee, juices and other drinks.

Cold vs cold

Oddly enough, doctors recommend drinking chilled water now, since in this form it is better absorbed by the body. It is also important to remember a simple truth: purified water is the key to a tasty drink. You can find it in supermarkets or filter tap water. And it’s easy to get it at home. To do this, pour water into a container, put it in the freezer for several hours, then let it thaw. Harmful impurities will settle to the bottom, and you will only have to carefully drain the clean liquid. You can make your water even tastier with your own hands by adding just a few ingredients that you probably have at home.

Citrus immunity

One of these components is any fruit, with the possible exception of banana and avocado. The main thing is that the fruits are juicy and ripe. Let's start by making delicious water with lemon and other citrus fruits. Take an orange, a lemon and a lime, cut them into circles with zest. Knead them slightly, pour 2 liters of water in a jug with a lid and put them in the refrigerator. The drink should spend a day there so that the citrus fruits release the maximum amount of useful elements. The most important of them, of course, is vitamin C, which the body needs especially urgently now. You can strain the water or drink it with pieces of citrus fruit. By the way, it’s convenient to take it with you to work or for a walk.

Berry carnival

with wild berries it turns out no less tasty. For this recipe, we will need frozen berries, which we prudently prepared in the summer. Take 100 g of blackberries, raspberries and blueberries, lightly mash them with a fork and pour in the juice of 2 limes; you can also put a few wedges of lime in the water. The same healthy water You can also make it with fresh fruit. Pour the mixture with 2 liters of water, add 3-4 sage leaves if desired. It will give the drink refined notes and a pleasant aroma. We leave it in the refrigerator for 10-12 hours, and you can treat your loved ones. Children will especially love this berry water recipe, so put a bottle of it in their backpack when packing for school.

Pineapple lightness

Fans of diets will be pleased to know that tasty water is perfect for losing weight. Pineapple water will achieve impressive results. Cut 200 g of fresh pineapple pulp into cubes. Canned fruits are not suitable because they contain a lot of sugar. Chop a small bunch of mint and mash it in a mortar and masher. Combine the greens with pineapple in a jug, pour in 1.5 liters of water and put in the refrigerator overnight. Remember that tasty water is stored for no longer than 3 days, so there is no point in preparing it for future use. With regular use, pineapple water will remove toxins, and along with them, excess weight will go away.

Apple Health

Eating an apple will also help you get rid of unwanted pounds, and at the same time improve your metabolism. Grate a small peeled apple, preferably a sour one. Add ½ tsp to it. grated ginger root, sprinkle with ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon and mix well. Pour this mixture into a liter hot water with a temperature of 90 °C and brew as regular tea. For a richer aroma, you can add a few basil or rosemary leaves. Cool the apple water and put it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Before drinking, you can strain the water and add slices of fresh apples to it. Drink it on an empty stomach every morning and wellness provided for the whole family.

Cucumber cheerfulness

Some recipes pair the delicious fruit water with watery vegetables such as cucumber. Take 4 cucumbers: grate 2 of them on a fine grater with peel, cut the other 2 into circles. Cut 2 lemons with zest into the same circles. We divide the middle bunch of mint into leaves, and mash the branches in a mortar. Place all the ingredients in the bottom of the jug, fill them with a liter of water and put them in the refrigerator for 2 hours. This drink is often used for short-term detox diets. If you love to exercise, be sure to take a bottle of cucumber water with you. It will quench your thirst during workouts and help you quickly restore strength after them.

As you can see, preparing delicious water with fruits and berries will not take much time and effort. You can easily come up with new recipes yourself to please your loved ones with pleasant and unexpected combinations.

The water we use for cooking is of utmost importance. Tap water is fine, but many people do not like its characteristic metallic taste, which is transferred to dishes. Mineral water is also not suitable for cooking. Solution? Use filtered or spring water in the kitchen.

Most of our compatriots use ordinary tap water for cooking. And this is correct, because you can drink it even without any heat treatment. Tap water does not contain dirt and bacteria, and is free from organic and chemical substances, so it is convenient and safe to use.

