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Blanching
What is Blanching?
Blanching is a culinary technique where ingredients, typically vegetables, are briefly scalded in boiling water. Once the desired consistency is achieved, the ingredients are then removed for a brief time period before being shocked in ice water to halt the cooking process. This technique maintains colour, flavour, and the crisp tenderness of the ingredients, and is proven to reduce quality loss over time. Blanching can be used for several reasons, including to soften ingredients or to loosen the skin of the vegetable to make peeling easier. This technique has also been used to brighten the colour of ingredients.
How is Blanching used?
Blanching is typically used for vegetables, fruits, and nuts, and is ideal to lock in flavour, texture, and colour over time by stopping enzyme actions that contribute to decay of the ingredients. This age-old cooking technique can also be used to prepare ingredients ahead of time, and is used by line-cooks, short-order cooks, and chefs alike. By submerging the boiled ingredients into the ice water, the cooking process is stopped, ensuring there is no loss of flavour or tenderness. Blanching is often used before freezing, drying, or canning ingredients.
Benefits of Blanching
Blanching is a classic culinary technique that serves many crucial purposes in the preparation of food. When the ingredients are submerged in the ice water, blanching halts the cooking process, and prevents the loss of flavour, color, or texture that would result from ongoing cooking. Blanching can also be used to cleanse the surface of the ingredients and brighten the colour of the vegetable. This technique has also been proven to remove the bitterness in some vegetables, including cabbage, leafy greens, and onions, and simplifies the food preparation process by softening vegetables, and loosening the skin.
