vegetable - Etymology, Importance of vegetables in the diet, Colour of vegetables and fruit, Storage of vegetables

In a broad sense, anything of or concerning plants; but commonly referring to a plant or its parts, other than fruits and sometimes seeds, used for food. The term is often qualified by reference to the particular parts eaten (eg leaf vegetable, root vegetable). A number of foods often called vegetables are actually fruits, such as the tomato.

All parts of an herbaceous plant that humans eat whole or in part is generally considered a vegetable, except for culinary fruits and arguably grains, nuts, herbs, and spices.

Vegetables include leaf vegetables (for example lettuce), stem vegetables (asparagus), root vegetables (carrot), flower vegetables (broccoli), bulbs (garlic) and botanical fruits such as cucumbers, squashes, pumpkins, capsicums, as well as legumes such as green beans, and fleshy, immature seeds such as those of peas or beans.

Since "vegetable" is not a botanical term, there is no contradiction in a plant part being a fruit botanically while still being considered a vegetable (see diagram).

In general, vegetables are thought of as being savoury, and not sweet (with some exceptions, such as rhubarb and pumpkin).

Commercial production of vegetables is a branch of horticulture called olericulture.

Etymology

The vegetable is also used as a literary term for any plant: vegetable matter, vegetable kingdom.

Importance of vegetables in the diet

Vegetables are eaten in a variety of ways as part of main meals and as snacks. Vegetables contain water soluble vitamins like vitamin B and vitamin C, fat soluble vitamins including vitamin A and vitamin D, and also contain carbohydrates and minerals.

Colour of vegetables and fruit

The green colour of leafy vegetables is due to the presence of the green pigment chlorophyll.

The yellow/orange colour of fruits and vegetables are due to the presence of carotenoids, which are also affected by normal cooking processes or changes in pH.

The red/blue colour of some fruits and vegetables (e.g.

Storage of vegetables

Potatoes should be stored in a dark, cool, and dry place to prevent molding, greening (due to exposure to light) and slow sprouting.

Leafy vegetables lose moisture and vitamin C degrades rapidly during storage and should therefore be stored for the minimum time in a cool place, in a plastic bag.

Many root vegetables can be stored through winter in a root cellar.