High temperature kills microorganisms; In addition, boiling water leads to precipitation of some minerals, especially calcium and magnesium. This softens the water, but at the same time leads to a deterioration in the mineral composition.

Tap water, as already noted, can be consumed directly from the tap, however, we do not always fully trust its quality or we simply do not really like it. Chlorine present in the water, which is added to prevent biological contamination and the development of bacteria, may be responsible for the unpleasant taste. In addition, outdated equipment in residential buildings themselves is also responsible for the quality and taste of water. Therefore, many are looking for more “reliable” water for drinking and cooking.

Does filtering improve taste?

Tap water can be safely used for cooking. But many people believe that dishes will taste better if they are cooked with filtered water. Filtration has become a common practice and is carried out using special filters placed directly on the tap or using filter vessels. These procedures are aimed at improving the quality and taste of water.

Chefs all over the world very often use filtered water for cooking. In Europe, recognized restaurateurs cook with it. Many places around the world not only provide filtered water to their customers for free, but use it in the operation of professional kitchen equipment, such as convection ovens, because this water is more delicate and soft. A simple example: when we cook with unfiltered tap water, a characteristic sediment remains on the dishes. If we use filtered liquid, this will not happen.

Filtered water is the choice of gourmets and restaurateurs.

Filtration results in the removal of components from water that adversely affect its taste and smell, and this has a beneficial effect on the quality of dishes. Vegetables cooked in this water become softer faster and more delicious soups. This water is ideal for making ice cubes, ice cream, good tea or coffee.

Mineral water - only cold

Some people do not trust tap water, even filtered water, and use mineral water for cooking. This is not the best idea.

Mineral water is not suitable for cooking!

Mineral water is not suitable for cooking, because during heat treatment mineral salts precipitate, which are not absorbed by the body in this form. Experts add that during boiling mineral water its properties that are important for health change. This is especially true for highly mineralized or medicinal water. Both highly and moderately mineralized waters are intended for direct consumption, and in this form they are safe. After opening a bottle of mineral water, it must be drunk within 24 hours, as bacteria can then develop in it.

Bottled spring water is an excellent choice

It is worth knowing that spring water, which is characterized by a low mineral content, is suitable for cooking from bottled water. Its composition should not change after heat treatment. Spring water is often used to prepare food for children, such as soups and stews. It's tasty because it's neutral. Neutrality is the essence and advantage of water. Through the cooking process, it helps to extract flavor and aroma from other foods, but it itself should remain invisible.

The main advantage of spring water is its neutral mineral composition and taste.

So, let's summarize the above. It is quite possible to use ordinary tap water for cooking, filtering it if desired. But if the taste and quality do not suit you, you can use bottled water, the quality of which will not depend on the condition of the water supply in our apartment, the chlorine content or the hardness of the water.

In home winemaking, the most heated debate is whether to add water to wine. Proponents of this method claim that after proper dilution, the wine is not so sour, and more of the drink itself is obtained. Opponents remind that adding water worsens the taste and reduces shelf life. In fact, it all depends on the initial characteristics of the juice.

Theory. The optimal titratable (total) acidity of the finished wine is 4-6 grams of acid per 1 liter. This refers to the total value of all basic acids (citric, succinic, malic, lactic) and their salts. During fermentation, the concentration of these substances decreases, so depending on individual taste preferences, the initial acidity of the juice may be higher - 6-15 grams per liter.

The problem is that at home it is impossible to accurately determine the acid concentration in juice; this requires laboratory equipment and reagents. Approximate values ​​can be found by referring to the tables.

It is important to consider that the acidity of the same raw material depends on the type of soil, climate, weather (amount of precipitation and sunny days) and even in the same region can be different from year to year.

To more accurately determine the acidity of a wine using improvised means, use the pH indicator (potentia hydrogeni, takes values ​​from 0 to 14) - the negative logarithm of the effective concentration of hydrogen ion activity. A special device is required - a pH meter, household models of which can be found on the Internet. The lower the value, the higher the acidity of the solution: 0 – strong acid, 14 – alkali.

