Blanch

The act of cooking food in cold, unsalted water. Bring to a boil, skim, simmer a few minutes, drain and refresh by running them under cold water. Some vegetables such as green vegetables are blanched in boiling, salted water, so that they cook more thoroughly. This complex culinary term, meaning literally “to whiten” is appropriate, as blanching also effectively “tones down” the foods’ flavors by removing salt and other strong flavors, good examples of which are bacon, and firm meats such as sweetbreads.

Blanching helps retain the brilliant color of green vegetables and herbs; loosens the skin of tomatoes and nuts (such as almonds), and rids rice and potatoes of excess of starch. Vegetables are often blanched before being frozen to destroy any enzymes, which can cause their deterioration.