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Blanching is an essential technique to master in your culinary skills, and it turns out that for some vegetables, this is the ideal cooking method. If you're familiar with it but unsure of how to proceed, you’re in the right place. Here's how to get started.
What exactly is blanching?
Blanching is a cooking process where fruits and vegetables are quickly poached in boiling water. The key element here is speed. Unlike boiling, where food is cooked thoroughly, blanching involves a very brief dunk—usually a minute or two, or even just a few seconds. The aim isn't to fully cook the ingredient but to gently soften or cook the outer layers. It’s particularly useful for vegetables like green beans or asparagus, where the exterior needs to be tenderized to remove bitterness and toughness.
The next step in blanching typically involves an ice water bath. After removing something from a heat source, whether it’s the oven or microwave, it holds onto residual heat. This lingering warmth continues to cook the item for several minutes. Though it might seem insignificant, what you intended to cook for just 20 seconds to brighten it up could lose its crispness due to carry-over cooking. This unwanted continuation of cooking can be stopped instantly by plunging the item into ice water.
Confession: I’m a bit lazy; when I cook a small batch of veggies, I simply run them under cold water. But if you want to do it the proper way, you can always prepare an ice bath.
Why bother with blanching in the first place?
If blanching doesn’t fully cook food, why should you bother? The primary reasons you might choose to blanch, or why it appears in recipes, are either to preserve the texture of the inside or because the vegetable is particularly bitter.
Let’s tackle bitterness first, as it’s quite specific. Boiling extracts certain characteristics from vegetables, including their flavor. This is why boiling isn't typically recommended for every type of food—you could lose flavor to the water, and if it’s not part of a soup, it just gets discarded. However, unpleasant bitter flavors can be neutralized with a thorough blanch. A prime example is broccoli rabe. If you’ve never enjoyed it, please read this and give it another try.
When it comes to keeping the interior intact, blanching allows you to slightly soften vegetables without sacrificing their crunch or snap. It’s an excellent way to elevate a crudité platter. Another great use is removing skins from certain fruits. For instance, you might blanch tomatoes to create a smooth sauce free from curling skin bits, or use it on peaches for a perfect peach pie or peach crisp.
There are varying degrees of blanching.
The duration you dunk something in gently boiling water depends on the type of food and the result you're aiming for. For green beans, a quick minute in the water is enough to create a flavorful side dish. They become tender and less bitter, without losing their crispness or turning mushy.
Blanching delicate items can be a bit tricky. Vegetables like asparagus or snow peas can easily overcook within seconds. For these more delicate options, the pour-over blanching method works better. Simply place the vegetables in a colander and pour boiling water over them. This brief contact with hot water is enough to cook the outside while keeping the most fragile parts from wilting.
The standard blanching process
1. Prepare your blanching setup
Blanching is a quick process, so it’s important to have everything ready. Place a large pot on medium heat, cover it with a lid, and bring the water to a boil. While that’s heating up, fill a large bowl with cold water and add a cup of ice. Ensure your vegetables are prepped (trimmed or cut as necessary), have a timer nearby, and keep a wide slotted spoon ready for plunging and removing the food.
2. Time to blanch
Once the water is boiling, remove the lid and add a pinch of salt—about half a teaspoon for a medium-sized pot. Drop in a handful of veggies. If your pot is bigger, feel free to add more, but be careful not to let the water cool down too much, as it needs to stay boiling. You’ll likely be working in several batches. Start your timer for the required cooking time. Use a slotted spoon to gently push the veggies underwater. When the timer goes off, take them out.
3. Ice plunge
Immediately transfer the veggies into the ice bath and use the spoon to push them fully under. You may notice the colors of the vegetables becoming more vibrant right at that moment. Make sure all the veggies are in the cold water as quickly as possible. After about 20 seconds, remove them from the bath and place them on a wire rack to drain. They’re now ready for use.
Cruciferous vegetables can be quite tough and have a slight bitterness, making them perfect candidates for blanching. This technique works wonderfully for broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, and even delicate heirloom carrots. It's also a fantastic method for peeling fruits like tomatoes and peaches. Simply make a shallow 'x' cut at the bottom of each fruit, blanch them for 20 to 30 seconds, and once removed from the hot water, the skins will easily peel away.