Household pH meter

The active acidity of the must before wine fermentation should be in the range from 2.8 to 4 pH.

Titrated (total) and active acidity are interconnected (a decrease in one leads to a decrease in the other and vice versa), but it is impossible to find a numerical connection in the form of proportions or formulas. This means that, knowing the pH of the juice, it will not be possible to determine the acid content in grams per liter.

When to add water to wine

Diluting juice with water is advisable only to reduce acidity to the recommended value. Another option is possible - for one reason or another, the sugar content of the wort is above 20%, as a result of which fermentation has stopped, but then it is better to lower the sugar concentration with a new batch of pure juice, rather than with water.

The more water is added to the wort, the lower the dry matter content in the finished wine will be, which will negatively affect the taste of the drink, so they say: the wine turned out watery.

Often, residents of non-wine-producing regions face the problem of reducing the acidity of juice or if there have been few sunny days during the season (typical for grapes, apples, plums and cherries). For example, grapes grown in middle lane Russia or in the north has much higher acidity than the same variety from the southern regions. If you do not add water, the wine will turn out to be very sour, with a burning taste, sometimes the acid even crystallizes on the walls of the vessel with the drink.

Attention! You need to add water to the wine immediately before or during the first 10-15 days after the start of fermentation. Adding water during ripening or storage leads to spoilage of the drink, so diluted wine should be drunk immediately, fermented again or stabilized with alcohol, increasing the strength to 12-16%.

How much water to add to wine

First you need to determine the initial acidity and sugar content of the juice. There are 3 methods:

1. Using a pH meter and vinometer. Most the best option. To find out the necessary indicators, it is enough to lower both devices one by one into a container with wort.
2. According to the tables. An approximate method, since the values ​​depend not only on the type of raw material and variety, but also on the climate in the region and the weather of the year.
3. Taste. The most inaccurate method, since each person's sense of taste is subjective. Water is required only if the juice is so sour that it stings the tongue and cramps the cheekbones. Residents of the northern regions can play it safe by adding 10-15% of the juice volume with water.

The relationship between acidity, water and sugar. It should be borne in mind that not only water, but also sugar reduces acidity, but it is correct to calculate by volume and not by mass: 1 kg of dissolved sugar occupies 0.6 liters of volume, reducing the acid content in the wort by 60%. In turn, adding water reduces acidity by 2 times.

1% fermented sugar gives 0.6% strength, therefore, to obtain wine with an alcohol content of 12%, 200 grams of sugar per 1 liter is required (natural in juice and added). If the wine is not dry, but semi-sweet or sweet, then when determining acidity, you need to take into account the sugar added after fermentation.

First, the acidity is reduced by the amount of sugar that is planned to be added. Only after this the required amount of water is determined. An example of the calculation will be in the recipe; you can also use a calculator and determine the required values ​​for dry wine.

Counting in progress...

Enter the initial data on the left

Recipe for wine with added water

The task is to make semi-sweet grape wine with a strength of 12%, a sugar content of 5% and reduce the acidity of the must to 6 grams/liter. In this case, there are 5 liters of fresh juice with an initial acidity of 18 grams and a sugar content of 8% per 1 liter.

When calculating using tables:

1. Total increase in wort volume (O) = (initial acidity / desired acidity) = 18 / 6 = 3 (times);
2. Proportions of water and sugar by volume (VS) = O – 1 = 2 (times);
3. The percentage of wort sugar content (Sax) = sugar to achieve the desired strength (desired strength percentage / 0.6) + residual sugar for sweetness = 12 / 0.6 + 5 = 25%.
4. Amount of sugar (K) = (O * amount of juice * Sax) – (initial sugar content of juice (kg) * amount of juice) = (3 * 5 *0.25) – (0.08 * 5) = 3.35 kg;
5. Volume occupied by sugar (S) = K * 0.6 = 3.35 * 0.6 = 2.01 liters;
6. Required amount of water (VOD) = VS * amount of juice - S = 2 * 5 – 2.01 = 7.99 liters.
7. Total volume of wort (V) = amount of juice * O = 3 * 5 = 15 liters.
8. Sugar for sweetening the finished wine (SS) = V * sugar for sweetness (%) / 100 = 0.75 kg;
9. Sugar that needs to be added at the fermentation stage (Vb) = K - SS = 3.35 - 0.75 = 2.6 kg.

