Why Should I Blanch Vegetables?
Many veggies, such as carrots, peas, and asparagus, benefit from blanching before freezing to maintain their color and texture, but there are more reasons to make sure you add this method to your food prep.
Blanching loosens the skin of tomatoes and peaches so you can peel them with ease. When freezing vegetables, blanching slows the natural enzymes in the vegetables that can cause loss of flavor, texture, and color. Blanching cleans the surfaces of fruits and vegetables to remove dirt and organisms and can also reduce bitterness. It brightens the color of certain vegetables, especially broccoli and other green veggies. Vibrant blanched veggies are appetizing on a party tray with dip (plus generally eaten much more quickly than raw veggies). Blanching helps to slow the loss of nutrients. Longer-cooking vegetables can be blanched before grilling, especially when used on kabobs with quicker-cooking produce and meat.
How to Blanch Vegetables
For blanching any vegetable, start by filling a large pot with water, using 1 gallon of water per pound of prepped vegetables.
Blanching Times for Vegetables
Not all vegetables require blanching, but here are the most common veggies that benefit from the technique.
Asparagus: Blanch small asparagus spears 2 minutes, medium spears 3 minutes, and large spears 4 minutes. Broccoli: Blanch small broccoli florets 3 minutes. The broccoli should turn bright green and barely tender. Carrots: Blanch small whole carrots 5 minutes and cut-up carrots 2 minutes. Beans (green, Italian, snap, and wax): Working in batches, boil small beans for 2 minutes, medium beans for 3 minutes, and large beans for 4 minutes. Peas (English or green): Blanch 1½ minutes.
How to Blanch Tomatoes or Peaches
Blanching makes tomatoes easy to peel and protects their quality when freezing or getting them prepped for canning. Use peeled tomatoes for sauces and salsas, too. This same technique works well for peeling peaches. After your water is boiling, follow these steps:
How to Blanch Corn
Place corn, a few cobs at a time, in boiling water for 4 minutes. After corn has cooled in an ice bath, remove and cut kernels from the cob. Use immediately or store in freezer-safe bags. Your blanched vegetables will be nice and tender when finished. You can enjoy them in your favorite recipes or freeze them, so you have fresh veggies ready for meals. Remember to label and date them before they go in the freezer.
