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Steam Vegetables
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Step 2:
Steam the vegetables
If you can boil water, then you can steam vegetables--that's the beauty of this technique. One concern, however, may be the quality of the tap water in your home. Many municipal water supplies around the world have been contaminated by chemical run-off from industry and conventional farming. If you're boiling that water for several minutes (and up to half an hour for beets), the pollutants in the water become more concentrated as the water evaporates. These pollutants can be steamed into the vegetables; if these are ingested over a period of time, they could result in adverse health effects. If it's an option for you, cook it safely--steam the vegetables with filtered or spring water. If that's not an option for you, be sure to pour the steam water down the drain: don't save it for soup stock or a health drink.
- Measure the water. If you have a steel steamer, look at its legs. Chances are, they're not more than an inch long, and you won't want any more in the pot. So figure a half-inch to one inch (about 1.5 to 3 cm) of water in the pot--it shouldn't boil through the screen of the steamer.
- Bring the water to a boil. Turn the stove burner to High, and put the covered pot on the stove. After the water boils, place the vegetables in the steamer and in the pot. Some folks leave the stove on High, but most prefer to turn down the heat until the water's at a low boil--there should be bubbles rising from the bottom of the pot, and you should hear a quiet rumbling sound. Replace the cover and note the time that you put the vegetables in.
- Timings for each vegetable: The general rule on steaming times is to cook vegetables until they're crisp. You want to avoid overcooking them, as their color, flavor, and nutritional value are reduced after a certain point. Take them out when they're almost done--as they sit for a minute or two on the serving plate, they'll finish cooking and will arrive on your plate at the peak of perfection.
Here's a range of times: 
- For leafy greens, wait three minutes or so, and watch their color. They'll change to a fresh, bright green, which indicates they're done. You might be surprised how quickly vegetables like spinach will cook. Don't overcook when steaming, especially leafy greens; this reduces their nutritional value considerably.
- For green beans, try 8 or 10 minutes. Have a taste test, though--8 minutes will seem overcooked for some people, and 10 minutes will seem undercooked for others. Here's your chance to use the pen and paper: note the vegetable and the amount of time in the steamer that results in preparing the vegetable to your taste. For some cooks, this recording of times feels too regimented; but for other beginner cooks, it's appropriate and educational. Do whatever feels best for you.
- For roots and tubers like potatoes, beets, or yams, figure on 30 minutes. You can also try the fork test: a fork inserted into the root should slide in easily.
Note: You may have to add a little boiling water if all of the original water has boiled off into steam. - When the vegetables are done, pull the steamer out of the pot. Try to remove the vegetables with the steamer still in the pot often results in steamed fingers. Arrange on a warm serving plate, and garnish as desired. Enjoy!
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