Buzz
Blanching is the technique of briefly boiling food in hot water and then quickly cooling it in ice water. This method is particularly effective for green vegetables like asparagus as it helps retain their flavor, crunch, and vibrant color. Blanching is often used as a basic cooking method or as a preparatory step before stir-frying or sautéing vegetables. In this guide, we’ll show you how to blanch asparagus correctly.
Steps
Select fresh asparagus.
Boil a large pot of water.
Prepare the ice water for soaking. Fill a large bowl with cold water, covering about two-thirds of the bowl. Add 6-10 ice cubes and allow them to melt gradually.
- This method is also known as 'shocking' the asparagus, where the ice water rapidly lowers the temperature of the asparagus, effectively halting the cooking process. This is as important as the blanching time in hot water.
Blanch the asparagus.
Remove the asparagus from the boiling water. As soon as the asparagus turns bright green and firms up, take it out of the boiling water using a slotted spoon or a long-handled strainer. Immediately transfer the asparagus to the ice water bath.
Dry the asparagus. Place the asparagus on paper towels to remove excess water.
- If you’re not planning to cook the asparagus right away or need to transport it (for instance, to a picnic or a friend’s house), store it in a plastic bag with a layer of paper towels and refrigerate it.
Enjoy. Blanching is a basic cooking technique, or rather, a prep step before seasoning vegetables by stir-frying or sautéing them.
- Blanching is also an essential step when preparing vegetables for freezing. Briefly boiling vegetables helps prevent the enzymes that cause flavor loss, texture changes, and fading color.
- Blanching before freezing also helps wash off surface dirt and foreign particles, reduces vitamin loss, softens the vegetables, and makes them easier to package.
Suggestions
- For a simple yet tasty dish, add a pinch of salt and a few drops of olive oil to the asparagus before serving.
Warnings
- When purchasing fresh asparagus, remember that it will lose its freshness within 2 to 3 days, so it's best to cook it right after buying.
What You Will Need
- Asparagus
- Pot
- Water
- Bowl
- Ice
- Salt
- Colander
- Slotted Spoon
- Tongs
