Reg wrote on 22 Feb 2007 in rec.food.cooking

> Lou Decruss wrote:
>
> > I was thumbing through an old Penzeys catalog and read the following
> > about cream of tarter:
> >
> > "It is also used to reduce discoloration in boiled vegetables such as
> > whole artichokes, just add 1/2-1 tsp. to the water"
> >
> > It must be my day for new things as I've never heard this. Does it
> > really work? I usually steam veggies and broccoli is one of our
> > favorites. Would this still work in the steaming water? Maybe dip
> > the broccoli in the treated water before steaming? Dust it maybe?
> >
> > Any thoughts?
>
> It works simply by raising the acid level of the water, as does
> lemon juice, vinegar, etc. All it does is eliminate discoloration.
>

Same can be said of baking soda...I remember relatives adding it to green
beans before boiling to 'keep' the colour.