Using the same algorithm, you can determine the amount of water for any other sour juice: apple, cherry, etc.

When calculating using a pH meter, first adjust the sugar content of the wort to approximately 20% according to the hydrometer, then add water in small batches to a pH value of 2.8-4. At the fermentation stage, sugar content and strength are controlled with a vinometer. Adjustments are made based on the relationship between acidity, sugar and water (juice), which is described above.

Vinometer example

To increase the acidity of the wort (required in the case of sweet raw materials such as peaches or apricots, as well as when diluted too much with water), you can use pure citric acid in bags or squeeze fresh lemon (in the juice of one fruit average size contains 5-6 grams of acid).

Ingredients:

• grape juice – 5 liters;
• sugar – 3.35 kg;
• water – 7.99 l.

Wine making technology

1. Unwashed (so that wild yeast remains on the skin) crush the grapes and leave for 3-4 days in a dark room at room temperature in a plastic or enamel container (pan, barrel or bucket) with a wide neck. Add wine yeast if desired. Cover the container with gauze to prevent flies.

Every 8-12 hours, stir with a wooden stick or a clean hand, drowning the surfaced pulp - peel and pulp - in the juice. After 8-20 hours from the start of cooking, foam, hissing and a slight smell of fermentation should appear, this means that everything is going fine.

2. Filter the fermented juice from the pulp through gauze or a sieve, squeeze out the pulp well. Add all the water and a third of the sugar (0.87 kg according to the recipe in the example). Mix.

Attention! During fermentation, I advise you to add sugar at intervals of 4-5 days in three equal portions in a total amount of no more than 200 grams per 1 liter of diluted juice, taking into account the natural sugar content of the raw material. Then, after fermentation is complete, sweeten the drink to taste.

3. Pour the wort into the fermentation container, filling a maximum of 75% of the volume so that there is space for the next portions of sugar, foam and carbon dioxide. Install a water seal of any design (you can get by with a glove with a hole in your finger). Transfer the future wine to a dark place (cover with a thick cloth) with a stable temperature of 18-28°C.

Homemade water castle A glove is the easiest option

4. 4-5 days after installing the water seal, pour 50% of the wort from one portion of sugar into a separate container (approximately 450 ml according to the example). Dissolve sugar (0.87 kg). Pour the resulting syrup back into the container with the wine and close it with a water seal. After 4-5 days, repeat the procedure for adding sugar using the same technology, adding the last portion (0.87 kg).

Syrup from part of the juice eliminates the need to stir the sugar, lifting sediment from the bottom

5. Depending on the yeast, temperature and sugar content of the juice, the duration of fermentation homemade wine– 25-60 days. If the process lasts longer than 45 days, in order to avoid the appearance of bitterness in the taste, the drink must be poured through a straw into another container, without touching the sediment, and left to ferment under a water seal.

After fermentation is complete (the water seal does not release gas for a couple of days or the glove is deflated), remove the young homemade wine from the sediment by pouring it into another container through a straw (it is important not to touch the loose layer of pulp at the bottom).

6. Try the drink. Add sugar to taste (0.75 kg according to calculations), adjusting the sweetness. You can also fix it with alcohol or vodka (2-15% by volume).

Pour the wine into aging containers (it is advisable to fill to the top to avoid contact with oxygen). Transfer to a refrigerator or basement at a temperature of 5-16°C for ripening. Leave for at least 40 days (optimally 60-120 days).

7. Periodically, when a layer of sediment of 2-5 cm appears, filter by pouring through a tube (siphon).

8. When sediment no longer appears, the finished drink can be poured into bottles for storage and hermetically sealed.

If you follow the recommendations for appearance wine made from red grapes will not differ from similar wine made from pure juice

The shelf life of homemade wine with the addition of water is up to 3 years (with pure juice - 5 years or more) if stored in a refrigerator or cellar (basement). Strength – 10-14%.