When and How to Blanch Vegetables
There are certain vegetables, such as green beans and broccoli, which can be gorgeous, brightly colored and completely tender crunchy, or sad, dull and soggy. Luckily, it only takes a few minutes to make sure these vegetables are the best – you just need to blanch them.
Part of the Skillet The Grown-Up Kitchen series , designed to answer your most basic cooking questions and fill in any gaps that may be missing from your home chef education.
Blanching is an extremely simple method in which vegetables are briefly immersed in boiling water and then, when they have reached the desired degree of cooking, they are dipped in an ice bath to stop cooking. Blanching adds color and texture to the vegetable, preventing it from washing out and dulling color. There are many reasons for blanching plant parts, including:
- Gives carrots, green beans, yellow beans and broccoli the delicate crunchy texture of salads and crudite dishes.
- Partial preparation of herbs to get rid of their raw quality and bitter taste.
- Cooking Green Beans for a Fabulous Casserole
- Removing bitter or harsh tastes from cabbage or onions
- Brightens up green vegetables for their best looking
- Peeling tomatoes, peaches, and even almonds and pistachios
- Preparing fruits and vegetables for freezing
- Partially cooking potatoes before frying
To blanch something, you will need:
- Pot of water
- Salt
- Ice bath (basin or bucket of ice water).
Season with salt and water and bring to a boil ( covered or open – doesn’t matter ). Cut any larger vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli, or potatoes, into uniform pieces. Submerge fruits, vegetables, or nuts in boiling water. If you blanch tomatoes or peaches for peeling, remove after 30 seconds and place in an ice bath. For veggies, check to see if they’re done after a minute, then either dip them in the tub or keep cooking until they’re cooked to your liking, tasting every minute or so. For most vegetables, this takes two to four minutes. After a minute, remove the almonds and pistachios and soak them in ice water. After filling the food with ice cold water, take it out and either eat it, store it, peel it, or cook with it as you see fit.