Blanching 436668 225298669 2008-07-12T23:27:52Z 76.94.193.196 {{for|the term used in coinage|Blanching (coinage)}} {{cookbook}} [[Image:Blanching.jpg|thumb|280px|The first step in blanching green beans]] '''Blanching''' is a cooking term that describes a process of [[food]] preparation wherein the food substance, usually a vegetable or fruit, is plunged into boiling water, removed after a brief, timed interval and finally plunged into iced water or placed under cold running water (shocked) to halt the cooking process. '''Uses of blanching''' * '''Peeling''' Blanching loosens the skin on some fruits or nuts, such as onions, tomatoes, plums, peaches, or [[almonds]]. * '''Flavor''' Blanching enhances the flavor of some vegetables, such as broccoli, by releasing bitter acids stored in the cellular structure of the food. * '''Appearance''' Blanching enhances the color of some (particularly green) vegetables by releasing gases trapped in the cellular material that obscure the greenness of the chlorophyll. Since blanching is done - and halted - quickly, the heat does not have time to break down chlorophyll as well. * '''[[Shelf life]]''' Blanching neutralizes [[bacterium|bacteria]] and [[enzymes]] present in foods, thus delaying spoilage. This is often done as a preparatory step for freezing and refrigerating vegetables. Blanching can also describe [[deep frying]] in oil at a lower temperature as with the initial cooking of chips. Blanching also weakens the structure of vegetables, rendering them softer than fresh. This is beneficial for [[canning]] vegetables, a process wherein the air in vegetables needs to be minimal. ==References== {{reflist}} * Desrossier, NW, ''The technology of food preservation'', The AVI Publishing Company, 1965, p. 150-151 ==External Links== [http://freeculinaryschool.com/fcs-episode-3-the-basics-of-blanching/ Free Culinary School Podcast Episode 3]A podcast were the host talks all about the importance of blanching and the science behind the technique. == See also == * [[Parboil]] {{Cooking Techniques}} [[Category:Cooking techniques]] [[be:Бланшыраванне]] [[be-x-old:Бланшыраваньне]] [[bs:Blanširanje]] [[bg:Бланширане]] [[de:Blanchieren]] [[et:Blanšeerimine]] [[es:Escaldado]] [[he:בישול לבן]] [[ms:Celur]] [[nl:Blancheren]] [[ru:Бланширование]] [[fi:Kalttaus]] [[sv:Blanchering]]