The blanching method is utilized to scald vegetables in boiling water or steam for a particular quantity of your time. It stops enzyme actions which may cause a loss of flavor, color, and texture once the food is frozen or dehydrated.
It’s also called parboiling.
Blanching helps to rid of the surface of food from dirt and organisms, it brightens the color and helps retain vitamins. Some vegetables are extremely fibrous and taking the time to blanch them wilts, or softens them, in order that they can dry quicker or be easier to package for freezing.
Blanching time is crucial and varies with the vegetable and size. Under-blanching vegetables will stimulate their enzymes and is worse than no blanching.
When water blanching, be careful and use the suggested times. Overdoing the blanching time can cause loss of flavor, color, vitamins, and minerals; therefore you’ll primarily transfer all the nutrients from the food to the boiling water.
These vegetables can continuously need blanching. you should only use vegetables that are in wonderful condition. With larger vegetables, prepare to the size you wish first, and then blanch.
Once you’ve completed the blanching method (including the ice water bath), food can be stored within the deep freezer or processed in a dehydrator.
BOILING WATER BLANCHING
To make blanching easy, consider creating a blanching station to make the process go a bit faster. Begin by making an assembly line from your stovetop to your sink.
STEAM BLANCHING
Heating in steam is an alternate to water bath blanching and is even suggested for a couple of vegetables. Try this technique for broccoli, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and winter squash, which is able to help them, keep their texture higher. Steam blanching isn’t faster than boiling water blanching, in fact, takes regarding 1½ times longer to urge the vegetables to the proper state.
MICROWAVE BLANCHING
Microwave blanching might not be effective since research shows that some enzymes might not be inactivated. This might lead to off-flavors and loss of texture and color with the finished product. On the opposite hand, there seems to be some vitamin retention once using this technique, since microwaving doesn’t fully submerge the food into boiling water which may take away a part of the nutrients.
If you want to try the microwave blanching method, be sure to work in small batches and use the directions for your specific microwave oven. Microwave blanching will not save your time or use less energy.
While blanching, a few nutrients are lost into the water. But don’t waste it! You can still use that water in other ways!
- Cook rice, couscous, or quinoa;
- Use as the beginning of a stock or soup base;
- Use as the water in any recipe;
- Water plants or garden after it has cooled.
In some cases, blanching will really help with thick skinned berries by breaking the skins to make dehydrating a bit quicker. Whereas you can also freeze or cut, blanching is a good way to do it for a large amount.
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