Blanch

To put food in cold unsalted water, bring to a boil, skim, simmer a few minutes and drain. However, some vegetables are blanched in boiling water so that they cook further. Meaning literally "to whiten", the term is appropriate, as blanching also effectively "tones down" the flavor by removing salt and other strong flavors from foods, notably bacon, and firm meats such as sweetbreads. Blanching sets the brilliant color of green vegetables and herbs, loosens the skins of tomatoes and nuts (such as almonds), and rids rice and potatoes of excess starch. Vegetables are often blanched before freezing to destroy the enzymes that can cause them to deteriorate.