3952 Blanching

Blanching is carried out for two different purposes. In the first of these, for example, in the treatment of spinach, peas, French beans and green vegetables in general, this blanching is really a complete cooking carried out quickly in plenty of boiling water. This is to keep them green by preserving as much as possible of the Chlorophyll they contain. The other purpose of the blanching is to remove the natural bitterness contained in some vegetables such as cabbage, celery and chicory by boiling them in water for a length of time determined by the type and quality of the vegetable. Generally speaking, new season’s vegetables do not need blanching.