Ingredients

What's Blanching?
Air Date: 9/23/2008


Have you ever come across a recipe that calls for blanching food but didn't know how to go about doing it?

Blanching is a quick method of removing the skin from certain foods like almonds, tomatoes, peaches, and certain other nuts, fruits and veggies. You do it by briefly plunging the food into boiling water (maybe just 45 seconds or so for tomatoes, but it depends on the item) then transferring them to a bowl of ice-cold water to stop the cooking process. Once the food cools, you should be able to peel the skin right off with a paring knife.

And if you want your broccoli, green beans and other fresh vegetables to be really colorful and crunchy for veggie platters or for freezing, use the same process. They'll stay looking as good as they did the day they were picked!

Now you're a blanching expert, which makes you a hero in the kitchen, 'cause a little knowledge takes you a long way with the...