"Washing meat should of course be done with cold water," said Zhang Liang, a national senior chef and chief technician of Shandong Province with many years of cooking experience. Especially now, as the weather gets cooler, people who are sensitive to the cold like to use warm water to wash meat. Some people think meat gets dirty easily and, to enhance the cleaning process, even soak it in hot water before washing. In fact, whether it's for thawing frozen meat or washing fresh meat just bought, you should not use warm water, especially hot water. Because washing meat with warm or even hot water will accelerate the loss of protein and B vitamins in the meat, and some amino acids will also be lost. "On one hand, meat treated with hot water spoils and goes bad more easily. On the other hand, the texture of the meat is affected, and it won't be fragrant when cooked."
It's especially worth reminding that some people like to buy pre-made ground meat. Should such ground meat be washed? It's best not to. Ground meat is generally used for stir-frying or making meatballs. After washing, it not only loses its fragrance and nutrients, but also becomes too loose to form meatballs. If you want to eat ground meat, it's best to buy it yourself, wash it first, then chop it. Or supervise the vendor to wash it first, then chop it.
However, when washing various fruits and vegetables, it's better to use warm water. He Hongju, a researcher at the National Engineering Research Center for Vegetables, pointed out that warm water is more effective than cold water in removing pesticide residues from the surface of fruits and vegetables. This is because the organophosphorus in pesticide residues is water-soluble and dissolves faster as the water temperature rises. At the same time, carbamate insecticides in pesticides also break down faster as the temperature increases.
Some people might worry that the nutrients in fruits and vegetables are already quite delicate; will hot water destroy them all? The key is to control the water temperature, which should be around 40°C. Otherwise, B vitamins, vitamin C, and some niacin and minerals in the vegetables will be lost. The method for controlling the water temperature is also simple: water at 40°C should feel warm but not scalding to the touch.