Word of the Week: Blanch

Blanch

You’ve probably heard the term “blanch,” but you may not have actually blanched anything. Or maybe you have, but you just didn’t realize that’s what you were doing! So how do you blanch something, and why?

“Blanch” is a cooking process that involves placing foods — usually fruits or vegetables — in boiling water briefly, then placing into or running under cold water. This stops the cooking process in order to retain the color, flavor, texture and nutrients of the fruit or vegetable. In some instances, blanching may just involve boiling a food in water for an extended period of time to remove certain flavors.