:''For the term used in coinage, see
Blanching (coinage).''

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
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
french fries/chips.
Blanching also weakens the structure of vegetables rendering them softer than fresh, this is benefitial for
canning vegetables where the air in vegetables needs to be minimal.
Effects on vitamins
[information needed]
Also see
★
Parboil